Luxury vacation rentals are a fantastic way to maximise your earning potential and further develop your business. That being said, it’s important to remember that managing and marketing a luxury holiday rental property is vastly different from overseeing a standard short-term rental. Things like services, guest communication, amenities and marketing change when you’re catering to luxury travellers and holidaymakers.
If you’re thinking about taking your vacation rental business to the next level by offering your guests a luxury Airbnb rental property, there are a few things to keep in mind before taking the plunge. We take a look at five ways in which you can upscale your Airbnb and turn it into a luxury rental, as well as how to advertise it to attract the right kind of clientele.
Offer amenities that attract luxury travellers
Remember that you’re trying to attract a certain calibre of travellers and holidaymakers who are used to luxury and opulence, and will have certain expectations when it comes to amenities. It’s not enough to provide standard furnishings, you’ll need to think bigger and aim higher if you want to attract high-end guests to your luxury Airbnb. Instead, you should try and delight your guests by providing them with everything they need, and more.
In order to attract and maintain bookings, consider additional amenities to give your rental that wow factor such as hot tubs, fire pits, built-in bars, sun decks, swimming pools and smart televisions with free streaming access.
You should also work with an experienced interior designer, who can help you to plan an overall design and decorative scheme for your property. Mention the amenities you want to install so they can incorporate them into their interior plans in order to elevate your rental from menial to magnificent.
Invest in professional services for your marketing
Investing your time and money in premium amenities and services for your rental will not yield results unless you also invest in the tools necessary to market your property. For a luxury Airbnb, anything less than professional photography and videography just won’t cut it, so be sure to always hire experts.
Marketing materials should advertise your rental’s luxury amenities and facilities. If you’re not feeling totally confident about your digital marketing skills, hire a professional marketer with experience in advertising rental properties.
If you don’t have the time to oversee your vacation rental, hire a licensed property management company that includes a marketing team. Doing this will allow the management team to, not only handle your rental bookings and guest communication, but also oversee all marketing campaigns and materials for advertising.
Hire the right people to provide the best care for your guests
Aside from luxury amenities, you should also aim to provide a perfect guest experience for your visitors. To ensure they have a wonderful time staying with you, you need to think about the kinds of services you will want to offer with your luxury holiday let. Daily services should include housekeeping, laundry, a concierge service and 24-hour call-outs and maintenance services.
Try to think about what your rental offers in relation to the kinds of services you could provide. If you have a built-in bar, you could hire a professional mixologist or a personal trainer if your luxury vacation rental comes with a home gym. Other ideas include a massage therapist, beautician, an in-house chef, or a surfing instructor if your rental is near the beach.
List your property on Airbnb and join the Plus program
Make sure your luxury Airbnb is attracting the right people by optimising your listing effectively. List your rental on sites like Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com and ensure you provide a perfect description of your listing and what it offers in terms of amenities and services. Create a public profile and include an Airbnb bio and a profile photo.
To market your rental to an even more tailored part of the Airbnb community, meet the Airbnb Plus requirements in order to join the Plus program. You should also apply to be part of Airbnb Luxe, a collection of premium luxury vacation rentals that offer fully serviced properties aimed at a global community of wealthy travellers.
Automate your vacation rental management for a premium guest experience
Efficient management and handling of business operations is the key to ensuring that guests have an excellent stay at your luxury vacation rental. Vacation property management software, like iGMS can help you streamline important operations, by providing services such as a unified inbox where you can quickly and conveniently access all incoming messages from your guests, automation and timed release of your guest reviews and easy management of all your rental listings across platforms via a channel manager.
Automation of all guest communication to keep your guests informed at every part of the booking process, team management and automated assignment of cleaning and maintenance tasks and advanced reporting tools to track business development are some other services that will help boost your business.
