Now, more than ever, guests are looking for more than just a place to stay; they’re looking for an experience that will exceed their expectations.
Before Covid-19, travelers were used to staying at hotels with onsite services and amenities like restaurants, housekeeping, and room service where there is a concierge to help them check in, give information, and book services.
The shift in Guest Preferences
During Covid-19, there was a huge shift in travelers’ behavior when it comes to where they wanted to stay. Travelers started to stay in vacation rentals because there were fewer interactions and more proximity to other people.
While the driving factor for choosing a vacation rental was distancing, guests were able to discover all the other benefits of a vacation rental. Having more space, being able to cook in the kitchen, enjoying a big group of family and friends in the same unit as well as being able to enjoy unique experiences like staying in a cabin or beachfront became more appealing to many.
It is safe to say that this discovery left a lasting change in behavior and most travelers are not switching back to hotels any time soon.
Although the demand is high in vacation rentals, expectations are higher because guests are used to the hotel experiences with high-touch guest services
Where is the Gap?
Hotels have high-touch services like concierge, housekeeping, and room service which make life easier, save time and simplify the decision-making process for guests.
Think of it this way, at a hotel, guests are greeted at the lobby and checked in by the front desk personnel. They talk to the concierge for dinner reservations and for local recommendations. At a hotel, guests don’t have to do their own laundry, they use the dry-cleaning service. At a hotel, they don’t have to clean their own room, they call the housekeeping, and the list goes on.
Vacation rentals are missing some of the conveniences of hotels.
This difference created a gap between guest expectations and what many vacation rentals deliver.
Creating a personalized, high-touch experience can be a challenge for vacation rental property managers. There are multiple vacation rentals in various locations managed by the same property manager versus many units being managed in one building. This operational model is not ideal to provide services like concierge, housekeeping, room service, etc. Also, the vacation rentals are run by property management companies which are small businesses with leaner staff, versus big global brands with thousands of employees like Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton.
Bridge The Gap with Technology
Technology can bridge the gap between the high-touch, premium guest experience of a hotel and the privacy of a vacation rental while saving you time as a property manager.
You don’t need an employee in the lobby to help your guests check-in. Instead, you can automate and personalize your guest check-in digitally with the help of a digital concierge. You will be able to curate your local recommendations in your digital concierge so that your guests will not have to scroll on Yelp for hours just to discover an expensive restaurant with mediocre food. You can advertise your local dry cleaners’ pickup and delivery service and earn commissions while supporting another local small business. You’ll warm your guests’ hearts when your reminder pops up on the screen telling your guests to take that one last photo together before they leave and offer late checkout if they need extra time. A video tutorial of how to operate the entertainment system will empower your guests and save you tons of time answering those simple calls. Your guests will feel at home when you share property guidelines and amenity information through the interactive guidebook in your vacation rental. When you reduce friction with a one-click payment system you will sell more services. Offering a mid-stay cleaning service will give back hours of priceless family time to that working mom of three. Reminding the Disney shuttle pick-up times through the digital billboard will save our guests hours of wait time at their favorite ride.
These are just some of the examples of how you can personalize the guest experience and create a high-touch environment at a scale while keeping your guests’ privacy. Conversely, technology has been used to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and replace labor. It is also one of the most effective tools to enhance the guest experience.
If you’d like to learn more about how you can enhance the guest experience while earning more from each guest stay get our Free Ebook “How To Earn More From Each Guest Stay”
