How to Improve Your Vacation Rental Reviews

October 18, 2019

Today, people typically begin their vacation process by researching online. One of the most important factors when pursuing a potential destination are guest reviews. Peer reviews are often a good indicator of the guest experience and carry a lot of weight, especially in the beginning stages of research.

As a property manager, you are often looking for ways to cut costs and maximize profits. However, it is important to understand that some amenities are simply too important to cut when you want to create a positive guest experience. Guests expect a certain level of basic amenities when booking their vacation. By eliminating certain elements to cut costs, you run the risk of receiving a negative review.

The Importance of Positive Guest Reviews

While a single negative review might not seem like a big deal, the fact is, any negative review can cost you bookings. If you take into consideration the average cost of a vacation rental is $217 per night, losing a single three-night booking due to a bad review can cost you $651 in potential revenue. Providing certain essential amenities can help you to avoid those negative reviews and contribute to a positive guest experience that can even result in repeat bookings.

It’s the Basics that Count

Most guests who rent a vacation property understand that they will need to bring certain items and go shopping when they arrive. However, providing some basic amenities can help them start their vacation with a smile. Many low-cost items can go a long way toward showing your guests that you care and that you understand that their vacation is meant to be spent relaxing, not shopping for basic staples.

• Have extra toilet paper!
  Nothing is more frustrating than coming home from the beach, going into the bathroom and realizing that you are out of toilet paper. Have extra rolls stored in the property and let your guests know that they are there.
• Make preparing for the day as effortless as possible.
  Stock the bathrooms with individually sized toiletries. While many property managers and owners don’t feel that it is worth the cost, if you manage multiple properties, buy supplies in bulk. For example, a decent set of shampoo, conditioner and body gel can cost as little as $.86 per day when purchased in bulk. That’s a pretty small price to pay when you weigh it against the cost of a negative review.
• Think about cleaning supplies.
  A pretty common complaint on guest reviews is that properties often don’t provide clean materials like dish and laundry soap, sponges or paper towels. Often property owners assume that the guests will pick up these items when they shop for their vacation, but the fact is, supplying them is an inexpensive way to avoid a negative review. This goes for laundry detergent as well. If the unit has a washing machine, providing laundry detergent is an unexpected amenity that your guests will really appreciate, especially if they have small children or need to wash linens and towels during their stay.

Of course, comfort, and cleanliness should go without saying when it comes to your vacation rental properties. However, for many guests, it really is the little things that go a long way toward making their experience pleasurable and can lead to positive reviews.

Nickle and diming your guests to cut costs and boost profits is a short-term solution with potentially long-term negative results.

For under $150.00 per unit annually, you can potentially avoid negative reviews that can cost you a lot more over the long term.