Being a successful vacation rental host is not just about getting several bookings. It’s also about making sure your guests enjoy their stay in your holiday home. Hosts of vacation homes for rent must think beyond nailing the practical side of the business. They must consider why travelers spend their money to live in someone else’s home in the first place.
One of these reasons is to enjoy new experiences. And the first step to making that a reality is by providing a place that can make them live like a local.
Now, furnishing your holiday cottages can be intimidating. This is true especially if you have zero interior decorating experience. A good design is a combination of functionality and beauty. There must be a flow and feel to it.
When travelers see your place, even just in pictures, the furnishing should make sense. It should give them reasons to pack up their bags to enjoy the local experience in your area. When executed right, the furnishing will boost your rental’s appeal and value.
Here are tips on how to incorporate that local vibe into your holiday rentals.
Tie the Decor to the Surroundings and Culture of the Locals
People travel to seek new and unique experiences. This applies not just to where they’re going, but also to where they’re staying. They don’t want a cookie-cutter room at a hotel. One of your primary goals as a holiday home host is to create an authentic, local getaway for them. This can be done by adding elements of the surrounding areas into your holiday home.
If your vacation rental is near a beach, put beach-themed decorations to create a “sun, sea, and sand” vibe. If the place is near the mountains, go for a rustic log cabin theme. You may also add stunning photos of the city. These can showcase the place’s local history. You can also display artworks made by kids in the neighborhood.
Fair warning: unless your target market is a particular artistic community, steer clear of avant-garde design. You wouldn’t want to put off your guests with an overly elaborate style.
Help Them Live Like a Local
Add elements that reflect the region. It can be a piece of furniture or a specific color scheme. Identify one or two features that echo the greater motif of your vacation rental. For example, add a swing on the porch of the holiday home. Hanging porches are a big thing in the South. It provides a genuine Southern experience of enjoying the beautiful weather outside.
Think of what you’d do or what will appeal to you if you’re a visitor in town. Try to give slices of those experiences to your guests through your home décor. A couple of elements would do. Anything more will make the place busy, chaotic, and cluttered.
Keep It Simple
Your task is to make an environment that promotes a local experience. That being said, it should also encourage guests to unwind and chill out. If the design elements overpower basic comfort and ease, your guests won’t be able to loosen up. Also, if you keep things simple, it will be easy to repair or replace things if guests break or damage your decor.
Get Rid of Personal Items
While you’re busy furnishing your holiday home for other people, also keep in mind that the place is not your personal space anymore. Furnishing vacation home rentals requires hosts to walk a fine line. You can’t make your holiday home look as immaculate and cold as most hotel rooms are. On the other hand, you wouldn’t want your guests to feel like they are intruders in someone else’s home.
In general, you can make that line clear by setting up a visually appealing rental space devoid of your personal possessions. That means no family pictures or personal heirlooms in display.
Display Local Art
Using local art can have a massive positive impact in furnishing your holiday cottages. “Local” can either be a piece of art that reflects the place or any piece that is made by a local artist. This can be a painting of a local tourist spot. It can be a photo of the neighborhood. It can be knickknacks made by the locals. Showcasing art does not only underscore the vibe you’re aiming for, it also promotes local trade and culture.
Furnishing your rental place to create a local vibe will charm your guests. And if you succeed, it’s easy for them to recommend your holiday home to their family and friends.