If you are currently working in the rental space, you are probably fairly familiar with this question. Figuring out what makes a successful stay is a multi-faceted and complicated question which can take months if not years to figure out. The question itself is very subjective, if you ask your neighbour or your family, you can have drastically different answers. The trick to succeeding in this area is figuring out what aspects of a stay that are most important to your guests. Once you have this information, you can simply modify your current rental so it matches your guests’ preferences. This can be costly, and may take time, but if it means you get more guests and higher reviews, that alone will offset the cost many times over.
Getting Things Right
So how can you figure out what guests are wanting the most? Ask them! If you feel like this is a common answer, you wouldn’t be wrong. Why spend time on wondering what your guests prioritize the most in a STR instead of just getting a direct answer. When you ask your guests, you can easily determine what aspects of your rental are currently not up to their expectations or even standards. From there, you can then update your property, and even your listing accordingly. For example, if you currently don’t have a television in your rental property, but the majority of your guests expect one to be there, then buy a television. It may sound like pandering, but if it means furthering the success of your property, then I believe it is a great investment.
Another great way of figuring out what makes a successful stay is to go through Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) such as Airbnb and Vrbo, and refining your search for highly rated rentals. From there you can see either from their property images, or their property descriptions what they are currently offering that you aren’t. Matching the competition can only guarantee that you won’t be left behind in the rental market.
Although research and purchases aren’t the most glamorous of suggestions for your rental property, the combination of the two can almost certainly mean an improvement in quality of stay for your guests. At the same time, if you believe your rental property is completely perfect, I would suggest that you may have blinders on, because the property is so close to your heart. Give a close friend of yours a free trial stay on the basis that they’ll have to give you honest feedback by the time they’re done. Make sure to outline any aspects of the rental you really want feedback on (living room, bed room, washroom, etc.).
At the end of the day, a successful stay is purely subjective and answers will always vary. The trick is to figure out the most common answers and gripes so you can quickly rectify them. If you’re still curious about suggestions, feel free to email us at contact@ensoconnect.com for more suggestions about what you may want to update or change.
