If you’re in the vacation rental industry or the short-term rental market, you know there’s an enormous focus on the guest experience. The guest experience this, the guest experience that. 

You may think this means making sure guests have an incredible vacation experience while they’re staying with you, from a spotless rental with a well-stocked kitchen to premium linens and super fun game rooms. And it does. 

But the guest experience begins wayyyy before they even set foot in your vacation rental. Enhance the guest experience from before the beginning to after the end, and you’ll be nurturing relationships that will bring guests back again and again. Check out a few easy ways a vacation rental copywriter can help you provide the absolute best experience for your guests. 

Offer a Stellar Guest Experience Before Arrival

When guests book a stay at your vacation rental property, they are at one of the highest points of excitement. When they click that “book now” button, they are itching to arrive at your property and start their vacation pronto. 

With some vacation rental companies, that will be it. They’ll click “book now,” be excited, and then nothing will happen until they go on their trip. 

Don’t be that vacation rental company. 

Don’t waste a golden opportunity to show guests that you are excited for them to visit too, to maximize the value they feel they will receive from you, and nurture a relationship that will make them want to stay with you in the future. 

Here are some easy ways to do that. 

Make sure your website is easy to navigate.

As a frequent vacation rental guest myself, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been turned off by a terrible website. If it’s difficult to navigate, if I can’t search for specific amenities (like “pet-friendly rentals”), or if the website is too dang slow, I’m done. I don’t have time for that, and neither do your potential guests.

It’s incredibly important to make sure the process that your guests go through is seamless – starting with their search. Because if it’s not, you may lose them before they even see that dream property you’ve got.

So make sure the guest experience with your website doesn’t have any glitches. 

Send a welcome email sequence.

As soon as guests book with you, send them a welcome email sequence. You only get one chance at a first impression. 

First, thank them for booking with you and tell them how excited you are that they’ve chosen your property or company. Then follow up with a series of emails – just a few – that provide value and show guests what your property or company has to offer. This can include:

• Packing tips, with information on what will (and won’t) be included in their rental

• Area guides to help them plan amazing vacation experiences

• Culinary guides to allow them to make dinner reservations in advance

• “Best of” lists to give insight into what activities and attractions they might want to plan

• Information about your company and your availability to help throughout their stay

If you’re not quite sure how to organize a welcome email sequence, talk to a vacation rental copywriter. It’s a one-time investment that will have a big impact on guest satisfaction, and therefore your business. The potential ROI here is huge. 

Send a pre-arrival email.

Aside from when they book, the other most exciting time for your guests is right before their vacation is about to begin. Don’t miss out on this other golden opportunity.

There’s nothing worse than getting ready to venture to a totally new destination and stay in a vacation rental property you’ve never stayed in before, check your email for the details, and get… crickets. This leaves your guests feeling neglected before they even arrive. That is not what you want. 

Clear communication should begin before guests arrive. Make them feel like they made a good decision in booking with you, that everything is taken care of, and that you’ve thought of every detail. 

Provide the address, door and gate codes, and any other information they’ll need for their arrival, like important notes about directions that may be different from GPS navigation. And send a digital copy of your welcome book (more on that later). 

If you’re making guests search the website or app for this information, that’s one more frustration for them that you could alleviate just by sending an email. They’ll appreciate that you thought to provide the information in advance, and they’ll arrive completely ready to enjoy their vacation without wondering about a bunch of details. 

Again, if you’re not sure what to say in this email, a vacation rental copywriter can help. 

Provide a detailed welcome book.

I’ve discussed this in a previous post, but it’s so important! Whether you’re a fan of a physical book or a digital one, a welcome book is an absolute necessity. 

If this guest has never stayed with you before, they’re going to have questions. Understand what those questions will be, and answer them in your welcome book. 

You come off as thoughtful and detail-oriented, and your guests will have all their questions answered before they even ask them (which is also nice for you). 

Some things to include in your welcome book:

• Access and WiFi codes

• Instructions for difficult-to-use technology

• Where to find things in the house or on the property 

• House rules and expectations

• What they can (and can’t) use at your property 

• Emergency information and contact details

• Your personal recommendations for restaurants, attractions, etc.

• Your contact information 

• Check-out procedures

Once you’ve got your welcome book ready, distribute it to your guests by sending it in an email before they arrive, so they don’t have to read it upon arrival if they don’t want to, and they can begin enjoying their vacation right away. 

If you have a digital welcome book, you can easily modify it as needed. If you have a paper version, be sure to print a new one if you make any changes. Even if you have a hard copy, send a digital copy pre-arrival. 

Continue Nurturing the Relationship After Their Visit

Okay, so the guests had an incredible time. 

• They loved your property. 

• You gave stellar recommendations for things to do.

• You provided a comprehensive welcome book.

• The communication and support you offered while they were there were on point. 

You left no stone unturned. Until they left?

It is way easier to book a returning guest than a new one. They already stayed with you, they know the value you provide, and they loved their experience in your amazing vacation rental property. 

But when they leave vacation and return to their normal, everyday routine, they may forget about you. Don’t let them.

Send emails to past guests.

This is another series of emails that you can set up once and tweak as needed. Chat with a vacation rental copywriter to invest in setting up an email sequence for past guests. Do it once, and it will serve you for years to come. 

What it can look like:

• Thank them for staying with you, obviously, and invite them to stay again in the future. 

• Remind them that you exist by keeping them up to date with your company or property.

• Provide discounts or incentives for future stays.

• Let them know about special events, festivals, etc. that are coming up to inspire rebookings. 

• Ask if they want to book again at the same time next year. 

I love to travel, so I plan a lot of vacations and I almost always stay in a vacation rental. So do I often forget about a destination or property that I really loved? Guilty. 

When I get an email from a vacation rental company that I’ve stayed with in the past, I say, “Oh yeah! I loved that place.” And I pretty much immediately begin looking into staying there again.

Don’t miss out on repeat guests. Send an email every once in a while to remind them you’re there when they’re ready to plan your next vacation. 

Stand Out From the Rest  

So, in a nutshell? The guest experience starts long before they stay with you. From your website and pre-arrival emails to welcome books and emails for past guests, there are simple things you can do to enhance the guest experience beyond their actual stay. 

And guess what? Your vacation rental copywriter can help with that. 

If you’re interested in how a vacation rental copywriter can help you improve the guest experience, set up a quick call or contact me to chat.

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