Customer experience is at the center of running a successful short-term rental. Offering five star worthy stays keeps a constant stream of happy guests through your property, which in turns leads to maximum returns and a much higher profit than that of a long-term lease. Reviews are everything in this business.

Lucky for you, we have the five star worthy stay recipe down to a T- It involves but is not limited to clear and prompt communication, excellent concierge services, and great function and design of the property, which provide guests a feeling of support, comfort, and safety. 

Let’s explore five key areas that will make loyal, returning and referring guests out of your visitors:

1) Clear and Prompt Communication

It is key to establish an easy and constant flow of information between you, as a host, and your guests. From the moment they click on your listing, to when they first contact you through duration of their trip and even to post-trip feedback channels and inquiries, it is important for guests to feel comfortable reaching out and for you to be responsive as they do so. Create informative yet concise listings that give guests a clear expectation of their stay; this includes sharing number of rooms, features, amenities, services, and rules, location information, etc. More is more! Once the guest checks in, be readily available to answer any questions, attend any complaints, or provide on-site services/assistance. Finally, allow your guests to provide feedback on their experience, so that you may ease their concerns and work to improve future guest experiences. Post-stay communication also serves to deal with lost items, damages, future trip scheduling and just saying thank you- which goes a long way.

2) Extra Services

Go the extra mile to offer guests, not only a place to stay, but a full travel experience. Concierge services easily accessible to guests will help you distinguish yourself from other hosts, who stop their interaction with guests at accommodation. Here at Host and Keep, we have leveraged our resources and partnerships to offer visitors full concierge services involving the most popular South Florida activities. Now, customers come to us, not only for sleeping arrangements, but for help in exploring and experiencing the location that they are visiting. Concierge services that we offer that have been successful at wowing guests are the following:

• Discounted Table Service

• VIP/Priority Restaurant Reservation

• Pool parties

• Limo Services

• Private Chauffeur

• Luxury/Exotic Cars

• Helicopter Charters

• Boat Rentals

• Cruisers

• Yacht Charters/Expeditions

• Photographers/Videographers

• Recovery IV Hydration w/ Licensed Physicians

• Grocery Service

• Beach Chair Services

• Personal Chefs

• Private Massage Services

• Private Jet Charters

• Discounted Tourist Attractions

• Discounted Sporting/Event Tickets

• Jet Skis

• Scooters/Vespa/Bicycle/Rollerblade Rentals

• Fishing Charters

• Babysitting/Child Care Services

• Custom Itineraries

• Discounted Spa Services

• Restaurant Discounts

• Custom Cakes

3) Functional yet Beautiful Design

Great design of your home can anticipate the vacation mood, feel, or vibe as soon as guests step into the property. A great design does not only mean visually appealing decoration, but design that represents the feeling that you want guests to have as they enter your property. This can vary from a cozy tavern exuding hominess, to a luxuriously modern apartment that screams success, to a freshly designed beach house that invites relaxation. A top-class host will provide services to not only find a great property but also participate in its design to the smallest detail, from choosing the right kitchen countertop to picking the flowers that give the home a special touch. Hiring an interior designer might be necessary. However, it is essential to communicate with your designer to set high standards, so that your property’s design may represent guests’ travel interests and create an impeccable image of you as a host or property owner. Make room for luggage and fr personal items the guests will travel with, so don’t over clutter.

4) Great Functionality

As you are designing your home, ask yourself: What can you do as a vacation rental owner to really connect with your visitors? Your property should not only match guest expectations in terms of design but also in terms of functionality. Different guests have different interests as they travel and the functionality of your home should meet their priorities. Pay attention to what guests want, need, and value and tailor your home to their routine and activities. Families, for example, want to have fun, are often cooking meals at home, and are concerned for the kids’ safety. Therefore, play stations, fully equipped kitchens, and outlet covers are things that these types of guests are looking for. Remote workers, on the other hand, need plenty of work space, so workstations or versatile tabletops can come in handy. Pet owners, for instance, love backyards and walking paths; a home with a nearby scenic walkway can be transformed to a pet-friendly home. Once you have created a customer-centered home in terms of functionality, market it as such! Update your listings, highlight functionality in social media and wait for the right guests to book your property. 

5) Maintenance and Housekeeping

Ensure that your guests find themselves in a clean, well-kept, and fully-stocked home. Take care of handyman tasks and make the effort to be on call throughout the duration of your guests’ stay. How you handle the small things is usually a good indicator of how you handle the big things. They are both equally as important in this business.

If you are not keeping functioning light-bulbs, working laundry machines, and un-clogged sinks, it is likely that your home is not in presentable condition for guests. Housekeeping can go a long way with guests. Entering a clean, neatly organized home can help visitors mentally transition from their daily routine to a travel mindset; their mind at ease because, unlike at home, the heavy-lifting at home is already taken care of for them. To achieve this, pre and post stay inspection, maintenance, and housekeeping of your property is necessary. Take pictures and videos of your property after housekeeping, so that you may set impeccable and constant housekeeping standards.  Stand out by paying attention to the small details, offering hotel grade bedding and towels, toiletry replenishment, shower essentials, and easily accessible beach or camping essentials (depending on your location!). Other toiletries that you can be replenish and be mindful of are:

• Toilette paper

• Paper towels

• Hand Soap

• Dish Soap

• Sponges

• Shampoo

• Conditioner

• Body Wash

• Garbage Bags

• All Purpose Cleaner

• Laundry Detergent

• Coffee

• Sugar

• Salt

• Pepper

• Olive Oil

Host and Keep offers both a linen and a toiletry program as part of our cleaning fees paid for by guests- this keeps our standards met and our owners not footing the bill.

The selection, design, and up-keep of a short-term rental home can be a time and resource-demanding process. A vacation rental property management company, like us, can help you with everything that entails short-term hosting. From selecting a property, to assisting construction and design, to guest recruiting and management. Schedule a call with us for more information. We can make your experience as a short-term rental host as hands-off and profitable as possible as we provide five star worthy stays for your guests. 

Contact us for more information and a free evaluation with financial projections.