Understanding different holiday rental guest profiles
Understand which tourists are the best fit for your holiday rentals
- Why is it so important to know the different types of guests?
- Types of guests who book holiday rentals
- How do you identify the different guest profiles?
- Do you want to tailor your property to a specific type of guest?
- Who should you target with your holiday rental?
February 2024
Why is it so crucial to understand the various types of guests?
It’s essential to know the guest profiles, as each type of guest has different needs. Understanding your tenants’ profile will help you attract a specific segment of the traveller population. Moreover, you’ll save time, money, and effort in your marketing strategies. You just need to identify the right fit among all the profiles and focus your goals accordingly. Here, we’ll lay out the most common holiday rental guest profiles.
Once you’ve pinpointed your target customer, you can advertise your holiday home by tailoring it to the appropriate audience. For instance, if you welcome guests with dogs, it’s important to mention pet-friendly spaces and nearby green areas or parks. Additionally, Holidu recommends encouraging guests to leave comments on social media about their stay in your holiday home. This will be the best publicity within the desired profile!
Types of guests booking holiday rentals
Families with children
A guest who is planning a family trip equates to a guest profile that requires safe, spacious, and well-lit spaces. Children need to move freely and play without risks in the home. This type of guest is heavily influenced by forum opinions, reading personal experiences, and word of mouth. Additionally, they highly value the services offered in the home, especially those related to babies and children (high chairs, changing tables, etc.).
Travellers with pets
If you welcome travellers with pets, you should provide suitable spaces for animals with appropriate feeding and watering stations. You always have the right to ask the guest about the type of pet to adapt the flat to their needs. On any holiday rental portal, you can see that there’s not a very high percentage of homes that accept pets. So, if you do, you’ll tap into a good market niche. Consequently, your home will attract great interest from pet owners.
Couples
When it comes to couples, it’s ideal to focus on the details. For example, you can offer them a special drink for two as a welcome gift. You can also arrange heart-shaped towels or decorate the dining table with candle holders and candles for romantic evenings. Large flat-screen TVs are also a hit for this type of guest, as entertainment and comfort are usually essential when travelling as a couple.
Groups of friends
Friends travelling together look for spacious properties to feel at home in, especially if they are large groups. They are generally very interested in knowing all the events and plans in the destination area. Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide brochures and maps in the home. Board games, for example, are another great hit for them, as they usually prefer to interact actively with each other rather than watching TV.
Business travellers
The most important thing for them is a comfortable bed and home, a central location, minimal noise, and a reasonably spacious place. They travel for professional reasons and are regular hotel customers. However, business travellers may find renting a holiday home an interesting option. Nevertheless, comfort and a quality Wi-Fi connection must always take precedence.
Solo travellers
The best approach for this profile is to provide elements of entertainment and fun, such as a good TV or a variety of magazines and newspapers. A reliable Wi-Fi connection is essential, although this is already crucial for any type of guest. These tenants travel for pleasure and often seek comfortable and attractive spaces. They also value entertainment services and new experiences.
People with reduced mobility
All facilities must be adapted for this type of guest, including stairs (in case of mobility issues) and furniture. The person can specify the type of disability to try to adapt the holiday home to their situation. They also greatly appreciate the host’s availability. What they seek is to feel comfortable and be able to count on your collaboration.
Elderly travellers
The essential for them is that the home is welcoming, warm, and comfortable. They are looking for a second home; therefore, even the kitchen must be well-equipped and spotless so that they lack nothing. Their goal is to enjoy their trips to the fullest. Thus, their experience in your home must be unique. Additionally, they highly value the hospitality of hosts and the comfort of the facilities. Assistance with luggage would be a service they would greatly appreciate.
How to identify different guest profiles?
Currently, it’s much simpler than before. Thanks to the digital era, we have full access to a vast amount of data. We can even ask guests to specify their traveller profile when making a reservation. These details will help improve the occupants’ experience and increase your bookings.
But how can we identify different guest profiles? The first step is to be clear about what your home offers. Are there playgrounds or green areas nearby for children? Do you have fast Wi-Fi for business travellers? Is your furniture comfortable and suitable for older guests?
The location itself can also help. Those travelling with family and children prefer centrally located homes to save time on travel. Meanwhile, couples seek more tranquillity and don’t mind spending their holidays further from the city centre. If your home isn’t adapted for people with reduced mobility, you won’t be able to attract this population segment.
Do you want to tailor your home to a specific guest type?
How to rent out my holiday home? If you already have your home listed as a holiday rental, all that’s left is to take attractive photos to upload to the holiday rental website and wait for a guest to contact you. Remember that it’s crucial to highlight the best features of your home.
Guest reviews are also essential, as their opinions can help you significantly improve your home’s features and services, besides being an excellent advertising tool. Additionally, at Holidu, we recommend asking guests why they chose your home, so you can enhance those qualities further. You might encounter a negative comment someday but think that it will always serve to improve.
However, a common element for all guest profiles is that they will always opt for a well-maintained home, where the host is hospitable, and the facilities offer pleasant experiences. Everything else will depend on the guest type and their specific preferences.