Vacation Rental Owners Blog

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At A Glance: February News For Vacation Rental Owners Posted: 22 Feb 2014 12:00 PM PST Skift || Here's a First Look at the Expedia-HomeAway Vacation Rental Experiment After announcing a partnership late last year, Expedia and HomeAway have just launched a beta version of their combined vacation rental search. The user experience is a little rough, explained Skift's Dennis Schaal, saying that it "functions more like an advertising relationship would than a tightly integrated booking process." He also notes, however, that these are only first steps; much will likely change as they gain information and feedback. Travel Daily News || Vacation rentals even more popular with U.S. travelers in 2014 A recent survey by TripAdvisor found that 52 percent of American travelers plan to stay at a vacation rental in 2014—up from 44 percent last year. Where are they planning to go, what are they willing to spend, and what amenities are they looking for? Reporter Theodore Koumelis covers the survey's highlights. Vacation Rental Marketing Blog || 1 Simple (But Forgotten) Image You MUST Include In Your Gallery Here's an interesting question: How many of us include floorplans in our image gallery? Reflecting on a conversation he had recently, Matt Landau relates that his friend didn't understand why vacation rental owners don't include floorplans: "That would, at least, help me decide whether this random home would be a good fit for my family," he said. Skift || How Should Tourism Businesses Respond To Extreme Weather: A Practical Guide Earlier this month, we offered ideas on how to manage guest expectations with such unpredictable weather. The UK's tourism authority, VisitEngland—an area that has also been battered by extreme weather—took it one step further and wrote an e-book. While their advice is tailored to the UK, there is a lot of good information regardless of your location. For example, they offer advice through different stages of an extreme weather situation, suggesting things like working with other hospitality groups in your area and recognizing the power of the rumor mill, even if your particular area hasn’t been touched. tnooz || A Facebook take on travel in 2014 – silent, blurred and visual While not announcing anything particularly unique, Facebook’s Aoife Desmond recently reiterated a number of trends we've discussed on the MyVR blog, like the blurred lines between travel and leisure, the growth of mobile when it comes to researching and booking, and the importance of good visuals. Another common thread is the draw of local experiences: "Guests don't want to know the hotel has got a bed but what is local and what is the experience they are going to get." Has your property been included in the Expedia-HomeAway beta? Will you add a copy of your floorplan to your image gallery? Tell us what's kept you busy this month in the comments section below. Images: travel poster in the puiblic domain, photo by Karsun Designs Photography

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Vacation Rental Owners Blog

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What Would You Do? Reacting to Droughts, Blackouts and a Polar Vortex Posted: 08 Feb 2014 12:00 PM PST From a drought in California to snow in Texas, transportation blocked by ice storms and blackouts—not to mention the introduction of “polar vortex” into everyday vocabulary—it’s been an unpredictable season for traveling. What do you do when your guests’ vacation is derailed by extreme weather—or worse, they can’t even make the journey to start their trip? How you respond to any particular situation depends a lot on you and the relationship you have with your guests; there are no clear-cut answers, and it’s unlikely you’ll hit the same unexpected situation twice. But here are some ideas and best practices from other vacation rental owners. Plan ahead for yourself and your vacation property "When an emergency strikes, there are two things you need to protect: Your home and your guests," we advised in a blog post about disaster planning for your vacation rental. This means having the right insurance regularly doing preventative maintenance (or hiring someone else to) providing your guests with appropriate supplies, an emergency plan, and a contact person. Encourage guests to buy travel insurance Always encourage your guests to buy travel insurance for themselves. Depending on the plan, travel insurance can cover a lot of expenses that you won't. For example, your guests can purchase coverage that will help if their flights are delayed, their bags are lost or delayed, or they need to cancel at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances. Put it in your policies While there are legitimate situations that arise, your policies should anticipate both big issues and minor annoyances. Heather Bayer offers solid advice about making sure it's included in your policies. "Of course you can use your discretion in terms of refund or compensation but it is good to have a clause in your contract that you can refer back to in case of unreasonable complaint," she wrote about compensating guests over complaints or negative situations. Again, if your guests have good travel insurance, some of the situations can be mitigated so that the focus becomes the quality of the service you provide rather than the financial details. In case of emergency—major or minor When it comes to good customer service, HomeAway suggests a great way to be a proactive owner. "In the case of a major disaster, call your guests to discuss their concerns or, if need be, any evacuation procedures," they advise for owners facing bad weather conditions. "Call all guests with reservations up to two weeks from the start of a natural disaster. While you may not know much more than they do, they will likely be very grateful you called, especially if they are just seeking reassurance and comfort." If the situation is of a more minor nature, consider the impact of the situation on your guests and see what you can do to mitigate it; when you're on vacation and in unfamiliar territory, even minor problems can seem significant. Address the problem as soon as possible. Offer alternate accommodations, if necessary. Connecting with other owners in your area can help you refer with confidence. Consider a partial refund, or a discount towards a future visit. Look for another way to make their visit special, like dropping off a bouquet of flowers or a gift certificate for a local business. Whatever you try to plan for, you will always run into the unexpected. By doing what you can to be proactive, then taking reasonable steps to fix a problem or address a situation, you can still help your guests make the most of what might be a bad situation that's out of your control. How have you dealt with travel interruptions? Share your advice in the comments below! photo by Amanda B on flickr

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