In high season, making a holiday home stand out from the rest is difficult; competition is increasing all the time! Travellers have plenty of accommodation options to choose from when picking the one that suits them best; so they will always go for the one with the highest levels of security, comfort and flexibility.
In this article, we give you some tips on how to increase reservations for your holiday home, by meeting all your guests’ demands and – if that were not enough - even exceeding their expectations:
1. Take care of your Internet presence
First impressions last. So taking care of the Internet presence for your holiday home is vital. To do so, you should:
- Publish high-quality images and videos: Photographs are the first thing any potential guest will notice, so make sure they are good quality and show every corner attractively and professionally. Videos are also a great idea, because they give a much more complete and realistic view of the accommodation.
- Offer an online check-in option: In this digital age, travellers value convenience and speed in each process more than ever, so an online check-in system can make a difference.
- Add detailed descriptions: Describe your accommodation in detail and try to optimise the ad with relevant keywords. This way, you gain positioning in both search engines and holiday rental platforms. Asking a happy guest for a good review when they leave is also very positive for this.
2. Provide guests with good equipment
A satisfied guest will recommend your home to others and may even return. If that is what you want, take a look at our article on how to equip your holiday home.
Make sure nothing is missing: from kitchen utensils to items that reinforce the safety of tenants. For example, you can install one of our safes so guests can store their valuables with complete peace of mind.
Don’t forget that having a lot of equipment is no use if it is not in good condition or if your guests don’t know how to use it. Try to include user manuals, such as one for the television.
You can also provide a small welcome kit to enhance the guest experience!
3. Offer a flexible cancellation policy
A flexible cancellation policy can be a deal-breaker for many travellers. After all, we're all looking for security and flexibility in our travel plans, so allowing penalty-free cancellations up to a certain date can make your home much more attractive to guests.
In addition, providing a late check-out option is also an extra positive point.
4. Let guests arrive when they want
As mentioned, today's guests are looking for flexibility and convenience, which is why an Airbnb self-check-in is a trend increasingly in demand.
To do this, all you need to do is simply install an electronic lock system for your apartment; or, if you prefer, a security key holder. These Omnitec products let your guests check in and out at any time, without having to have someone present to hand over keys to.
Comfort, security, independence, privacy... these are all big advantages!
5. Keep your availability calendar up to date
One of the most common mistakes that negatively affect reservations is not keeping your availability calendar up to date. Make sure it always reflects the dates actually available and those already taken. You will avoid a lot of confusion and bad experiences by doing this!
If you want to earn extra brownie points as a host, also remember that communication with your guests must be fluid. Respond quickly to queries and be clear about availability and booking conditions, because nothing builds trust more than transparency.
Count on Omnitec to boost bookings for your holiday home
Have all these tips been useful to you? Don't forget that, at Omnitec Systems we are committed to offering you high quality products to help you improve the security and convenience of your holiday home; helping you to maximise your reservations. Take a look at our website!