Expedia, just like Airbnb, is an essential platform for vacation rental owners to maximize bookings and manage hosting as well. They provide endless opportunities to entice guests and ensure that none of your rooms or houses remain unoccupied for even a day.
Hosts, who are often the rental property owners or managers, have a bigger obligation to enhance guest experiences when they arrive and even during their stay. This starts all the way from the time guests book to the time they arrive at the rental property.
With this in mind, let us dive into such insights so that you can create a memorable first impression to welcome your guests.
A Fair Cancellation Policy
According to guest reviews, the Expedia cancellation policy is quite fair. This is also the case with other short-term rental property management platforms. However, how the hosts apply it makes all the difference. When they are booking, it is good to let your guests know that they can count on the policy. Inform them that they can cancel their booking as per the policy if anything comes up.
Flexible Check-ins and Checkouts
Many guests on Expedia prefer a host with a flexible check-in and checkout policy. Even though sticking to the check-in and checkout times agreed upon when booking is great, some instances may necessitate adjustments. Be sure to promise your guests that you can discuss these timings and even adjust them with a good reason and enough notice. Guests will appreciate properties with flexibility.
Clear Welcome Communication
A welcome book is a crucial document for every vacation rental home. It should welcome the guests with a warm and welcoming slogan before they read about the safety and security policies for the house and the entire premises. Furthermore, clear labeling ensures that guests have all the relevant information to have a great stay at your property. If need be, communicate to the guests through any other way such as email or phone.
Small Extras
Many vacation rental hosts provide small extras that show their appreciation to guests. Whether it is premium coffee to use in the provided coffee maker or a small locally made dessert, it will go a long way in giving guests a memorable time. You can regularly change these small extras based on the season and availability.
Local Recommendations
It is good for hosts to provide local recommendations for restaurants, cafes, bars, sports centers, and other tourist attractions. In fact, it is helpful to have this information noticeably placed in the vacation rental so that guests can view it as soon as they check in.
Reliable Assistance
Guests may require various types of assistance such as connecting to the internet, selecting options on the TV, handling provided appliances, and even various recommendations, among other things. If you don’t have a manager on site, ensure that there is a way to instantly communicate with your guests so that they can ask for any assistance they need.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are numerous ways to create a welcoming guest experience when using Expedia or any other short-term rental booking platform. They are simple activities that any host can achieve with ease. What more can we say? This is powerful information that will attract more guests to your properties.