Stayjam Playbook 2021

STAYJAM I s s u e

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PLAYBOOK A new definitive guide to help short stay specialists and accommodation businesses to navigate 2021

UK Outlook for 2021 P08

Starting an accommodation business?

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The year of direct bookings P51

DoNE a fire risk assessment?

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Grow your email list P105

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Welcome message Hello and a big welcome to the first edition of the Stayjam Playbook which has been created to help short stay operators and accommodation businesses make the best of 2021 because, well, let’s face it, 2020 sucked - big time.

In these dark winter months while we start 2021 in lockdown it wouldn’t be unreasonable to be pessimistic about the next twelve months especiallly whilst businesses are being forced to close but there are green shoots appearing.

We have now been living with COVID for more than ten months, medical care and treatment is improving, vaccines are being distributed and things generally are settling down after the global shockwaves hit us.

The Playbook 2021 is jam-packed with... ­ Opinion pieces ­ Helpful checklists ­ Actionable tips ­ Clear takeaways ­ Supplier directory

Let’s be realistic, 2021 is going to be tough but booking engines are reporting upticks in activity, the staycation trend is on everyone’s lips and new booking trends like revenge travel will be seeing occupancy rates surge in the summer peak.

In this playbook we have pulled together some of the brightest minds to help you be more visible, get more bookings and improve your business.

With more than 20 partners helping you smash it out of the park whether that is email, tech, direct bookings, safety, protection against fraud, upselling to guests and so much more.

2021 will be tough, but there will be opportunities for those who adapt.

You got this.

Jim Stayjam

stayjam.com

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CONTENTS click on titles to jump to article

Five Short-Term Rental Industry Trends To Watch In 2021 What Could Happen In 2021

P01

P08

Turning Website Lookers Into Room Bookers P17 Protecting Your Property And Your Guests’ Privacy

Winning From Responsible Tourism

P23 P27

Contactless Property and Guest Management P33 Starting A Short Stay Business Regional Spotlight – South Coast Vs Norfolk Broads

P41

P47

Top Tips To Improve Your Accessibility P53 The Rise Of Direct Bookings and How To Take Advantage Reboot And Revamp: Five Listing Hacks To Future-Proof Your Business

P57 P63

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At Your Service Be The Best For Your Guests P70 How To Turn Your Property Management Business Into a Brand

P75

Being Fire Safe P81 9 Tips To Drive In More Contractor Bookings P91 So Fresh and So Clean

P95

Get Your Email Superpowers

P105

Don’t Put Your Business at Risk

P115

Glamping DNA P99 Top Guest Targets In 2021

P111

Reduce Your Fixed Costs and Go Variable P119 Spot Fraud / Party Bookings

P125

Google My (Accommodation) Business Tips P129

Top Tips For Accommodation Businesses To Attract Corporate Bookings P135

Securing a New Mortgage for your Property In 2021

P140

Stay a Bit Longer

P151

Amazing Professional Photos On a Smartphone

P161

The Stayjam Directory

P168

You Are Your Best Revenue Manager P146 Free Business Advice From VisitEngland P157

Check Ins Done Right

P165

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Five Short-Term Rental Industry Trends to Watch in 2021 01

Five trends for 2021 1. More operational tech for owners 2. Less physical contact with guests 3. Hotel standards for your property 4. Changing length of stay 5. Quality assurances for guests

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2020 has been an interesting year for the short-term rental industry. It all began positively with the industry set to build on its exponential growth and us all looking forward to the Short Stay Show back in March. However, as we all know - things took a different turn. Despite the uncertainty and undeniable challenges for many, we’ve witnessed record booking levels for operators in the popular domestic leisure markets, a greater emphasis on professionalisation, improvements in operational management and new business models emerge.

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What’s clear, is that short-term rentals will continue to grow market share as the ‘lodging of choice’ for leisure and business travelers - even more so as guests become increasingly aware of social distancing and the lines separating work, leisure and living merge further.

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Acceleration of

operational tech

Most growth-oriented property management companies are pretty clued up on the different technology and SaaS products available to support bookings and marketing.

The PMS and channel marketing solutions are well known and widely adopted by professional managers.

However, technology that actually supports the operations of property management, the ‘optech’ if you like - is emerging as an essential tool.

According to recent data published by McKinsey; we have vaulted five years forward in consumer and business digital adoption in a matter of around eight weeks. Balancing this is a need to double down on creating efficiencies, reducing costs (time is money) and meeting increased demands for a more professional experience. There is operational tech out there that supports cleaning protocols, safety checks, keyless entry, managing team communications, property automation, occupancy monitoring, service optimization and property care. Take a look at companies like Operto, Breezeway and VRScheduler if you want to find out more.

Here are some of the trends to look out for through 2021 and beyond:

2.

Increased focus

on frictionless, seamless stays

Prior to Covid-19, there was a view that creating a frictionless, seamless stay for guests was something that detracted from the personal experience and host/ guest relationship that many assume guests want. However, what’s become apparent is that guests really do want to experience a frictionless, contactless stay and this doesn’t diminish the core reason they have picked a short-term rental in the first place. The global pandemic has only highlighted this shift.

Many of the property managers that have continued to do well and grow throughout 2020 have done so because they’ve embraced the technology of keyless entry and contactless hosting in order to provide safe, secure and seamless guest experiences at a property level.

3.

More ‘hotel-like’

short-term rentals

This brings us nicely to the third trend and that’s the continued supply of ‘hotel-like’ short-term rentals. At the end of 2019, we saw the likes of Sonder, Lyric, Domio and Stay Alfred burst onto the scene with deep pockets and a business model based on rent-torent (masterlease). These ambitious companies had visions of turning multi-family dwellings into short-term rentals that all but looked and smelled like hotels (branded, standardised and tech-enabled concierge) but offered the convenience of individual homes.

The concept of turning large property assets (regulations permitting) into ‘hotel-like’ boutique apartment rentals still has huge potential - witness the growth during the pandemic of both Casai and Jurny - it’s just the business model has been updated.

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5.

Emphasis on quality assurance

4.

Greater convergence of short, mid and long lets

There’s a blurring of the demarcation between the long, mid and shortterm rentals. It’s common now to see urban-based, enterprise property managers promising to distribute an owner’s property to marketing platforms that would typically be just for long-term rentals. The average length of stay is increasing in urban locations with more and more guests choosing to embrace the ‘work-fromhome’ mandate and translating this into a ‘work-from-another-home’ choice or even ‘many homes’.

Added to this - we are also seeing an increase in new partnership models emerging that are enabling traditional estate agents and institutional asset owners through outsourced expertise, to combine more profitable short lets with more stable, permanent renters. Increasingly, we’ll see the players merge and the lines soften between the entire ecosystem.

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Every year that I write a trend or prediction piece about the shortterm rental industry, I always mention that the industry needs to continue to pave the path towards increased professionalisation in order to move away from the issues that can plague the less well executed parts of the industry. This is important because it increases the trust in professionally run rentals which impacts on everything: from conversations with regulators to keeping guests feeling safe.

During 2020, we’ve seen a greater emphasis on quality assurance issues of rentals that not only include cleanliness protocols, but also safety and security, standardising basic amenities and trade association membership. One of the biggest barriers to the growth of this industry in the long term, is both the volume and quality of new stock entering the market. Ensuring standards are raised and issues around proper property care are addressed, will go some way to encouraging an increase in good supply.

The future of the short-term rental industry is bright with new opportunities for businesses to change and grow over the next few years as well as for the sector to continue to mature. In many ways, 2021 is set to be an even more interesting and transformative year as we watch how the industry evolves.

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Jessica is the director of Abode PR – a boutique public relations agency and consultancy specialising in the global short-term rental and hotel industries.

For more information visit abode-pr.com

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MINUT

Smart Home Monitoring Protect your home, your neighbors’ peace and quiet and your guests’ privacy with Minut. Get real-time notifications on noise, motion, temperature, humidity in your property, from anywhere in the world. Prevent parties, look after your home and build trust with neighbors. All without compromising on privacy.

Noise monitoring

Security alarm

Temperature & humidity tracking

Camera free

w w w . mi nut. com

Wi-Fi connected

Up to 6-month battery life

Mobile & web apps

As another turbulent year starts we hold onto vaccine-fuelled positivity and it’s a great time for the short term rental industry to take stock and look forward.

Data allows us to pinpoint the impacts, but also to optimise accurately for what’s coming. The reality of this uncharted

What could happen in

2021

territory is that current, forward-looking insight is invaluable in aligning your strategy with demand and maximising revenue. Transparent’s vacation rental insights are built on data from 35 million Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com and TripAdvisor listings worldwide.

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Impact to UK occupancy

Our first graph illustrates a well-known reality - vacation rental occupancy was severely affected by the pandemic.

However, it also shows that the bulk of this impact was felt before mid-August; ahead of the initial restrictions being lifted. The average 2019 occupancy rate was 52%, while 2020 has so far averaged 41%. Looking at the period since August, the difference year on year has been only -4%. So there has been significant national recovery.

52% average 2019 occupancy rate

click graphs for more info

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UK occupancy outlook

4% higher

occupancy over the next 6 months than last year

That brings us to the weeks and months to come. Whilst it must be said that the Christmas and New Year weeks (52 & 53) have suffered, the signs are otherwise positive. As would-be guests look to make up their missed 2020 trips, occupancy over the next 6 months is 4% higher than at the same point last year (24% compared with 20%).

Property managers can be encouraged that demand does exist ahead of further relaxation of restrictions.

click graphs for more info

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Short Term Rental (STR) demand in the UK

Now that we’ve established that demand is looking healthy over the coming months, we turn our attention to analysing that demand. Understanding the different types of demand currently active in your market allows you to tailor and effective strategy to capture that demand ahead of your competition.

A closer look at booking lead times shows us that behaviour has returned to comparably ‘normal’ levels. During the height of pandemic-related restrictions, the time that guests were booking in advance was up 273% to over 23 weeks ahead of check in.

Following the initial relaxation of national restrictions in week 28, booking lead time was back down within 2 days of the 2019 window by week 29.

click graphs for more info

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Our next chart shows the progression of average length of stay across the country through 2020. The first note is the erratic trip length through the course of the year; at times exceeding a week. The 2019 average length of stay was 4 days, 2020 meanwhile is so far averaging 5 days. Generally speaking, trips are currently closer to 5 days in length and pricing and discounts should be reviewed with this in mind.

click graphs for more info

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UK STR pricing

Demand and pricing typically come hand in hand, and this crisis has been no different. Pricing has been subject to turbulent demand, which has of course varied from market to market. So how have things changed here at this point in time?

This range chart ranks UK regions by

click graphs for more info 13

percentage change in average daily rate (ADR) between November 2019 and November 2020. Nationally, ADR in November was up 13% this year to £99 per night. In fact, all regions except Durham, East and West Wales, Cornwall and East Anglia have seen year on year increases. This follows a wider trend we have observed where property managers are recovering revenue by increasing rates when they are able to host.

Finally, the map below expands on this range chart, showing the ADR in each UK region in November 2020. From the most expensive, deep red region of Inner West London (£178) to the darkest blue and cheapest area of Outer East and North East London, every area of the country has its specific price point - click to review your region. click graphs for more info

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Take homes

Everyone has felt the impact of the pandemic through 2020, Furthermore, occupancy across the UK is stronger over the coming 6 months than it was at the same point last year, so current demand is encouraging and there for the taking. Booking lead time is back to 2019 levels of around 30 days, however length of stay is still extended at 5 days on average. Price points are up 13% nationally, so exploring forward looking pricing in your market is critical and optimising strategy for this altered demand is key to your revenue. In addition to length of stay and booking window, you can look into guest origin and review analysis to align your distribution, pricing and discounts and operations with your guests’ ideals.

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Jade Tinsley is Head of Marketing at Transparent.

You can book a free market consultation with them to learn more about what data can do for you here or visit seetransparent.com for more information

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Turning lookers i book Actionable takeaways ­ Clean down your website, less is more; simple always wins. ­ Website visitors are task focused; help them complete their booking. ­ Understand where your bookings come from. ­ All users matter; focus on the basics. ­ The need for speed; faster is better.

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website into room kers We seem to love visual content.

From the basic shapes and colours we learn about as children to the many images, graphics and videos that stimulate our everyday life.

So why is it that a beautifully crafted, visually stunning holiday rental website still doesn’t get any bookings?

The conversion rate on your website isn’t just about great photos (although they are very important!) - we’re talking about e-commerce and helping your users complete transactions.

With that in mind, here are 5 great tips to help boost your conversion rate -

By some estimates, our brains absorb visual content up to 60,000 times faster than text content. It’s no wonder visual communication has become the preferred tool of marketeers the world over.

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1.

Less is more

There are so many great tools that help you enhance your website with visual stimulus - icon libraries, royalty free image websites, free video production tools to name a few.

The truth is a website with loads of bells and whistles can be visually impressive - but you’re not selling bells and whistles. You’re selling a holiday experience - make that the focus. With an ever-growing number of mobile users - all that clutter can slow down your page speed too - which will decrease conversion and increase bounce rates. Aim for clean and simple.

2.

Website visitors are task focused

We live busy lives and our days are often filled with a plethora of decisions - big or small.

The users on your website are often busy too, with many distractions competing for their attention online as they browse your site. So help them!

Make it clear what you want them to do - ‘Find a place to stay’ or ‘Book now’ - think of their user journey - and make it as simple and painless as possible.

3.

Understand where your bookings comes from

Do your users arrive directly from your social media posts?

Do they find your site using search engines like Google and Bing?

Do they find your website via links from partner websites and portals?

Do your guests arrive directly from your email marketing efforts?

The more you understand your bookings, the more you can cater, adjust and improve their overall experience engaging with your brand.

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4.

All users matter

Get back to the basics. Making sure your website is easily usable for all ages is always a great goal. This means: + Making sure your font sizes are large enough to read. + Making sure your text contrast is strong enough - especially if text is ever used over an image background. + Making sure your fonts are easy to read - not overly ornate, decorative or distracting to the eye. + Making sure your call to actions are clear and obvious - also make sure colour and contrast is great on buttons and links. + Simple and obvious navigation. + Mobile friendly button sizes, navigation and font sizes. + Don’t rely on visuals to communicate key actions to users. Visuals should enhance content - not the other way around.

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5.

The need for speed The faster your users can achieve their goal - the better.

Making sure your page loads quickly and displays the relevant decision points as soon as possible means a much more positive impression of your product, website and brand.

Ensure your visual content is optimised and that your hosting service is fast enough to handle your traffic levels.

Search engines like Google also penalise websites with slow load times - especially in a mobile context - so make sure you’ve given it some extra care to maintain your rank position in search.

This can be a lot to take in but don’t panic! The great news is that websites are not carved from stone. They can, and should, change, pivot and improve overtime to meet the changing demands of users and guests alike.

You offer unique and memorable holiday experiences to your guests.

Let your website be a further extension of that great experience.

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Lyle Markle, Art Director at Bookster holiday rental software. For more resources visit booksterhq.com/news with expert tips for SEO, web design, conversion and more.

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Stayjam Recommends ­ Google Reviews ­ Pexels ­ Siteground Hosting

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Protecting your property and your guests’ privacy No one goes into the shortterm rental business thinking about the bad guests. When you started out, you likely had your ideal guest in mind; one that appreciates your home and all the effort you’ve put into making it perfect; one that values and treats it as if it was their own. Whatever your rental property means to you - whether it’s your childhood home or a real estate investment - you share it with others trusting that most people will enjoy it responsibly; otherwise the business model just wouldn’t make sense.

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Privacy takeaways ­ In some regions, undisclosed cameras are illegal ­ Verify your guests prior to arrival ­ Inform your guest of safety monitoring you undertake ­ Have a plan for every scenario

Even though most guests are great, there’s a risk that not all of them will live up to those expectations; and sometimes just one bad guest can cause irreversible damage.

If you haven’t experienced it yourself, you’ve likely seen photos of rentals wrecked after a guest threw a party and heard stories about STR bans.

That’s why while trust is a great Plan A, you also need a Plan B. Here are a few factors to consider when looking for ways to protect your property.

Respect guest privacy

Horrible stories about hosts spying on their guests pop up in the news frequently. No matter how much you care about your property, make sure you don’t end up like their protagonists.

Remember that we’re all also guests ourselves, so we should treat our guests the way we want to be treated.

That means we need to respect our guests’ privacy as if it were our own.

It should go without saying, but under no circumstances should you install a camera in a bedroom or a bathroom. In general, guests don’t feel comfortable with cameras inside (in some regions, undisclosed cameras are illegal). Sacrificing your guests’ privacy this way is always unethical.

Protecting your property cannot come at all costs, and solutions made for private homes won’t cut it for STR.

Safety solutions

So how can you protect your property while respecting your guest’s privacy?

You can start with pre-screening the guests. Make sure their identity is verified

by Airbnb (or the platform you use) prior to their arrival. Before you accept their booking, perhaps ask them a few questions to see what brings them to your area.

However, even if you identity-check and screen all the guests, you can never be 100% sure that they won’t cause lots of damage in the property and disturbance in the neighbourhood. That’s why it’s best to have privacy-safe monitoring solutions to fall back on. With time, you’ll likely find that they replace the need for extensive screening in the first place.

Privacy-safe monitoring

Privacy-safe monitoring comes down to the data that’s being collected, and how it’s stored. Even a split second of video can be intrusive especially if the cameras are placed inside the home.

Most guests will be uncomfortable with the host being able to watch them go about their day, even if it’s just in the common areas. On top of that, most cameras store recordings to the cloud, which makes them vulnerable to hackers.

Camera-free alternatives are much better suited for short term rental use.

The leading market solutions - like Minut - monitor noise levels, but never record any personal data. If Minut detect prolonged noise, it notifies the host (and can message the guests as well). This way, you’ll know if it’s loud in your home (noise is usually a pretty good indicator of a party kicking off) without having to rely on watching your guests 24/7.

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Minut also doesn’t transfer any sensitive data to the cloud. Processing is done on the device using edge computing, which means no personal data is ever exposed. In addition to sound levels you can also monitor temperature and humidity, so that you know when your home gets really cold or hot, and can act accordingly (whether you’re worried about pipes freezing or getting an enormous electricity bill). It also detects motion, so you’ll be able to see if the guests have checked in, and what time the cleaner comes and goes.

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What do guests need to know?

Once you install a monitoring solution, make sure to disclose it in your listing.

On Airbnb, finding an undisclosed monitoring device warranties a refund for the guest. By disclosing the device, you’ll be compliant with the platform’s policy. At the same time, you’ll be letting your guests know that you care about their safety and respect their privacy.

Disclosing your monitoring solution in the listing also prevents most issues from happening in the first place: bad guests will avoid your rental, and good guests will be mindful of noise when staying at your home. And if you worry about tampering, choose a solution that notifies you about tamper attempts.

How will you prevent damage?

While the monitor on its own can be really effective as a deterrent for bad guests, there will be times when the noise levels spike and you’ll need to get involved. Since you’ll have to act quickly, it’s best to have a plan ready.

When you get a notification about noise in your apartment, what will you do? Will you message the guest? Call them? Send a responder to the rental or go there yourself? Minut allows you to automate this process, so that you can spend less time worrying about bad guests and more time growing your business.

Once you’ve installed a solution, make sure to test it out so you know what to expect when you receive an alert.

Having a plan in place should give you a greater peace of mind, knowing your properties are safe, your neighbours are happy and guests are comfortable.

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Nils Mattisson is CEO and Co-Founder at Minut. Minut is the leading privacy-safe noise monitoring solution that helps hosts monitor noise levels while keeping their properties safe and neighbours happy. For more information visit minut.com

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Winnin respon tour 27

If 2020 has brought one issue to a head, it is the need to reduce operating costs. Whether you have 1 apartment or 400

ng from nsible rism

houses, there are some simple but effective ways of doing this. Let’s start with the ‘global’ picture and then get down to how it can affect your business.

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E L B I S N O RESP S Y A W A E K TA Responsible tourism isn’t going anywhere w booking o n e r a s t s 20% of gue credentials o c e r u o y based on

Five years of short haul /staycation growth Make small changes to show you care time, Going green saves ookings! money and helps b

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In response to the Paris Climate Agreement, the International Tourism Partnership (ITP) issued its Hotel Global Decarbonisation Report at the end of 2017, highlighting how and why the sector should align to the targets set out for 2030 and 2050.

More recent benchmarking shows that only 1 in 10 tourism operators have any targets in place to even roughly align with the targets set out by the ITP and most have no targets at all.

So what is causing the sector to turn a blind eye? Do we just not care? Is the commercial argument too weak? Or does it all frankly feel a little too overwhelming and someone else’s problem?

I imagine that it is a little of all these aspects. From an operator’s perspective, there are, and should be, two major drivers for change within your business. The first is the operational argument for cost-savings and future proofing of the business, and the second is the shifting consumer expectations that we are seeing in support of business responsibility.

The guest case…

Statistically speaking, the number of searches for specifically ‘eco’ accommodation remains low, but the appetite for places that have been awarded REST credentials is growing and many guests see it as a reason to book if they find a property that’s responsible and which meets their other search criteria.

In fact, 1 in 5 consumers already favour operators based on their overall REST credentials – so if location, price and convenience still come first, ethics, responsibility and sustainability become the defining factors between providers once a shortlist has been established.

They may not (currently) influence the search, but they influence the buying decision. Simply put, if your business doesn’t embrace this, many of your potential customers will go elsewhere.

With the “Greta Thunberg” effect, and the term Flygskam been coined in Sweden (meaning literally ‘flight shame’) if I had to bet on it, even after the Covid-19 hangover period, I’d say that in the next five years we will see short-haul travel and staycations on the up and long-haul in decline; environmental sustainability, responsible and ethical practise have become one of the top three buying factors, and there will be a boom in the responsible travel movement.

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The business case…

A decade ago, businesses and individuals had to seriously consider the cost-benefit of installing sustainable and environmentally beneficial systems, with adoption often being driven by personal preference rather than any strong commercial case.

Now however, the cost, variety and availability of systems have expanded, as have the robustness and longevity of the hardware, making the cost-benefit analysis a far more compelling case.

Savings can be made easily, without the requirement of structural changes and with little financial contribution to establish. A lot comes down to processes and attitudes, from switching one product with another, removing certain things from the supply chain, changing practices such as waste management and even swapping lightbulbs.

These might sound minor, but they will all deliver cost-savings, and even better, help you to take advantage of positive customer selection as I’ve highlighted above. For these, I think the most useful tools at your disposal are common sense and time. This is part of the jigsaw; tackling items one by one to add up to improvement overall.

The clever hospitality provider can have a programme that addresses concerns up front and will give them a huge credibility bonus with their guests which in turn leads to repeat visits and recommendations. Promote your recycling programme to guests – it’s no longer enough to have the bedroom notices about towel re-use.

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You could sell your own branded reusable water bottles (or give them as a ‘thank you’ gift). Encourage guests to use reusable bags (again another branded sales opportunity!) and provide links to digital maps and guides on your website. This also reduces paper waste – hand out as little as possible.

Encourage guests to support local businesses – work with them to promote local crafts, products and services.

And if you offer a ‘round up’ option on your bills alternate local charities which will receive these funds.

If you do not already have – and display – a statement of your ethical credentials, then it’s time to look at having one.

Create this with the involvement of your team – better still, ask them to draft it.

Measuring sustainability…

Perhaps one of the most important aspects is to monitor the impact of any changes you make so that they are quantifiable and demonstrable.

Starting with benchmarks of where you are now and monitoring these over time is an essential part of both establishing the effectiveness of your changes, and also communicating these

changes to your teams and customers.

It’s also worth looking at independent certifications which hold your changes to account, such as the B-Corp Certification (which we are currently working towards) or our REST certification which we have developed to assess the Responsibility, Ethics and Sustainability of tourism and hospitality businesses.

We have built our award on three pillars against which operators are benchmarked by our team, including Environmental & Economic Management, Social Responsibility & Community, Inclusivity & Integrity.

For us, being a business with purpose goes beyond just the environment to include the business as a whole, but of course environment does play a crucial role in our assessments.

Honestly, these changes are worth it and I believe an essential part of future-proofing your business. You will attract more business and save money. What are you waiting for?

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Deborah Heather is a director at Quality in Tourism which is an independent accreditation service, offering grading, mystery shopping and specialist advice in the hospitality industry.

For more information visit qualityintourism.com

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Contactless Property and Guest Management stayjam.com

Smart home takeaways ­ Contactless management saves you time and money ­ In 2021 and onwards contactless will be on the upturn ­ Smart products quickly repay the investment ­ Latest technology positively uplifts your property

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Sustaining a holiday home business in the best possible way has proven to be property managers’ top priority right now.

Dealing with new travel restrictions, last-minutebookings and still meeting guests’ expectations is a hard task. But how can property managers offer a great holiday experience in a world which becomes more contactless? And how can current technologies help hosts to secure and maintain properties at a distance?

More than anything else, apart from good facilities and attention to detail, Smart home devices offer a great opportunity to make accommodation appear comfortable, convenient, and modern. As a property manager it’s best to rely on a good mix of a few devices that your guests will have the most benefit from and make it easier to manage your accommodation.

Every year, new innovative technologies arrive on the market. Some of them bring also great advantages to the short rental industry.

By integrating such innovative technologies in your own short rental business, you can remotely manage your accommodations and thereby outsource your work. This leads to more efficiency and you can spend your time either managing even more properties or finding new ways to offer your guests the best possible experience:

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Smart Locks

Every guests’ stay starts with the checkin. Offering a contactless self-check-in is becoming more and more popular especially in these times. Also it offers you and your guests significant advantages: Guests have the opportunity to check-in whenever they want. Which means that you do not have to wait for them to hand over the keys - especially convenient when they arrive late or if they do not specify an exact time of arrival.

Digital door locks - or so-called smart locks - are a secure and reliable option to grant your guests access to the booked accommodation without needing you to be there in person to hand over the keys. With a smart lock you can send your guests the digital keys to their accommodation even a few days before they arrive. With these individual access permissions each

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guest has access to the property for the corresponding booking period. Of course you can also assign permanent access authorisations so that your cleaning or service staff has access to the property.

Besides offering a contactless 24/7 self-check-in, smart locks, such as from Nuki, offer many more advantages: + no more lost keys + no time-consuming key handovers + no need to hire external partners for the key handover + no challenges due to unexpected changes to your guests’ arrival time + no key duplicates required for cleaners and service partners

But also in a post-COVID-19-world smart locks will be a great way for property owners to save time and money. It gives you the flexibility to decide between welcoming your guest in person or managing the key handover digitally.

Besides automated check-ins you can install home automation systems where you’ll be able to monitor and control the temperature, moisture, noise, etc. of your accommodation.

Smart noise sensors

Lately, more and more complaints concerning noise pollution and so-called “party house problems” get reported.

This problem appears to happen more frequently since the COVID-19 pandemic as people book properties to hold parties in them because in a lot of countries bars and nightclubs are closed. Smart noise sensors, such as from Minut, permanently measure the noise level and send a notification when the set threshold is exceeded. Integrating such sensors keep your neighbours and guests happy, without compromising on privacy.

VS Smart Lock Cost £240 Standard Nuki Lock c. £240

Lost Key Scenario £340

Cost of Cylinder £35 -£170* Locksmith Charges £270 -£363* Source figures from keytek.co.uk

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Smart sensors

Smart, networked smoke detectors not only trigger an alarm on site but also send an alert to your smartphone This makes you and your guests feel safer and helps you to save money. Another great opportunity is for example installing smart water sensors at sensitive points, such as underneath a washing machine.

This can be especially useful if your property is in an area prone to flooding.

The water sensors detect moisture and can switch off connected devices (if equipped accordingly) or even turn off the stop-cock. If you wish they can also send notifications to your smartphone and sound the alarm in the house. If you live far away from your rental property, it’s not easy to check it immediately to make sure it’s in dry conditions. Smart water sensors can help you with that easily.

Smart thermostat

If you want your guests to feel comfortable in your accommodation, then you have to make sure the place is kept at a pleasant temperature.

A smart thermostat can make things a lot easier for you as a host since it allows you to control the air conditioning or heating system with your smartphone. Perhaps the most popular device of this kind is the Nest Learning Thermostat. Not only is it easy to use but it will also save you money.

Today’s smart home market offers you endless possibilities to manage your business without needing to be present and helping you to manage your short stay property even more efficiently.

Besides that it offers more comfort, safety, and security to you as well as to your guests. Technology is becoming an increasingly part of everyone’s lives.

Travelers come to your property to get away from their everyday life and see something new, but they also want your property to be a comfortable and smart “home away from home”.

Show your guests that you take care of them and differentiate your short rental business from others. Smart home devices can make your guest’s stay more enjoyable but also make your life as a property manager a lot easier.

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“If you use a Wifi smart thermostat to intelligently control the temperature in your home, you could save in the ballpark of 10%-25% on your energy bill compared to a standard thermostat.”

Android Central

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Key Takeaways ­ Smart Home products help you to offer a great holiday experience even in “contactless-times”. ­ Using smart home products leads to more efficiency and helps you to scale-up your short-rental business. ­ Smart Locks offer a contactless 24/7 self-check-in-possibility and you benefit from cost-reduction (no lost keys) and more time efficiency (no time-spending on key handovers). ­ Smart noise and water sensors help you to stay up-to-date on the current status of your accommodation. ­ Smart thermostats keep your accommodation at a pleasant temperature and help you to save costs.

Julia Buchta is B2B Marketing Manager at Nuki Home Solutions GmbH. Nuki is the digital access solution for short-term rentals.

For more information visit nuki.io

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The digital access solution for your vacation property Your guest’s flight is delayed, but you are no longer on-site at the time of arrival.

So what should you do?

Nuki provides the flexibility you need as a host to decide whether to welcome guests personally or to let them check in comfortably by themselves.

Nuki turns your door into a smart access system and your smartphone into an intelligent key.

The Nuki Smart Lock provides you the flexibility you need as a host and your guests the comfort of a 24/7 self check-in.

The Nuki Smart Lock is an electronic, retrofit door lock and can be easily installed on the inside of your door, on top of your existing lock and key.

With Nuki you never have to worry about: • • • • •

time-consuming key handovers lost keys and therefore expensive replacement of locking cylinders costly key copies hiring external partners to hand over the keys

COST SAVINGS

SAFETY & SECURITY

TIME EFFICIENCY

up to € 30,- per check-in

controlled access for guests and service partners

trouble-free handling of last minute bookings

24/7

CHECK-IN AND -OUT

BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT

flexibility for host and guest

more comfort for your guests means better reviews

CONTACTLESS STAY

Use our smart and keyless access solution for your property >> shop.nuki.io If you are interested in buying more than 10 units please contact our B2B sales team under b2bsales@nuki.io.

Starting a short stay business

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Takeaway tips ­ Check national and local regulations ­ Choose whether you self-manage or appoint a company ­ Decide on the level of service you want to give guests ­ Determine how much time you want dedicate ­ Double check your processes for guest experience

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Self-manage or outsource?

As with renting any property out, you need to decide whether you will manage the bookings and guests’ needs yourself or hire an Airbnb management company to assist you. Between communicating with guests, overseeing check in and check out, cleaning and general enquiries, it can be a great deal easier to appoint a manager for a percentage of the bookings.

If you do decide to hire a property manager through an Airbnb management company, you will not have to concern yourself with many of the following points, but it still helps to familiarise yourself with the smoothrunning of the whole operation.

Airbnbing your home out can be a great way to make some additional income, but there is more to it than meets the eye. Here are some key considerations to think about!

Cleaning

Not only is it right and fair to ensure that your property is spick and span for the next guests, failure to do so can send your ratings and reviews into a nosedive and significantly impact future bookings. Linen, towels and toiletries ideally need to be hotel quality too. Most short-term rental management companies offer cleaning services in addition to management.

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Availability

Before listing, consider when and for how long you will be away and market your home accordingly. Some are weekend getaways, others are midweek city overnighters ... and depending upon your location, duration of vacancy and time of year, it could affect the type of bookings you will attract and what rate you can charge.

Wi-Fi

These days, the expectation for strong and dependable wi-fi is practically a given, from people travelling for work, to couples, singles and families – everyone is on their screens. Unless your offering is specifically tailored for a simplistic rural getaway, you’ll need to ensure you have decent wi-fi.

Check in and out

There are several solutions here. Key holding companies allow you to use a nearby shop for key collection and charges either a set monthly fee or a pay-per-collection option. A locked or coded lock box installed at the property can work well, otherwise you can always handle it the good, old fashioned way and greet every guest face-to-face.

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House guide

You are familiar with your house, but your guests aren’t. It can avoid a lot of unnecessary calls to provide guests with a house guide. This can include everything and anything you can think of, from wi-fi passwords, heating and hot water instructions, TV instructions, emergency contacts and house rules (i.e. no smoking in the house).

You can also cover some handy information such as the best local places to eat out, cab services etc.

Keys

Guests will likely need a set per (adult) person, and it may be a good idea to leave a set with a contractor or trustworthy neighbour in case guests lock themselves out.

Storage space

Obviously, you will need to gauge how much free storage space your guests will need depending upon the duration of your bookings.

Regulations

Familiarise yourself with any and all regulations both nationally and in your area, and ensure your property is up to code. For example, check that gas safety certificates are valid, or that all smoke alarms are in place and working correctly. Make sure you do a fire risk assessment as well. Also, check to see if there is a limit on the number of days that you can rent your property out in your area.

Insurance

Some platforms, such as Airbnb, will provide some cover for damages, however it pays to do your homework and look into what ways you are covered.

Most homeowner’s insurance will not cover for short let related damage.

Short term rental companies will offer coverage and its well worth considering – anything from accidental breakage to intentional damage can be a headache and an expense you don’t need.

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Fraud risks

Unfortunately, there are risks of fraudulent bookings and guests renting your property for the express purpose of holding a party that they are not forthcoming about. There is no way to ensure 100% protection from these situations, but there are measures you can take to protect yourself as best as you can. Online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Airbnb have tools in place that offer some peace of mind – their guest reviews are transparent, and it is easy to check whether an enquiring guest has valid ID uploaded to their account. In addition to this, be diligent regarding such things as ID matching credit card payments, as well as reasons for stay. Trust your instincts and ask questions as you see fit, especially if a booking comes in at the last minute and/or there are suspicious questions being asked, i.e. how many cars can be parked at the property?

Letting your home out can be daunting, but when done right, can be a great way to capitalise on your biggest investment.

Take some of the stress out of it by following some simple but vital tips.

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Martin Coppens is Head of Portico Host which is a premium Airbnb management service operating in London. For an instant Airbnb valuation visit portico.com/valuation

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Regional s – South vs Norfol For the short-stay accommodation industry and the global travel industry as a whole, 2020 was a year that no one saw coming. As an industry, the importance of data and revenue management became very clear by March as the pandemic brought global travel to a halt for a number of weeks.

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Norfolk is possibly mo st famous for the ma n-made Broads, a National Park with over 125 miles of navigable lock-free waterways set in beautiful country side.

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Bookings per listing

In an effort to best prepare the industry for the future, we have gathered data from the past year and for 2021 to highlight insights and best practices for property managers moving forward.

This data will focus on our UK regional spotlight in the South Coast and Norfolk Broads, including booking activity data, ADR, occupancy, and more.

Keeping up with market data insights is critical moving forward, and identifying trends ahead of time is the key to a proactive revenue management strategy.

This chart displays the average number of bookings per listing in each market throughout the year 2020, which paints a picture of the immediate impacts of lockdowns in early March as well as the summer resurgence.

It is clear that Norfolk saw demand ramp up earlier than in the South Coast by the middle of May as loosened government restrictions and pentup demand flooded each market.

By the peak of summer and into the second half of the year, demand remained steady as travellers and property managers alike reset their expectations when it came to traveling and operating during the pandemic.

Bookings per listing

0.15

0.10

0.05

South Coast

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Norfolk Broads

12/02/20

11/18/20

11/04/20

10/21/20

10/07/20

09/23/20

09/09/20

08/26/20

08/12/20

07/29/20

07/15/20

07/01/20

06/17/20

06/03/20

05/20/20

05/06/20

04/22/20

04/08/20

03/25/20

03/11/20

02/26/20

02/12/20

01/29/20

01/15/20

0.00 01/01/20

Bookings per Listing (Indexed)

0.20

As we wind down the year, booking activity demand has slowed but vaccine announcement news has started to increase travel consumer confidence.

Reviewing booking activity for your market in real-time can show you when demand begins to slow ahead of time, allowing room for adjustments to a pricing and distribution strategy.

Average Daily Rate (ADR)

Similarly, property managers who were late to the return of demand by the summer months likely lost a bit of ADR compared to the rest of the market.

When reviewing year over year changes in Average Daily Rate for both markets in 2020, the low or negative growth through the first half of the year is to be expected with how the pandemic affected bookings and rates. While Norfolk saw an earlier rebound in bookings per listing by May, the South Coast saw ADR rebound quicker over the summer as property managers increased rates to match pent-up summer demand. ADR growth continued through the end of the year, although rate growth did decrease noticeably in November and December with new national lockdowns and restrictions.

2020 YoY ADR Change 40%

% Change in YoY ADR

30%

20%

10%

0%

-10%

-20%

January

South Coast

March

May

July

September

November

Norfolk Broads

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Looking ahead 2021 YoY ADR Change 70% 60%

% Change in YoY ADR

50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% -10% -20%

January

South Coast

March

May

September

November

Norfolk Broads

Looking forward to 2021 ADRs, it is clear that ADR growth is likely to remain steady for the first half of the year. While it is expected that 2021 ADRs in March and April will surpass 2020 averages, seeing January and February rates increased is a positive sign as well. With so many guests postponing travel to 2021, it is important for property managers in these markets, and all markets, to know how to successfully increase ADRs to match incoming demand.

There is a noticeable dip in ADR in September 2021 for both South Coast and Norfolk Broads, which can be explained by the fact that September 2020 ADRs were very high compared to the same period in 2019, making it hard for the first few bookings of September 2021 to surpass those high rates just yet.

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July

The second explanation comes from the fact that there just aren’t that many bookings for September 2021 in both markets yet, so the lower ADRs are mostly from lower-price slow demand dates and ADR will slowly increase over the next few months.

There is already plenty of data available for 2021 so far, and property managers should start their annual strategy by setting the right expectations for the year.

Using year-over-year ADR trends is one way to understand how much guests are willing to pay for stay dates in the future.

If 2020 taught this industry anything, it is that it is important to stay agile and proactive with your pricing and distribution strategies using as much data as possible. Responding to changes in market demand and supply is the core of revenue management and will be a critical part of a successful 2021 strategy.

Be sure to take action now to ensure you have the appropriate data to stay in tune with your market and know what to look for as we move into a prosperous 2021!

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Ryan Saylor is Revenue Manager at Beyond Pricing which is the world’s first revenue management and dynamic pricing software for vacation rentals. For more information visit beyondpricing.com

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Top tips to improve your

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accessibility

Do you want to extend your season, obtain loyal customers and gain a share of a £15.3 billion market?

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One in five people in the UK have an impairment, which may affect where they choose to stay. Improving your accessibility benefits all customers and does not always require major or expensive changes. Here are VisitEngland’s top ten tips for being a more inclusive accommodation business.

1.

Image credit: VisitBritain/Pawel LIbera

Train all staff in disability awareness and ensure they are familiar with accessible facilities, services and equipment available

To be able to confidently serve disabled customers, you and your staff need to be disability aware. You can find online and classroom-style courses specifically for those working in the tourism industry at visitengland.org/access.

It is also important that staff are familiar with how to use equipment such as hearing loops, emergency pull cords in toilets and hoists, which should be regularly tested and kept in working order.

2.

Always welcome assistance dogs Thousands of disabled people rely on an assistance dog and it is illegal to refuse them in all but the most exceptional circumstances. Promote the fact you welcome customers with assistance dogs and consider providing water bowls and a toileting area.

3.

Request information at the time of booking to establish specific requirements

Asking guests at time of booking if they have any accessibility requirements can help you make any necessary arrangements ahead of their arrival. It will also reassure the guest that you are keen to understand their individual needs in order to provide a great experience.

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4.

Ensure your website meets accessibility standards and all written communications with customers are available in accessible formats

All customers should be able to use your website, including those with screen readers. Follow the guidance in VisitEngland’s Electronic Communication Toolkit and make sure your web designer follows Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. Offer written communication in alternative formats, such as large print (16 point font or more), audio or ‘easy to read’.

5.

Provide accessible ways for disabled customers to give feedback, acting and responding promptly to comments Gather the views of disabled customers to help you provide an inclusive tourism experience. You could add a question on accessibility to any customer surveys or invite a local access group to test out your property and give feedback.

6.

Provide sufficient accessible parking spaces

Provide at least one designated parking bay per accessible bedroom. These spaces should be at least 3.6 metres wide, level, marked out/effectively signposted and close to the entrance or in the best possible location. Ensure these spaces are not occupied by non-disabled guests or staff vehicles.

7.

Include images of disabled people in your marketing

Ensure your photography in general marketing represents the diversity of your customers. This will inspire and raise confidence to visit and can also help illustrate your facilities in use. If you need willing models, then approach a local disability group or a specialist modelling agency. Always use disabled people not people pretending to be disabled.

8.

Offer to show all guests with accessibility requirements the accommodation and help with luggage

A familiarisation tour and help with luggage may be particularly useful for guests with accessibility requirements.

For those guests identifying themselves as being visually impaired, this should include highlighting any potential hazards e.g. steps or speed bumps on roadways. For guests staying in designated accessible bedrooms there may be additional equipment that can be demonstrated.

Image credit: VisitBritain/Pawel LIbera

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10.

Provide a detailed and accurate Accessibility Guide to promote your accessibility

9.

Image credit: VisitBritain/Pawel LIbera

Provide twin or zip and link beds where possible

The flexibility of beds is particularly useful for disabled guests, who may be accompanied by a partner or a personal assistant and therefore require different bed configurations. If this is not possible, offer a complimentary room for personal assistants/essential companions and clearly promote this. Interconnecting rooms can also be useful.

People with accessibility requirements require information on a venue’s accessibility to help understand if it will meet their individual needs. You can produce and publish an Accessibility Guide using a free online tool at accessibilityguides.org. Don’t forget to include photographs, information on the nearest Changing Places facility and supplement your guide with information on accessible places to visit and eat. The link to your guide should be prominent and easy to find on your website.

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Ross Calladine is Head of Business Support VisitEngland.

For more tips and guidance on how to be accessible, visit VisitEngland’s Business Advice Hub at visitengland.org/access.

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The rise of direct bookings and how to take advantage 4 direct booking takeaways ­ Run a “bid on brand” Google Ads campaign ­ Track Google search results in your area and match it with the best OTA ­ Focus on getting more contractor bookings ­ Create a user-friendly website optimised for search

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A recent report by D-EDGE highlighted the rise of direct bookings in November 2020.

For short stay businesses online revenue from OTAs in Europe is still dominant at 63% but direct bookings continue to climb with 17% growth from 2017 to 2019 and it is evident they have been taking market share from the OTAs. The trend accelerated during 2020, possibly explained by the fact OTAs reduced their advertising and marketing budgets, boosting organic results for hotels and other accommodation in search engines such as Google.

The push to encourage guests to ‘Book Direct’ stems from efforts to both reduce commissions paid to third-parties and to forge stronger bonds with guests.

Now is the time to act for accommodation businesses to take advantage of this rise in direct bookings.

Here is exactly how to do it!

1.

Run a “bid on brand”

Google Ads campaign.

The first step to direct bookings is to set up your Google Ads account to drive sales to your website directly via your booking engine on your website.

This form of advertising is to attract people who are actually searching for your exact accommodation.

As you probably know, OTAs will likely be running campaigns against your brand name and appear organically above you in the search results.

Creating your own ad campaign means you can appear higher and spell out the benefits of a direct booking.

Google ads have three headline sections and here is what you should be putting I each one.

Headline 1: 30 characters - something appealing for guests.

Headline 2: Include your official property website and make it clear this is how they book direct with you.

Headline 3 - Book direct, best rates (limited availability, award winning, etc) Google Tag Manager gives you conversion ID + conversion label. You can copy and paste this ID into booking engines and your Google Ads campaign will automatically track what happens on your website/booking engine.

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2.

Track Google search

results in your area and match it with the best OTA Deciding on which websites to list your property on is a big decision because different platforms have different strengths depending on the geographic region and property offering.

Do five generic searches on Google for things like accommodation near me and local places to stay. Tally up the results and make a note of which platforms appear the most – and highest.

At the bottom of every search - Google will tell you related searches. These are the most common searches that people are putting on alongside the ones you searched for - again, do the same.

Finally do a five similar searches but this time for niches that your property accommodates e.g. dog friendly, child friendly etc.

Collate all your search results into a spreadsheet and make sure that you are directly listed on the google pages and platforms that appear in the highest 20% of all your searches.

3.

Focus on getting

more contractor bookings

Contractor bookings are on the rise and very different to leisure or holiday bookings. Because they are business related they often look for specific features, search on OTAS and then phone accommodation businesses to book directly.

Here are the five considerations of a quality contractor booking + Groups. Managers booking on behalf of guests, teams and groups of 6 or more contractors for a project. + Block booking. As a rule of thumb international bookings often involve staying over weekends, UK contractors typically book Monday to Friday. + Lead time. Projects often have a long lead time and bookings are planned weeks in advance.

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+ Detailed questions. If you receive a phone call for a group stay and they ask lots of questions, this is a tell-tale sign of a profitable long-term business booking from a large company. These are the kinds of good, secure, longterm bookings you want especially at off-peak seasons (or during lockdowns, for key workers). + Long term relationships. For contractors, reviews are important but not as important as for travel/leisure guests. They are more concerned with the long-term relationship and functional, reliable accommodation where guests are looked after.

The most effective way to get business bookings is to be visible so they find you.

Make sure you are listed in the right places - Booking. com, Airbnb and all the standard OTAs - in your location.

Contractors look for key features - so make these features prominent in your OTA listing: + Separate beds, number of beds exactly + Highlight functional and clean bathrooms + Self-service, key drop off and collection is often appreciated when contractors work different shifts. + Self-catering options so they can cook for themselves. + Location and time to nearby work sites (30 mins max from site) + Explain parking arrangements for your property + Exact location and address + Make sure you are cheaper than your nearest hotel chain - usually 15-20% cheaper.

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4.

Create a user-

friendly website optimised for search Your website, your content and its booking system all play a crucial role to increase your direct bookings and attracting your ideal guests.

Your brand website should have the following features; + Be visually attractive, easy-to-navigate and above all user-friendly from desktop and mobile. + Properly optimised for Google and other search engines to attract maximum visitors. + Offering multi-language and multicurrency features + Open to explore your property through ‘virtual tours’ or picture galleries + Offering a ‘Best Rate Guarantee’ to compete with OTA best prices. + Linked to a direct booking engine so you can take bookings and guests can view availability for rooms through your website.

Your booking engine should have a customer database. That way, when a repeat guest makes a booking, you can search for them and reserve their favourite room and remember their special requests to delight them.

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Mark Simpson is the founder at specialist marketing and training company, Boostly. Boostly helps accommodation businesses secure direct bookings, for more information visit boostly.co.uk

Save the Date!

1 March 2022

ExCeL London

visit www.stayjam.show sign up for updates

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Reboot an Five listi to futur your bu 63

COVID19 has seen a change in traveller behaviour and has resulted in a ‘new normal’ with different expectations,

nd revamp: ing hacks re-proof usiness

priorities and mindsets around travel. It’s clear that what people most want from an accommodation property has evolved.

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Five listing takeaways ­ Allow last-minute bookings ­ Price ahead to get ahead ­ Flex your cancellation policy ­ Allow kiddies and animals ­ Revamp your amenities

66%

of respondents would prefer to stay in a vacation rental rather than a hotel

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Savvy hosts can meet these new expectations by rebooting and revamping their marketing approach.

Listing optimisation experts TravelNest share an overview of vacation rental market trends, and spin these into five listing hacks you can use to future-proof your vacation rental.

57%

of people intending to travel in the next 12 months would opt for a UK-based staycation

Four trends for 2021 1.

Holiday rentals

more popular than hotel

The privacy of short stay properties where guests stay with family or close friends only offers advantages over busy hotels. More people are using private holiday homes for the first time, and now prefer them for future travel. TravelNest’s Optimism Survey revealed that 66% of respondents would prefer to stay in a holiday home rather than a hotel.

2.

Switch to domestic

With international travel one of the biggest casualties of COVID19, the switch to domestic travel is a huge trend which you can capitalise on. Although foreign travel may be off the cards for the time being, our appetite for travel remains strong - it’s just happening closer to home. TravelNest’s survey showed that 57% of people intending to travel in the next 12 months would opt for a UK-based staycation.

3.

Rural beats urban

There is increased demand for staycations in country and coastal destinations, rather than towns and cities. Dubbed ‘the urban escape’, this is driven by lockdowns, the general climate of uncertainty and social distancing.

People want holiday homes within a reasonable driving distance of their homes, surrounded by natural scenery where they can get away from it all.

4.

Renewed focus on

guest experience

Guests want a brilliant experience however, their expectations have shifted and demands are different. The overall quality of the property is much more important, as guests are likely to be spending more time there than out and about visiting the local area.

Guests are looking for a real home from home that ticks all the boxes, so a higher-quality finish is important.

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Five listing hacks to get ahead 1.

Allow last-minute bookings

The booking notice period (known as advance notice period on some booking sites) is the number of days notice a host requires before guests can arrive. COVID19 has seen a number of changes to domestic traveller behaviour, with last-minute breaks of 1 or 2 nights in higher demand than they were pre-COVID. To capitalise on this, we recommend a low booking notice period to attract impulse travellers.

With many government rules on travel remaining in a state of flux, allowing next day arrivals will help you attract lastminute bookings from domestic travellers who are located fairly near to your property and can get there within a day.

2.

Price ahead to get ahead

As well as capitalising on lastminute impulsive bookings, it is also important to ensure the property can be booked well in advance too.

News of a COVID19 vaccine, coupled with pent up demand for future travel and the desire for ‘something to look forward to’ is a powerful driver of future bookings. People who have had holidays cancelled this year are keen

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to secure their first choice for 2021, and 2022. TravelNest recommends that properties have pricing in place for the next 2 years and calendars are opened up for bookings well in advance to capitalise on this booking behaviour.

3.

Flex your

cancellation policy

Now more than ever, guests need flexibility in case their plans change as a result of changing government rules on travel both locally and further afield. Your cancellation policy has a huge influence over the guests’ decision to book. Many travellers will only search for holiday homes that offer a flexible cancellation policy. Booking sites also have filtering options which remove listings with strict cancellation from search results. TravelNest recommends choosing the most flexible cancellation policy you can to maximise search visibility and bookability.

4.

Allow kidS AND PETS

If you don’t allow children and pets in your holiday home, this reduces your potential audience. Think about who domestic travellers are – parents with young children, families who own a dog, parents travelling with grandparents and young children and families with teenage children etc. If you cater only for couples, you’ll miss out on a large segment of the market.

5.

Revamp your amenities

Staying in has become the new going out, so it’s likely that guests will spend more time in your property than out and about visiting tourist hot-spots.

Having the right amenities ensures they’ll have everything they need to hunker down and relax, without having to leave if they don’t wish to. People are looking for more of a luxury, boutique experience, so we recommend: Fast, reliable WiFi: This is a must have, unless the property is specifically marketed as an off-grid experience.

Guests may need to work from the property - lack of decent WiFi will put them off.

Streaming services: Guests will appreciate being able to keep up to date with their favourite shows or watch a good film. Consider adding Netflix and Amazon Prime to your amenity list.

A well-equipped kitchen: Guests may prefer to stay in and cook rather than going out to restaurants, so make sure the kitchen is well stocked. Gone are the days of mis-matched crockery and blunt knives! Appliances like a coffee maker, food processor, and perhaps a cocktail kit make all the difference to the enjoyment of your guests.

Somewhere to work: Repurposing some of the space to provide somewhere for guests to work is also a great idea as people may need to work remotely for some of the time. If you can, add a desk. It doesn’t have to be big - there are plenty of compact desk options available.

Stef Scott, Content Marketing Manager at software specialist TravelNest. For more information and to see how they can help you advertise your property visit travelnest.com

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Design

Stand out from the crowd and supercharge your bookings with a fresh new look. Get the Stayjam Design bundle pack.

Bundle includes:

(bundles can be tailored)

­ x1 new logo (3 concepts) ­ x15 new social media header graphics

­ Website homepage design ­ 4 page PDF

All for just £1,000 + VAT Email the design team

At your service be the best for your guests g s n ll i ay cal fer e w h lo o of s a wit d t ra p t e U k ete nee ex ess in in a p u g t om , yo rs rin us

n b c ls ffe o b r i o e o , ct rs ou e T ot ra e y f g tra ins er f or ­ h xt a v o t f li e or a t w e ra ey t d t d s n ea x n s e E r a e o

ag ps e g ­ m nc g r u e ri s ug k- ts a e L c

xp iew ­ pi cke e t ev ti a e tr r a G re ­ g 70

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There are hundreds of articles out there on how to improve your rating as an accommodation business and give guests the fivestar experience they are looking for. From ensuring the description is detailed and accurate, to prompt and characterful responses or leaving hampers and the extra little touches – these articles have the obvious tips covered.

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In this article we outline ways you can ‘go the extra mile’ for your guests with the added bonus of earning ancillary revenue along the way!

The good news for you is that there are plenty of businesses that have been created to plug the gaps in the airbnb model that offer amenities and services previously only available at hotels.

We have chosen to focus on four of the most common pain points for short stay owners and cherry picked the best solutions out there that deal with them and make some money.

Luggage storage

One of the most common questions asked of accommodation businesses is ‘where can I leave my luggage after check out?’. Not wanting to disappoint customers after such a great stay, operators previously scrambled to accommodate late check outs, often being forced to liaise with cleaners on when the guests could come back and pick up their bags, resulting in an operational nightmare.

Companies like Stasher now have networks of hundreds of hotels and shops in cities worldwide that you can refer your guests to. Your guests simply choose the location that suits them best, books online and then safely stores their bag in the host location. Typically accommodation businesses gain commission on each referral too – so it’s a win-win!

Renting children’s equipment

Travelling with young children is no mean feat. Carrying cots, prams and high chairs is not only cumbersome but often leaves you out of pocket when hit with additional airline fees. Hotels often offer rental of these items whereas short stay businesses have traditionally come up short in this department.

Personalised airport transfers

High end hotels have always offered a personalised car service with chauffeurs from their airport but this is something that short stay businesses have rarely got involved in arranging.

Travel to and from the property is clearly part of the guest experience so offering your guests an extra special service will get your bonus points.

Companies like Welcome Pickups offer pre-booked, trained, Englishspeaking drivers that pick you up from the airport or port for the same price as a regular taxi. They also offer tours of the city in their taxis too! Like luggage storage you will receive commission on every referral too.

Companies like AirTots offer high quality baby equipment that is available for families to rent for the duration of the trip.

They drop the equipment directly at the apartment meaning there is no hassle for tired parents! Each item comes with a digital manual of instructions and they are always on hand to help too.

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Guided tours and experiences

Through good contacts, hotels have been able to offer competitive deals on tours and experiences for guests.

Concierge desks are often on hand to not only help choose the best tour or activity but book, print tickets etc - making it incredibly easy for guests to make the most out of their trip.

After you decide which services you would like to provide, we recommend you set up an account with the companies to find out more. Your guest messaging only needs to contain a brief description and a tracking link and then you are good to go!

You’ll be earning revenue while giving your guests a five-star hotel experience in no time.

Companies like Klook and GetYourGuide have created online marketplaces for tour guides and excursions at the most competitive prices. They offer thousands of products in tourist destinations worldwide and are available to book on your mobile or desktop at the click of a button. From world famous tourist spots like the Eiffel Tower Entry to niche little markets or swimming pools, they have something for every guest.

Each company also has an affiliate program which allows you to earn commission on your guests’ referral through a unique link & dashboard. This allows you to give guests great ideas for tours and activities during their stay while also earning a little extra revenue!

These are four common problems that service companies can help with but by no means do they form an exhaustive list! From offering guests a chef to their home, to nanny services straight to your holiday home, there are hundreds of options.

Catherine Ainsley is Head of Partnerships at luggage storage network Stasher. To find out how your guests can store luggage and make you money visit stasher.com

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How to turn your property stayjam.com

Management business into a...

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Key Takeaways ­ Focus on OTA optimisation over brand in early days ­ Be omnipresent on all OTA platforms ­ Local area branding will drive growth ­ Simple online marketing tools have big branding impact ­ Look for channels outside the norm.

The short-term rental industry is still in its infancy with very little brand recognition outside of the big OTA platforms. One of the biggest frustrations of property managers is the universal consumer term of staying in “an airbnb” which removes any distinction between professionally managed and home share properties.

As the market has evolved, several companies such as Vacasa and Sykes Holiday Cottages have successfully created a consumer brand but many others, even those with 5,000+ properties under management, have little brand recognition outside of industry professionals. With this in mind, why do most property managers, big or small, have aspirations to create a brand?

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Build a brand or focus on OTA optimisation

Businesses instinctively want to create a brand when starting a new business. As most founders know, in order to create the most value out of their venture they need to create brand recognition and therefore a competitive advantage but is this true in short term rentals?

Despite the huge push for direct bookings, property managers rely on OTAs for bookings.

This doesn’t mean that creating a brand is not important but it does mean that all property managers should question whether focusing on brand vs optimising their biggest sales channel is a good use of time.

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Early-stage property management businesses should focus on OTA optimisation, ensuring that their listings have quality photos, good reviews and descriptions. At the same time many decide to focus on one OTA, usually airbnb, which is offers the quickest way to scale initially but leaves them exposed to changes in the OTA algorithms, affecting their bottom line.

The reality is that OTA optimisation is essential for all property managers, whereas creating a brand is rightly a secondary choice.

Creating a brand in any industry is challenging, but in short term rentals it is especially so as the OTAs have deliberately turned rentals into a commodity to protect their market position.

In some cases, you cannot display your brand or access guest emails from the OTA - these restrictions make businesses want to create their own brand. This doesn’t have to be a huge monetary and time commitment, but it requires focusing on the ROI of creating a brand. If short stay owners and managers are unsure of why they are trying to create a brand then it will offer little ROI in the long term.

Define your goals and stick to your execution plan.

B2C or B2B branding All property managers need to grow brand recognition in order to attract property owners and build their trust.

Creating a brand for this purpose is simpler than creating a broad consumer brand as your target audience is relatively contained and the property manager will understand the local area they operate in.

The main focus should be a presence with local property owners which usually is a combination of outreach marketing (emails, mail outs and phone calls) and local marketing (google and local media).

The call to action is also easy as you simply are looking to generate leads (property owners looking for a trusted local property manager).

This activity is a must for all property managers looking to grow.

Meanwhile creating a B2C brand in short term rentals can be very challenging but not impossible if you are laser focused in what you are trying to achieve. For example, if you run a high-end rental with a focus on well-being it is possible to turn guests into advocates with strong in-property branding, a good website and ultimately a great guest experience.

If this is done effectively then this will create a good ROI as word of mouth will generate a good flow of direct and OTA bookings for your properties.

If your aspirations are to create a property brand that will reduce your reliance on OTAs then this will require a large marketing budget and a clear niche to target. As you will never be able to compete with the marketing budget of the OTA’s, you will need to focus everything from your guest experience, property acquisition choices, website and brand to the niche you are targeting.

Whilst this is achievable, the challenge of maintaining a consistent guest experience across your portfolio as you scale can impact or even offset any brand building you do. Creating a B2C brand in the short-term rentals space is best suited to venture or private equity funded short term rental companies with deep pockets.

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What tools should I use to help grow my brand?

Here are four quick ways to start your branding journey.

Web Presence. Your website is your shop window for prospective property owners and potential direct bookers. In order to ensure your brand is perceived as high quality you need a scalable website which can be cheaply built using your PMS templates or Wordpress.

You are able to get high-quality and low-cost logo design by using services such as 99Designs or Fiverr.

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Outreach. You want to ensure consistency message and branding on outreach to prospects (homeowners) and guests. In the early stages, using a CRM such as Hubspot can enable you to access message templates and workflows to reduce manual work. As your company grows, it is important to select the right PMS that has branded message automation tools and high-quality website templates.

Branding In-Property. This is very difficult to achieve as leaving out some branded paper materials is both outdated and likely to be perceived as not Covid-19 secure. A tool like the YourWelcome Tablet can help bring your brand into the property via a tablet device using display advertising and clear call to action. Other options include branded stationary, door mats and crockery but this lacks any call to action.

Social Media. This is an obvious way to grow your brand, however, many short-term rentals waste valuable time marketing to an audience that will not help your brand. At the start of your journey follow industry leaders, OTAs and popular blogs but it is essential to grow your network to potential guests and local partners. In order to do this you will need to incentivise guests to follow your feeds. A good way to do this is to offer free night giveaways and other promotional offers. Make sure that you monitor your channel metrics and ask yourself the question - has a year of social media done anything for your business in terms of partnerships, bookings or SEO? If the answer is no, then your time may be better spent elsewhere.

Stayjam Recommends ­ Wordpress ­ Fiverr ­ YourWelcome ­ Hubspot ­ Boostly

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Henry Bennett is CEO of YourWelcome which is a transactional portal for guests, helping short stay owners profit from on-demand services. For more information visit yourwelcome.com

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Drawing up a to do list in the quieter times is always a good idea and at the top of that list should be taking a look at your fire safety for each of your properties.

Being fire safe Fire safety legislation applies to virtually all accommodation businesses and a ‘suitable and sufficient’ fire risk assessment must be carried out.

All fire risk assessments should be up to date, recorded and stored in good order to protect your guests, properties and business. There should be one person responsible for the fire risk assessment and ensuring that fire protection and prevention measures are observed and maintained.

An emergency plan should be drawn up. It should be displayed in the form of a fire action notice in guest rooms and adjacent to the fire alarm call points in the staff and common areas.

In this edition of the Playbook we have included a UK standard fire risk assessment template that you can use on your individual properties which has been developed by VisitEngland and the National Fire Chiefs Council.

Legal Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in the template we regret that we cannot be responsible for any errors.

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An Accommodation Property Fire Risk Assessment Template Address of property assessed

Redstacks Holiday Lets, Brimmers Hill Old Coast Road Torquay TQ1 FRA

Name and position of person undertaking the assessment:

John Smith, owner

Date of assessment:

25 April 2021

Number of floors/area:

Two floors, 185m²

Use:

Self-catering accommodation property

Identify fire hazards and fire risks Electrical wiring and appliances

All wiring and appliances were checked and passed as satisfactory by a qualified electrician on 12th March 2021.

There are no trailing wires.

The fuse board has been checked and correctly upgraded for the needs of the house, including circuit breakers.

Appliances have been registered awith the manufacturer and are checked at the end of every let. Lint filters are also cleaned at the end of every let.

Cooking – especially deep-fat frying

There are instructions for use of the electric oven.

The hob is gas and self-ignites. The appliance was last checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer in May 2019.

Extraction vents above the cooker are cleaned every 3 months.

There is no facility for deep-fat frying.

Smoking

There is a no-smoking policy throughout the property, including e-cigarettes.

Candles

There are no candles or tea lights in the property.

Heaters and boilers

The boiler is a gas combination boiler and it is regularly serviced in May each year by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

A carbon monoxide detector is located in the living room.

Open fires and burners

There is no open fire in the property.

Elements of structure

The ground floor is concrete covered with wood planks.

The first floor is wooden.

The walls are brick, covered with plasterboard.

There are no coverings to walls or ceilings.

Furniture and furnishings

All furniture and furnishings that need to comply with the Furniture and furnishings (Fire Safety) regulations for rental accommodation do so.

Domestic waste

Domestic waste is stored in a bin under the sink. The bin is quite small and would need to be emptied regularly.

The rooms all have waste paper baskets but are not kept near any sources of ignition.

Other items – e.g. petrol for lawnmowers, cleaning materials etc.

The lawn mower and strimmer are both electric and are stored in an outside shed.

Activities that might cause a fire, including work processes and procedures

A barbecue is available for outside use but is well away from the house.

The barbecue had a lid which can be used to extinguish any fire which gets out of control.

Other

Write information on any other sources of ignition here.

Identify people at risk Number of guests

There are six beds in the property and one travel cot. It is likely that the small bedroom downstairs would be suitable for two children. The cot can be placed in any room.

The house is suitable for people with mobility limitation. The most appropriate bedrooms for these guests are on the ground floor and they are next to a back door.

Number of staff and employees

Staff from a cleaning agency clean the property at the end of every let.

Domestic and agency staff are all over the age of 18 years.

Evaluate the risks The fire detection and alarm system

There are two heat alarms, mains wired, and two smoke alarms, battery powered.

Spare batteries are kept in an accessible place and the domestic agency will replace them as required.

The smoke detectors are tested at the end of every let.

Means of escape – detail the type of property

The house is two storeys – two bedrooms are on the ground floor, one bedroom is on the first floor.

Means of escape – detail the number of exit doors and where they are

The front door is inward opening and opens directly into the living room.

The back door in the kitchen is outward opening and is kept clear.

There are also patio doors which open outwards from the living room.

Evacuation procedures

Guests on the ground floor may use any of the doors depending on where they are at the time. Keys are kept in locks at all times.

If it is not possible to use the stairs, a door can be closed between the bedroom and the landing, to await help. The windows to this bedroom are easily reachable by a ladder and the windows open enough for an adult to get through.

The evacuation procedures are details in the guest information sheet.

Escape lighting

A torch is kept in the kitchen. Its location is provided in the guest information sheet.

Firefighting equipment

A fire extinguisher and fire blanket are fitted to the wall in the kitchen.

Vacation Rental Point of Sale

Sell Services Remotely Late Checkout

Tourist Tickets

Equipment Hire

Food Delivery

Additional Cleaning

Car Hire

*All subscriptions include a free tablet W W W.YO U RW E LCO M E .CO M

Strategy | Profitability | Performance | Finance

The go-to partner for the short-term rental industry AJL Atelier is a vacation rental and business consultancy with a global reach

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executive coaching, strategic planning, as well as access to a vast and high-caliber network throughout the industry. Simon has an innate ability to listen, understand, assess, and then draw connections and parallels across the industry.

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Working with new & established players in the industry

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9 tips to drive in more contractor bookings

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Tailoring your marketing to serve different types of guests and travellers is a must in 2021. The contractor accommodation sector is growing within short stay and Theo Bailey from PPPN has developed 9 top tips to drive bookings from travelling contractors and workforces who need a roof over their head!

The beauty about the contractor market is that some have a Monday to Friday week, which means you can still have your weekend trade and ensure you are full over the weekdays.

1.

TAILORED MARKETING. Ensure your property is staged and set up to attract this audience - they do not need to see pictures of croissants and orange juices, they don’t need pictures of towels that look like swans or soap dispensers, they want to see single beds, kitchen facilities, a lounge with TV - simple things, quick wins.

2.

PROPERTY BRANDING. You will note a lot of buildings are called elegant names like the Phoenix Apartments or Ivy House and whilst there is nothing wrong with this, to speak with this audience why not look at names that resonate - Contractor Digs, Contractor House etc.

3.

REALISTIC PRICING.

Pricing is key, most contractors have a budget that ranges between £25 and £45 a night, you may have some who have less and a few that have more, but why not price properties on a per person per night basis and ensure you don’t price yourself out of their price range.

4.

PARKING PLUS.

Parking is a must! It may be that you have it, but you need to make it apparent, mention it - one of the biggest pains Contractors have is ensuring they have properties with parking for their vans.

5.

ZIP IT.

If you have rooms that have King Size beds, see if you can get them zip and link options, so you don’t have 2 people having to cosy up. This is a great way of making your rooms as accessible to as many groups of guests.

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6.

PLAYER ONE.

Simple things make the difference.

Obviously, the guests are not there to go on sightseeing tours or for the amazing scenery. It is very much a working stay where they want to relax and chill in the evenings. Think about getting a games console, a dartboard, a foosball table or even just a pack of cards to help them unwind in their down time.

7.

RETHINK TERMS.

9.

KEEP IT SIMPLE.

Remember to make it simple, the more they need to think about it, the longer they’ll take to decide. In the current climate, some prefer single rooms whilst others are still happy to share twins, make sure you can cater to both types.

Hoping these insights will help grow your business in 2021.

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Contractors are often met with challenging circumstances including last minute changes, job relocations and very different requirements which they will only know about shortly before their jobs start. Giving them hurdles with restrictive cancellation and refund terms may scare them away.

Try to be flexible while still protecting your business and bookings!

8.

SPREAD THE WORD.

We all know that recommendations are key for accommodation businesses and the beauty of contractor bookings is that they all talk when they are on site. Encourage direct bookings recommendations with referral incentives!

Theo Bailey, Managing Director at contractor booking specialist, Per Person Per Night. For more information and to get listed as a property offering contractor rooms visit pppn.co.uk

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You know the OutKast song about things being fresh and clean. Well in 2021 there ain’t going be nobody as dope when your property is dressed so fresh and clean.

So Fresh and So Clean A recent study showed that 70% of travellers will only book if they know which health and safety policies are in place at the property they are staying at which means that owners need to clearly communicate with potential guests about their cleaning processes and procedures.

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75% of travellers

now favour accommodation that provides antibacterial and sanitising products

With that in mind here are the top three changes when it comes to cleaning you can make in your properties to help improve your booking rate in 2021.

Communicate

The best thing you can do is communicate your cleaning standards with guests across all your channels including your website, listing profiles, social media channels, monthly/weekly newsletter, guest communications, guidebooks and welcome packs.

With guest expectations being super aware of safety in 2021 – you can never overdo this first one.

Freebies

In 2021, any good host will provide their guests with the ability to clean up after themselves, sanitise the property and enhance the general cleanliness. With that in mind the top-rated properties will not only include the usual well-stocked cleaning products and equipment but will also provide hand sanitiser, antibacterial wipes and facemasks for their guests.

Checklist

Before and during their booking it is likely that guests and travellers will wonder what your cleaning procedures are to make their stay COVID safe. Put their mind at rest by including your cleaning checklist in your property after the cleaners have ticked all the boxes – we have included a sample one in the Playbook!

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Covid clean and disinfect check list Date

First Impressions (Entrance) Doors and Door Handles Letterboxes

Property Name

Locks and Lockboxes Handrails

Windows and Handles

Cleaned by

❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏

Pamper and Preen (Bathroom and Toilets) Sink and Taps

Pictures and Mirrors Bath and Tabs

❏ ❏ ❏

Shower Screen and Splashbacks ❏ Shower Head and Tiling ❏ Toilet – Base, Lid, Handle and Seat ❏ Floors and Carpets ❏ Doors and Door Handles Windows and Handles

Light and Power Switches Bins and Waste Extractor Fan

Towel Racks and Radiators

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❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏

Creative Canteen (Kitchen)

Sleeping Chambers (Bedrooms) Pictures and Mirrors Floors and Carpets Bins and Waste

Drawers and Cupboards

Bedding and Soft Furnishings Windows and Handles

Bed Frame and Side Cabinets Light and Power Switches Doors and Door Handles

Heaters and Radiators Lights and Lamps

❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏

Tables and Chairs

Pictures and Mirrors Floors and Carpets Bins and Waste

Drawers and Cupboards

Linen and Soft furnishings Windows and Handles Gadgets and Gizmos

Entertainment and Media Light and Power Switches Doors and Door Handles

Controls and Heating

Fireplace and Radiators Lights and Lamps

Cabinents and Drawers Backsplash and Tiles Sink and Taps

Hob and Oven

Light and Power Switches Cutlery and Plates Kettle and Toaster

Hob and Extractor Fan Fridge and Freezer

Microwave and Mixers

Light and Power Switches

Netflix and Chill Areas (Lounge) Sofas and Couches

Counters and Surfaces

Doors and Door Handles ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏

Controls and Heating

Fire Safety and Extinguishers Windows and Handles Bins and Waste

Chairs and Stools

❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏

❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏

Great Outdoors (Garden) BBQ and Kitchenettes Sheds and Storage

Doors and Door Handles Locks and Lockboxes

Handrails and Guides

Garden Games and Toys Hot Tubs and Pools

❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏

❏

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Glamping takeaways ­ Be defined by your environment and setting ­ Focus on glamping intangibles to attract bookings ­ Be different in a homogenised world ­ Always add, improve and adapt

Glampi

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Glamping as a tourism sector has been growing in popularity worldwide for the last decade, but the last 4 years has seen a particularly rapid phase of growth, no doubt fuelled

by TV programmes, staycations, and demand for back-to-nature breaks.

ing DNA

This prevailing growth in consumer demand, higher returns, business longevity, and the recent staycation boom have made glamping a very hot topic - there’s a lot of hype around it.

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However, not every glamping business is a roaring success: some fail and some simply aren’t as profitable as they could be... very often because they’ve overlooked too much of glamping’s DNA. It’s crucial to invest wisely in any fastmoving industry and, for glamping in particular, this means including at least some of the core characteristics that make up a glamping experience. After working in this sector for a decade, I’m more than familiar with what makes some glamping businesses more successful than others; not only have

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they respected its DNA but they’ve also nailed the ‘experience’. This isn’t always as straight forward as one might think because an experience is much more than the sum of its parts. For example, we would normally market our high thread count linens as a luxury selling point but, in experiential glamping, they would be just one contributor to the overall atmosphere. We might not bother mentioning them at all and they don’t look that enticing on Instagram either. Whilst it’s never easy to cover every potential type of glamping development in a short article, I can at least share some of the factors that I know contribute to successful and profitable glamping developments.

Grass roots

Whenever possible (and one might argue it’s nearly always possible, it might just cost more) it’s preferable to work with what we have in terms of natural landscape features so that they become a part of the overall experience. After all, glamping should be about a proximity to nature and a genuine connection to the natural world and, ideally, anything described as glamping should be fostering or creating this connection. I appreciate it’s easier to achieve this on smaller sites than large developments (the latter tend to focus on low maintenance) but what we are aiming to do is create a sense of ‘untamed’ here and there, where not everything is clipped, mown and organised. Leave some semi wild and wild areas for nature to do her thing, we’re creating naturebased breaks here - not something to rival the gardens at Versailles.

Personality

If there is one thing that sets some of the best glamping accommodations apart it is their ‘personality’ and, although some might think this is just branding, there’s much more to it than that. Again, this is one of those intangible factors but, when we associate it with authenticity, it becomes easier to understand.

Personality could be created through a bespoke design scheme, a connection to the local culture, historic building, historic event, or developed through a story.

We build up a style and atmosphere, taking it right through the whole development, influencing every decision on accommodation, landscaping, interior design, and bespoke features.

The more unique and authentic the personality, the better. It not only creates a more immersive guest experience but makes the business model more difficult for other places to copy.

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Dare to be different

As glamping has grown, some types of accommodations and business models have become particularly commonplace. So, depending on the location and competition, it could pay, literally, to set up something different. This is all about offering guests something they could never experience at home, or anywhere else for that matter. It depends on the guest profile of course, but in a world of homogenised products, retailers, places and even foods – ‘individuality’ makes a refreshing change, and our guests love it!

One such feature that has become popular in glamping is outdoor bathing - whether it’s a hot tub, shower or copper roll-top, they all have a great impact on occupancy and rental value. For the accommodation itself, it’s possible to take an off the peg 103

design and turn it into something more individual, it’s amazing what can be achieved with an imaginative interior design scheme. Commissioning a bespoke accommodation design has to be the ultimate move to stand out from the crowd, with treehouses and high-end resorts topping the occupancy and revenue charts.

Quirky, rustic or designer style cabins are a close second as more guests take more short breaks year-round.

Keep moving

Glamping and experiential tourism continue to develop, new glamping sites and diversifications enter the market every year, as standards improve and imaginations expand, guests are expecting more and more from hospitality providers. When

starting a new glamping business or diversifying, it pays to have an ongoing development strategy, and one which can also adapt to meet any new industry demands. Ways to do this could be by upgrading accommodation facilities, expanding / adding different accommodations, or adding new dimensions to the guest experience such as activities, event spaces, or catering facilities such as a café.

And finally. One of my favourite quotes is ‘if you’re not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary’ and for me at least, it’s never more appropriate than when we are creating a new glamping development. I hope I have imparted a few ideas on how one might risk the unusual, and profit from

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Kate Morel is Creative Director of glamping specialists, Morel Company.

For more information about how you can add a revenue stream to your accommodation business, visit morelcompany.co.uk

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l i a m e r u o y Get s r e w o p r e p u s

If I said to you there is a simple way to improve business results, build relationships with your guests AND save you masses of time, would you be interested?

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Of course you would.

As a seasoned marketer I use email marketing heavily, and I love it!

I really believe it gives us a superpower which we can use to really boost our business.

The power to set up and maintain a direct channel of communication with our guests and contacts gives us an advantage over the competition - with the added benefits of repeat bookings and amazing reviews.

From what I see in the holiday rentals industry I’m certain this tool isn’t being used to its fullest potential and perhaps that’s down to a lack of time, an uncertainty of what to say, or when to say it.

So I’d like to help. Email marketing can really help your business in so many ways and its possibilities are really only limited to your imagination.

You can, for example, automate communications with your guests throughout the entire process from their original booking, to their stay, and to their return home.

These emails are sent out automatically when an event or date in the customer journey occurs e.g. after the booking is received, or on their check-in or check-out date. It’s all set by you to maximise your business opportunities.

A client recently told me about sending an automated email to check the guest was happy after arrival. In one instance the guest was NOT happy at all. But armed with this knowledge she could fix the problem, leading to a 5-star review and a happy guest.

Here are just some of the superpowers that you can use email marketing for: ­ Helping your guests recognise your brand ­ Taking your guests’ experiences to another level ­ Reducing the time you spend replying to common questions ­ Receiving guest information you need ahead of the stay ­ Reducing cancellations ­ Increasing the number and quality of reviews given on a property.

So those are just some of the benefits and reasons why you should think about using email marketing but I’d be lying if I said it all just happened naturally.

Superpowers take time to develop and need a little bit of preparation to make sure you use it to the full.

Here’s what I find works best.

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Split your email lists into groups

Not all contacts are the same, and you’ll contact them in different ways and with different messages. So firstly, group and tag your contacts according to the type of contact that they are. Here are some examples – + + + + + + + + +

Guests Newsletter subscribers Suppliers Inbound enquiries Abandoned bookers Direct bookers Social media followers Local guests Business travellers

This allows you to automate the emails to contacts as they move through all the stages of their booking and also to issue campaign emails to your marketing opt-in (GDPR compliant) contacts.

Keep it clean.

Regularly check and update your contacts Have you ever received an email with Dear <<FIRST_NAME>>? That is due to unclean and unchecked contacts and there is an easy way to solve this. Check your data.

Have a look at your contacts for irregularities like no first name, or the name is all in lower case, or a shouty UPPERCASE or fields in the wrong column.

This will give you the power to speak personally to your contacts without sounding or looking spammy.

You can send out communications with your list to double check their details and is a great way: + To encourage new bookings + Provide an offer or discount code + Request the guests join your newsletter to allow for further email communication with newsletters (to comply with GDPR regulations).

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Automate your guest communications through email You can send some amazing emails messages to reinforce your brand and enhance your guests’ experience even before they arrive.

Here are some example emails you can send to turn on the charm and let your personality shine through. + A welcome email after booking, perhaps with a video + A COVID email reminding guests of the current restrictions in your area + A request for any identification verification required prior to the stay + Any specific information requirements such as bedroom layout or cot requirements + Information regarding any potential up-sales prior to arrival.

Use email to drive five star feedback and reviews I always think it’s really sad that guests have problems during their stay, but only mention it after they’ve left, or in a bad review.

Use the superpower of email marketing to fix guests problems ASAP and help boost guest reviews! + Check guests are happy + Offer discounts at local restaurants or attractions + Request a review on 3rd party websites or your own website These simple email tips will give you back hours of time in the long run, whilst massively improving your business and your guests’ experiences.

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Stayjam Recommends ­ Google Reviews

Actionable takeaways

­ Mailchimp ­ Active Campaign

­ Split your email lists into groups ­ Keep it clean. Regularly check and update your contacts ­ Automate your guest communications through email ­ Use email to drive five star feedback and reviews

Andy McNicoll is a marketing specialist at Bookster holiday rental software.

For more resources visit booksterhq.com/ news - with expert tips for SEO, email marketing, conversion and more

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Top Guest Targets in 2021

Actionable takeaways ­ Identify three personas that fit with your property ­ Ensure advertised offerings at your accommodation property match their needs ­ Change up your marketing to attract them

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With bookings steadily increasing month over month around the world we look at eight guest personas you should be looking to target in the next twelve months.

1.

Family Bookings

It’s been challenging for families with children to balance working from home and parenting simultaneously, and many will use the holiday season to take a much-needed vacation and trade in their apartments or homes in the city for more outdoor space.

If you have a large backyard, a dedicated playroom for kids or in general, a bigger property, highlight these in listing descriptions to entice families to book with you. Larger properties enable family gatherings that can be socially distanced a great sell when considering higher risk parties, like grandparents.

2.

Digital Nomads

With rural tourism on this rise, digital nomads have increasingly shown interest in locations in the great outdoors, near national parks or in warmer climates.

While they are frequently inquiring about top-notch connectivity, digital nomads also expect a comfortable and aesthetic work-from-home environment.

3.

Life Shoppers

With the ability to work remotely and the build-to-rent trend taking off, it’s no surprise that many are ‘life shopping’ and experimenting with cities to see where they might want to settle after the pandemic. These individuals are giving up their apartments and are booking temporary 1-3 monthlong extended stays instead.

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4.

City Escapers

A trend that we saw at the beginning of COVID, and that we expect to stick around even after the pandemic, are city escapers: individuals escaping cities and heading to drive-to destinations in more rural or mountain areas 1-4 hours away. Use keywords like remote retreat, comfortable workspace, pet-friendly, great for families, etc. to encourage longer stays.

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5.

STR Converts

Folks who traditionally opted for hotel stays before are now increasingly opting to book private rentals. Private homes have a lower guest turnover rate and allow those who stay to avoid crowded common areas that often go hand-in-hand with hotel stays.

Invest in a direct booking website to earn more for each reservation. Direct bookings provide another avenue to distribute listings, increase brand recognition and draw in short-term rental converts sans channel fees.

6.

Hesitant Travellers

With restrictions constantly fluctuating, travelers want to book short-term rental stays but also want the assurance that if they need to cancel their plans for circumstances outside of their control, they won’t be penalized. Hosts should implement more flexible cancellation policies to cater to this persona.

7.

Panic Cancellers

In 2021, COVID will still be impacting accommodation businesses depending on the geographic location and national/ regional government policies. As such, many travelers will nix their bookings 24-72 hours in advance of their stays.

Use automation tools to automatically identify, target and send canceled guests discounts or coupons for future stays to incentivise bookings.

8.

Spontaneity Seekers Omer Rabin, Managing Director, Americas, at short-term property management platform Guesty. For more info visit guesty.com

On the flip side, the trend of travelers making reservations closer to check-in is continuing, especially with domestic travel increasingly on the rise across the globe. Globally in December 2020, 14% of reservations were made on the same day as check-in and 38% of reservations were made within a week of the reservation itself.

Although travel might look different in the future, accommodation businesses must be flexible and quick to adapt to the changing needs of guests today.

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Don’t put your business at risk stayjam.com

Accommodation businesses need to take ownership of standards

It’s way more than the actual certification, it’s a process

Don’t be a bad actor within the industry

Trust takeaways

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The UK hospitality and tourism industry press featured an article covering the opinion of renowned QC, William Audland, of 12 King’s Bench Walk Chambers, who, having examined the consumer protections offered by Airbnb found “consumers are at risk in using Airbnb”.

Audland, who is undoubtedly one of the UK’s top specialists in personal injury and package travel law, is reacting to the small print in Airbnb’s IPO information; he says, “a consumer who suffers personal injury as a result of accommodation provided through Airbnb has no apparent recourse against Airbnb. Any civil claim against the host is fraught with difficulty, particularly if the host is domiciled abroad”.

How and if this will affect the Airbnb moving forward remains to be seen; but there has been a worldwide response to Airbnb in various guises in different countries and cities.

What is clear is that legislators and authorities don’t like the ‘platform’ approach, as being “devoid of any responsibility” to quote Audland.

However, let’s face it, it isn’t just Airbnb.

The UK consumer magazine Which? recently mystery shopped a hotel brand voted the worst in the UK for 8 years by its readers, all carried the VisitBritain “Good to Go” accolade.

They, and others, including a property belonging to a five-star global brand were tested using UV fluid, germ powder and swabbing techniques, and to quote the article they found; “enterococci, an indication of faecal contamination, on the toilet seat and bathroom door handle. The bacteria, found in the intestinal tract, can cause urine and abdominal infections. Low levels of staphylococcus were also found on the TV remote, bathroom door handle and toilet seat.

The bacteria colonises the nasal passages and groin, causing anything from food poisoning to skin infection” amongst other things.

All of this “noise” is a reaction to one thing, our industry’s bad actors.

At Quality in Tourism we have run enough national and international country-wide accreditation schemes to understand the operators that circumnavigate the rules, don’t act in the best interests of the consumers or protect them adequately, those that are dishonest in their marketing or even don’t exist, those that extort or are just not clean, will exist and sit under the radar; it’s important given

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FIRE

GDPR

the aforementioned noise, that the good actors take steps to reassure the guest and create trust and that ultimately we teach the consumers to look for what they can trust.

Various solutions are out there including verification schemes which are undertaken on an arms-length basis. They check the ownership of the property, whether they have paid the bills and that the property exists, all good? Yes, here’s your certificate.

Then there are the self-certification schemes. The “Good to Go” scheme that Which? investigated is ultimately an operator’s code of conduct, tick the boxes and get a stamp and a certificate.

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Guess what these two schemes attract? Yup, bad actors. Why? Well, it’s like marking your own homework; the bad actors just don’t do the homework but give themselves 100%.

Both these methods sit alongside consumer reviews which have previously been hailed as the answer to influencing consumer buying decisions. Although the consumers now know they are often open to interpretation and manipulation at best and corruption at worst. My argument on reviews is simple, reviews are subjective; most consumers only clean their homes; they’re not expert in professional standards, if they say a property is dirty, it’s actually more likely a serious health risk.

At Quality in Tourism, we have debated the issue of physical checks versus digital solutions, feedback etc. for years.

Our mission to develop the best model possible to support operators and inform consumers, without operating the old-fashioned public sector sanctioned grading system which stifled innovation and excellence.

Here’s the thing, it’s actually quite simple; a professional assesses your processes, supports and advises you, so you can improve. The professional is non-biased, they see thousands of properties like yours so they can benchmark you and share that information with you so you can improve.

They visit you so they can verify you exist and that your digital information is accurate and check the manifestation of your cleaning processes, your fire risk/carbon monoxide detectors etc.

Then they give you a stamp for you to use to show you can be trusted; so you can reassure your guests to choose you above all those bad actors, no matter which platform on which you promote your property, and then you can keep on improving.

Simple.

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After which we wondered philosophically how to make good accommodation businesses understand that third party and physical check style accreditation gives such as strong competitive edge.

Deborah Heather is a director at Quality in Tourism which is an independent accreditation service, offering grading, mystery shopping and specialist advice in the hospitality industry.

For more information visit qualityintourism.com 118

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The events of 2020 and the global pandemic have created a unique opportunity for property managers to reassess their business models and look for new and more profitable

Reduce yo

costs and g ways to deliver quality hospitality with reduced costs and less hassle.

Business models that are in turn also better for both guests and owners.

Increasingly throughout the global short-term rental industry, we are seeing property managers and suppliers honing into their core competencies and working together on partnership models that allow for a reduction of fixed costs, and a move towards a variable cost model.

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our fixed

go variable £ £

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­ Stop trying to do all the tasks yourself ­ Think how you can uberise parts of your business ­ Channel management savings of 23% ­ Property cleaning and maintenance reduced by 30%

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Risks of fixed costs and the effects of reduction in demand

For the travel and hospitality industry, COVID-19 has unfortunately made it abundantly clear that businesses and business owners with high fixed costs that see a sudden and drastic drop in demand and revenue can quickly find themselves in a precarious financial position. At best this vulnerability can lead to reductions in team size with associated layoffs, and at worst it can lead to bankruptcy, unfulfilled guest bookings and terminated contracts.

There are big risks associated with fixed costs - but it doesn’t have to be this way.

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The need for specialisation - the key to differentiation

While short-term rental managers have been attracted to our industry from various previous careers with varied skills and interest, it’s fair to say they are united in their desire to deliver top notch onsite hospitality. However most managers and hosts quickly learn that to succeed in the onsite hospitality part of this business, they also have to wear many other hats including channel distribution, revenue management, reservation support, becoming an export in various technology platforms, cleaning, maintenance, owner relations, etc.

Due to the overwhelming nature and breadth of tasks; short-term rental managers have become, for the most part, jacks of all trades but masters of none. With increasing local and global competition as well as an expanding use of technology tools throughout every segment of the hospitality industry, it is crucial to specialise in one’s vertical and partner with other similarly minded laser focused companies to achieve greatness together. Specialisation and becoming the very best at one’s vertical is the key to differentiating against competitors.

The emergence of the on-demand economy

The on-demand economy has been growing by leaps and bounds year after year. We are undoubtedly witnessing an uberification of our product and services with examples of services being offered on demand including ride sharing, education and certification via tech, food delivery, car insurance by the km, mobile phone plans by the GB data used, etc. What all of these ondemand products and services share in common is that you only pay for when you use the service or product. There is no fixed cost, just the joy of paying for your needs and nothing more. The ondemand economy is growing and taking over many aspects of our world, and we believe there is room for some of this thinking in the short-term rental space.

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How to tie it all together for shortterm rentals

With the anticipated recovery in 2021, we believe short-term rental managers should consider rebuilding their business on a variable cost model, borrowing thinking from the on-demand economy.

It’s possible to rebuild and thrive on a variable cost model by outsourcing specialist parts of the business including operations, marketing, guest communications and potentially even cleaning and maintenance. By working with focused partners, a short-term rental manager can ensure that costs are inline with revenue as well as freeing up resources to focus on the parts of the business that they are more skilled at such as onsite hospitality, owner relations and acquisition to increase inventory.

Just imagine your business being entirely on a variable cost - payas-you-use model with reservation support, marketing, channel fees, cleaning, maintenance, even rent being a variable cost or shared success model with the asset owner.

This new model would lead to a truly sustainable business, that enjoys predictable revenue and profits, that is repeatable and scalable, and that can weather any type of demand reduction storm, including global pandemics.

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How one asset owner is thriving on an outsourced variable cost model Roger Bal is the owner of Florence Sayulita, a beautiful 15 room boutique condo-hotel in Sayulita, Mexico. After trying his luck with a local full-service property management company, he decided to try the outsourced model in 2019. He started partnering with Jetstream to handle all marketing, channel distribution and guest communications, providing him with a significant 23% annual cost savings over building his own team inhouse. This is in a white label fashion and under his own brand. Working with Jetstream, Roger is also completely eliminating the need for a PMS with associated savings.

Roger also operates a hybrid model for cleaning, with half of his resources inhouse full-time salaried, and the other half outsourced contracted for peak periods. According to figures provided

by Roger, he estimates 30% annual savings with this hybrid model. He also pays a local “host” on a “per check-in” basis to welcome guests and hand over keys and be available for any questions that may arise during their stay.

At the immediate outset of COVID-19, Roger was able to react very quickly and immediately closed down the hotel and with the exception of the electricity and a modest mortgage, he has been able to weather the storm with little overheads.

As guests began to return, he was then able to turn the ‘taps’ back on his outsourced services and costs. Roger is so convinced of this business model that he is now looking for his next property to acquire or develop to operate with the same lean outsourced variable cost model.

By focusing on his core competency and working with similar best-inclass partners, Roger is able to build a sustainable and profitable business.

For many business owners, it makes sense to reimagine how their businesses are run by reviewing costs structures and focusing on the elements of the business that they excel - whilst finding the right partners to take care of the rest.

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Emmanuel Lavoie is the COO of Jetstream Hospitality Solutions, an innovative, all-in-one distribution and channel marketing solution uniquely designed for multi-unit properties of any size. For more information visit jetstreamtech.io/

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Takeaways ­ Trust your intuition and don’t be afraid to ask questions ­ Be willing to walk away from potential bookings ­ Check your insurance policy and your cover ­ Don’t book/talk outside the originating OTA enquiry ­ Property management companies can give you peace of mind

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Airbnbing your property is a great way to supplement your income and capitalise on your asset, but it does come with its challenges.

Though the majority of guests are wonderful, opportunists are always out there. It’s imperative to stay vigilant, exercise a healthy level of suspicion and research what you need to look out for.

Though they’re uncommon, fraudulent bookings can vary from stolen credit card payments to guests renting a property with the express purpose of holding an unauthorised party.

Here we have compiled a list of some of the key warning signs for spotting a fraudulent booking.

ID

Inconsistent identification and payment information is a red flag.

When taking a payment from someone other than the guest, you must check that the ID matches the credit card they are using. It’s ideal to cite a passport wherever possible.

Last minute bookings A significant amount of party/fraud bookings happen at the last minute.

If you are unsure, ask the reason for the late notice, the number of guests and the reason for the stay.

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Short / weekend stays Similar to last minute enquiries, if a booking comes in late for the following Friday/Saturday night it’s worth double checking the reason for the stay. If it is not picked up in time, an online travel agency (OTA) will still pay you, but you may face issues with your property you’d rather avoid.

Payments outside the booking platform

Ensuring that all bookings and payments go through the platform covers you well and ensures that you are wellrepresented when you need to be.

Anyone requesting that they make payment outside of the booking platform is waving a big red flag at you and should be given a wide berth.

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Making contact outside the booking platform

Before even reaching the payment stage, potential guests may request to contact you outside of the booking platform.

Avoid them for the same reasons.

Party bookings

Some may directly let you know that they wish to hold a party, but most will hide the fact, whilst dropping clues. Questions such as how many cars can park at the property or whether there are any easily upset neighbours can ring alarm bells. You will know best whether the questions being asked are appropriate for your property and its intended uses.

In August 2020, Airbnb announced a big crackdown on unauthorised parties at Airbnb listings, which will hopefully assist hosts in further avoiding the risk. As well as placing a global ban on listings that consistently create

neighbourhood nuisance, they have introduced far steeper consequences for hosts or guests. Anyone attempting to break the rules will face Airbnb bans and even legal action.

Overpayment scam

This occurs when someone offers to pay you more than the reservation amount and then asks for cash back to cover the difference. You’re not here to do people favours. If guests can’t make a no-fuss legitimate payment for their booking, show them the (proverbial) door.

Third-party booking scam

Sometimes scammers will attempt to make a reservation or payment through a third-party website or service. They often claim that they wish to use an Airbnb coupon or other discount. Typically, these scams are paid for using a stolen credit card.

OTA tools

Thankfully, OTAs have some tools in place to protect you. Guest reviews are an obvious place to start – if you’re already unsure and then find that the enquirer has no reviews, it might be better to decline their booking request. Guest accounts will show you whether someone has a valid ID uploaded to their profile. You can also opt to request a security deposit, which will deter fraudsters – just make sure that it is not so high that you put genuine guests off from booking.

There are risks when undertaking any business venture, and the best we can do is to arm ourselves with upto-date awareness of what to look out for and implement whatever protective measures are available.

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Martin Coppens is Head of Portico Host which is a premium Airbnb management service operating in London. For an instant Airbnb valuation visit portico.com/valuation

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Google My (Accommodation) Business Tips

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Google takeaways ­ Make sure your GMB listing matches with your other OTA profiles ­ Pick the perfect primary GMB category (and sub categories) ­ Showcase your property with pictures and videos ­ Collect as many GMB reviews as possible to push you up the rankings ­ Double check that all your information about business hours is up to date

Over the past few years, the short-term rental industry has grown in popularity and so has the competition.

To outmanoeuvre the ever-saturating market, a pragmatic and forwardlooking rental owner of any type should apply all the means available to not only survive but also thrive.

Getting more direct bookings is the key. And out of all the existing free tools, Google My Business proves to one of the best and most immediate mission-accomplished prerequisites.

In this article we look at five ways you optimise your Google My Business (GMB) listing to get more direct bookings and pay less of those 1530% commissions to OTAs such as Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia?

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GMB Tip #1 Match your branding

Ensure your GMB listing matches your name and branding as it appears on other OTA profiles you have created.

This helps build consistency with multiple links when potential visitors and travellers are searching for you on Google. As the #bookdirect channel increases through Google it will help you gain and appear higher in specific search enquiries as well as generic queries on Google Travel.

It’s also essential to have a direct booking website with a built-in booking engine and display it on your GMB listing for visitors to view and instantly book their stays directly with you.

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GMB Tip #2 Choose the correct primary category

Choosing the primary category of your Google My Business listing is a pretty big deal and needs to be as accurate as possible. Since this significantly affects your local ranking, you wouldn’t want to be identified wrongly.

You can select one from a myriad of options such as serviced accommodation, self-catering accommodation, holiday home, villa, hotel, guesthouse, just to name a few.

Once you’re done, it is time to pick the additional categories relevant to your rental to maximise your chances of getting found in generic searches.

GMB Tip #3 Accurate info and visuals

As a short stay property owner and accommodation business, you wouldn’t want to drive away potential bookers who are already hooked but not yet booked!

Now that you’ve been showcased on Google you really need to make sure the address, phone number, business hours, and website address marry up perfectly with real-life truths.

Potential guests should be able to reach you, or what would be the point of a GMB listing as a direct booking source?

On a separate note but still applicable, carefully mark the amenities and facilities of your property under “Hotel Attributes,” available in all short-term rental listings in GMB. When it comes to visuals, you should take extra care not to despair your prospective bookers. Leave the first impression people cannot ignore!

Upload photos of your rental from different wide angles highlighting your USPs (Unique Selling Points). Your cover photo must be most catchy, but don’t forget adding a logo for more credibility and trust-building.

Some nearby attractions images wouldn’t do any harm. And finally, take advantage of the very underrated but highly rewarding 360 virtual tours to give your visitors a taste of staying with you.

If that’s expensive to start with, try short videos of 30 seconds and impress them during the first seconds. The more visuals, the better! Listings with more photos and videos are discovered and viewed more, thus leading to more bookings.

GMB Tip #4 Review collection

Google loves reviews which means that you need to devise a strategy to collect more reviews, and 5-star ones, on your GMB listing.

With the OTAs dominant presence and their marketing initiatives, fewer guests tend to leave reviews on your direct channels. Encourage your guests to leave feedback by incentivising the favour in the form of discounts for next stays. Use your CRM or PMS - Property Management System - to automate the process after your guests’ departure.

You can also print the QR codes of your GMB listing link and put it in the eyeshot of your guests. It’s now common knowledge that overall ratings and the number of reviews affect your Google ranking. So, collect reviews, but also respond to both negative and positive feedback to show you care. An unfair 1-star review can be overlooked by a potential booker provided that you’ve replied attentively and honestly.

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GMB Tip #5 Messaging

To further facilitate communication, turn on the messaging capability in the GMB app as the feature is not available on desktop. Once on, a message call-to-action button appears below your listing on Google; hence you can receive more enquiries and probably more direct bookings.

Respond to all messages immediately on your phones or tablets; otherwise, Google will deactivate the feature.

GMB Bonus Tip – Create multiple listings

Set up your profile on Google TODAY by visiting www.google.com/business

Finally, if you manage more than one property, create Google My Business listings for each one of them, and list your company as a unique brand under a more general category. This helps diversify your distribution and maximise your exposure. If you use a review management platform such as Trustpilot or BirdEye across all your properties then you can show the aggregate rating and the total number of reviews under your umbrella brand’s listing, thus adding to your trustworthiness, expertise, and experience.

back to contents page Hamid Matin Rad is Chief Evangelist at property management technology company, Zeevou. For more information about how they can help your accommodation business visit zeevou.com 133

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event meetups

Stayjam is on tour - provisionally!

If it is safe to do so we are hosting a series of UK meetups in Nov 2021.

FREE TO ATTEND

GH EDINBUR

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BIRMINGHAM

BRIS TOL

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Let us know if you’re interested? email deets

All meetups will be adopting the WHO and EIA COVID safe and secure policies for visitors

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Top tips for accommo businesses t corporate bo

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odation to attract ookings

When it comes to corporate bookings for your accommodation business it is likely that traveller confidence, safety and hygiene will remain a priority for the foreseeable future.

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In 2021 there is strong evidence that points to corporate guests who previously booked multiple short trips and typically stayed at hotels will now consider fewer but longer stays at serviced apartments for their business trips.

Which is great news for you!

With space to work, prepare meals, wash clothes and even exercise, guests can live and work comfortably for long periods of time in an apartment and the benefits of self-contained accommodation are more compelling for the corporate guest than ever before.

Key Takeaways ­ 2021 trends favour STR rentals for corporate bookings ­ Target sectors near your property ­ Tailor offerings and features to corporate guests ­ Repurpose space to accommodate working areas ­ Personality wins!

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What type of corporate bookings look good for 2021?

Essential travel and key worker accommodation has provided a much-needed flow of bookings to the accommodation sector in the face of widespread leisure travel restrictions. The following six sectors have performed well; + Engineering + Manufacturing + Construction + Logistics + Technology + Oil, gas and energy If you’re located next to businesses or regions which focus on these six sectors then it might be worth considering whether your accommodation is a good match for this type of corporate booking.

Increasingly travel and procurement managers are keen to explore the benefits of short stay properties and serviced apartments and integrate them into their wider accommodation programmes. With that in mind, here are seven great tips to get to the top of their lists!

1.

Be agile.

Consider downsizing two- or threebedroom apartments to accommodate a study and assist with remote working arrangements. Apartments with a quality desk and chair, in a quiet area of the apartment, are in more demand than apartments where a dining table is relied on for work purposes.

2.

Be flexible.

Offer flexible cancellation policies and reduced rates for longer stays.

3.

Seek independent external accreditation.

Organisations such as Quality in Tourism and Common Sense Compliance offer simple, affordable accreditation programmes which will provide reassurance to booking agents and companies that your properties are clean and safe.

4.

Get bookings online.

Tighter travel policies are likely to continue into 2021 with many companies less likely to allow travellers to book directly with suppliers (Source: GBTA). By offering instant booking via a channel manager you can significantly increase your visibility with agents and travel management companies (TMCs).

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5.

Broadband needs to be superfast.

Prioritise Wi-Fi speed to easily accommodate multiple devices, streaming and video-calling; providing each apartment with their own dedicated connection often results in a better user experience.

6.

In-apartment amenities.

Focus on the things that make home life easier. Coffee machines, better desks and office chairs, free stationery and yoga mats can also make your property stand out.

7.

Be personal.

The longer they stay, the more guests are going to be looking for a personalised experience which can respond to their individual needs.

There are opportunities here for smaller operators to steal a march on large hotels by being able to accommodate a guest’s personal preferences, whether this is a daily or weekly housekeeping service, assisting with deliveries, accommodating their pets or supporting them through isolation.

Undoubtedly, the measures operators have taken, and are continuing to take, to optimise hygiene and safety have meant that apartments have remained a viable accommodation option for essential travel where others have not.

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Victoria Jackson is Senior Marketing Manager at SilverDoor Apartments.

SilverDoor Apartments is the global leader in the serviced apartments and corporate housing industry to find out more visit www.silverdoorapartments.com 139

Securing a new

mortgage for your property in 2021 Mortgage Takeaways ­ Interest rates for holiday home mortgages have risen ­ Be aware of potential new post-COVID tax initiatives like capital gains tax ­ Budget and forecast for 2021 ­ Speak with expert letting agents and operational staff

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The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly changed the mortgage market.

At the Short Stay show last year our stand had lots and lots of visitors keen to talk about mortgage deals and ideas about how they could buy their first or next property investment.

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It seemed like only days later and a load of these conversations were in tatters.

We nervously went into the spring wondering what would happen. Then BANG! In June, despite the virus being very much with us, people regained that confident buying mood. They had been told that we were now in full staycation mode. Stamp duty holidays were announced and all of a sudden holiday lets were right in vogue.

At House and Holiday Home Mortgages we have dealt with lots enquires throughout the summer and autumn. Fortunately, being able to turn many into good mortgage deals. This has enabled our clientele to make some fantastic purchases.

However, it has been at a price. Many lenders have struggled to keep up.

Consequently, we have seen many lenders frequently dipping in and out of the market. Trying to pause the flow of business so that they can catch up.

They have also dealt with this by raising interest rates. So, this time last year a like for like holiday let mortgage was probably at 2.75% and the same deal is around 3.75%.

That said, there are still good deals out there for borrowers in the holiday let space. Please pause a moment to think is it really right that a deal should not be done if it is shall we say 0.75% more expensive than it was six months ago. I say this because most of my borrowers are working in a space where the earnings will, on many occasions, be sufficiently higher than the mortgage monthly payment they have to make.

It is worth mentioning a word of caution also. The chancellor has had to borrow a lot of money to keep the country afloat, but this will have to be paid back. I am concerned as to some of the changes that he will have to make. This could happen in areas such as the capital gains tax space, so getting the right advice is invaluable.

The holiday let mortgage space is an exciting place, but we need more lenders to return and we need more lenders to think outside the box. Many enquiries have a “quirk” or two with them and lenders as a rule are not comfortable about “quirks”. This needs to change.

If and when it does many people will benefit and importantly, I think the lenders will gain too with little detriment.

Lenders have also become a lot more cautious about how much they will lend to whom.

Across the market, the self-employed have been hit particularly hard. Now add the entertainment sector workforce and you suddenly see that many holiday let prospective borrowers have found it hard to get what they need to borrow.

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Getting holiday let mortgage ready

Start by getting a real understanding of what you can borrow and how much it will cost you.

You would be surprised at how many customers come to us having offered to buy a property but having done little or no work on how to finance the perspective purchase.

I have recently dealt with an enquiry from a high-net-worth client who wants to let out a home he owns on holiday let basis. He had not anticipated one or two hurdles (nor should he have done!) that I need to deal with.

Firstly, the lender looked at a Land Registry search as to where the property is situated. This led them to ask me if there was anything unusual about the layout and set up of where the property is.

Secondly the customer told me that the property he wants to mortgage is currently on a “mortgage holiday” i.e. no payments are being made, with the prior permission of his lender. He did not see it as an issue, but I will have to explain and negotiate with a lender that this is not an issue. He will at least have to show an 143

amount of savings to cover any potential void periods. As a caring, professional broker, I cannot unknow information or hide anything from lenders.

So, to conclude it is best to know what you want to borrow and know that you can borrow it. This is best achieved by working with the broker up front and then as a customer you can go to market with some confidence about what you can or cannot buy or remortgage.

Holiday let mortgage pitfalls to avoid The first pitfall to avoid is probably taking on a property that you really love but your target clients do not.

This can be avoided by taking the advice of experienced knowledgeable holiday letting agents. You may have to pay a little more with some of them, but in many cases their experience will outweigh the extra premium they charge.

Holiday lets are typically investments; buy with you head not your heart.

Secondly, if you are buying a holiday property, it must be “lettable” not just “liveable”. Lenders want the property ready to let out from day one. If you’ve

got your eye on a “doer upper”, we’ll need to explore different ways of purchasing.

Next, be prepared to put in the hard work.

I have known customers of mine who have had to drive 70 or 80 miles to go and clean service their holiday let because their cleaner has left them.

This will not be an easy ride all the time.

Make sure you get the best people you can on your side. That may be an accountant, solicitor, broker, and surveyor at the outset. Plus, a very good letting agent to look after the property for you, with a good team of cleaners and trades people.

COVID-19 itself is a typical example or something that no one could have predicted. Not even Nostradamus! Be prepared for the unexpected, as best you can.

It’s always a good idea to have a reserve pot of money to make mortgage payments when you have no guests. That might be because you are redecorating the property or because of an event like we are experiencing currently.

Finally, it may sound obvious, but please make sure you understand the difference between interest only and repayment and that you know what early repayment charges you may have to pay a lender and when. A good broker can help with all of these.

What I do know is that all our holiday that customers all very successful and passionate at what they do, and I don’t know of one who does not run a good business. This is a rewarding marketplace if you do it right. Best of luck for 2021!

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Mark Stallard, Director and Advisor at House and Holiday Home Mortgages Ltd. For more information and articles on mortgages for holiday homes visit hhhmortgages.com 144

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You are your best revenue manager Revenue management awareness and interest has grown in the short-term accommodation industry over the past few years, 2020 made it clear that having an efficient and advanced revenue management strategy is necessary for all property managers.

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While it can seem difficult to assign responsibilities, find the right tools, and organise an entire strategy around the practice, becoming your own revenue manager does not have to be overwhelming.

Most property managers are already fully prepared to own their revenue management strategy even if they don’t have the resources to hire a full-time revenue manager! Just be sure to follow these steps and considerations to become your own best revenue manager.

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Step 1 Appoint ownership

The first step in developing a revenue management practice is to make it someone’s responsibility - even if it is not that employee’s full-time job. Consider the employee who already works directly with owners and has experience in your markets as the right person to execute your revenue management strategy. Once you have identified who will be responsible for executing your revenue management strategies, that person will be able to stay up-to-date on the latest trends in revenue management alongside all aspects of the management operation that may intertwine with revenue management.

Once revenue management responsibility is determined, most property managers already have the tools to build and maintain an advanced strategy in an efficient manner. Knowing how revenue management can fit into your property management business does not have to be overwhelming, and you likely already have the tools and know-how to get started.

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Step 2 Know your owners

While managing the guest experience from start to finish may seem like the only major task of short stay property managers, managing owners can sometimes be even more work.

Owners can have a wide range of expectations regarding the management of their property, and each property owner has plenty of quirks and things that they look for when determining the success of their investment or home. Managing these expectations and keeping owners happy is a huge undertaking that is often passed to those who are responsible for revenue management and pricing strategies, due to the fact that owners are frequently concerned about the financial performance of their property. The ability to communicate current strategies, market insights and property performance is best done by someone within the property management organisation since owner communication is so critical to the core of a property management business.

Starting with the owner acquisition process, it is important for the revenue manager or revenue management team to be involved from the beginning. Most owner onboarding processes typically cover property forecasting and performance expectations, something that is important for revenue managers to be aware of when implementing certain strategies. Some aspects of new owner onboarding, such as minimum rate and revenue requirements, directly impact revenue management and need to be communicated properly.

Step 3 Local market

knowledge and insight is priceless Similar to being familiar with property owners, it is important for short stay accommodation revenue managers to know the ins and outs of each listing and specific market.

Due to the nature of selling unique property listings, there are characteristics and details about properties that someone controlling the revenue management strategy needs to be aware of. Most of that type of knowledge, especially for larger portfolios, isn’t easy to communicate quickly to new or out-sourced employees.

This is an added benefit to managing revenue in-house since most of a property management team is already in the know regarding unique listings, historical context, owners, and more.

There are also added benefits to having a revenue manager who is familiar with, and may even live in, the same market where properties are being managed.

Local market knowledge is priceless when it comes to revenue management and knowing a portfolio backward and forwards can add a lot of value to overall revenue management strategies.

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Step 4 You already have the tools

While the idea of revenue management may seem overwhelming at first, most property managers are already implementing revenue management strategies without even knowing it.

There are many short stay software tools that are used as a part of property management operations that also have fantastic revenue management applications.

Everyone in short stay property management is familiar with property management systems, and there are common tools and capabilities in many of those systems that can be used as a part of a revenue management strategy.

Inventory and pricing controls within a PMS can help define a revenue management strategy, alongside other distribution features that may be unique to specific systems. Any use of a channel manager is also directly related to revenue management since the distribution of inventory can sometimes be more important than something like pricing.

Dynamic pricing software has also become popular in the short stay industry over the past few years as managers look to gain competitive pricing advantages in their market. Dynamic pricing tools are the closest thing that the industry currently has to a Revenue Management System, something that hotels and airlines use alongside a PMS to manage all the strategic levers available to revenue managers.

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These systems take a lot of the manual work out of pricing and reacting to market shifts in supply and demand, allowing property managers more time to focus elsewhere. Most property managers using a dynamic pricing tool are also able to use custom pricing settings and features to maintain a more advanced strategy in a more efficient manner.

While everything that encompasses revenue management may seem daunting to tackle, there is a high likelihood that you or a capable member of your team is already responsible for most revenue management practices. Assign clear roles and be deliberate about leveraging that person’s knowledge of owners and markets, as no one outside your company will know your owners and how to manage and serve them better than you!

Finally take the time to review your software tool kit to see how much time and effort can be saved, as well as prioritizing revenuegenerating revenue management tasks, not just reporting for reporting sakes.

Revenue management in the short stay accommodation industry has come a long way, especially this year, so be sure to own your strategies and become your own best revenue manager.

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Ryan Saylor is Revenue Manager at Beyond Pricing which is the world’s first revenue management and dynamic pricing software for vacation rentals.

For more information visit beyondpricing.com

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Stay a lon

Generating new 2021 r short, medium a

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Accommodation businesses exist for two reasons: to deliver great guest experience and turn a profit. 2020 proved extraordinarily challenging

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revenues by offering and long stays on both counts, but with the industry’s ‘annus horribilis’ firmly in the rear-view mirror, operators can start making up for lost time.

Luckily, there is one effective tactic that enhances both of these key areas: Length of Stay (LOS) diversity.

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Takeaways ­ European city stays got longer in 2020 ­ Consider taking mid and long-term bookings ­ Partner with longer term booking platforms ­ Use dynamic pricing to make thee most gains

What is LOS diversity?

LOS diversity is about shifting units between short, medium and long stays according to guest type, occupancy and time of year. During 2020, LOS diversity was a hot topic among serviced apartment and co-living operators as a survival strategy. Not only could operators shield themselves from COVID-induced short-stay fragility with long-term occupancies, but they could also derisk themselves by using long-stay margins to cover the costs of empty city-centre locations. In Monopoly terms, it was akin to using train station rent to keep hold of Mayfair.

However, no accommodation provider plays the game of real-world Monopoly just to survive. By embracing LOS diversity, operators can thrive in 2021 by opening up new revenue opportunities.

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Wider client base

According to figures from Rentals United, almost all of their primary markets saw average booking length increase in 2020 with cities like Paris doubling from four days in 2019 to 7.8 days in 2020 and London increasing from 4.3 days to 5.5 days. The message is clear: guests are staying longer.

Extended stay income There’s a reason short-stay specialists choose to be short-stay specialists: margins. On average, a stay of under two weeks earns around 20-25% ADR compared to around 8% ADR for longer stays, but that only tells one side of the story. Longer stays may yield lower returns per day, but this is more than made up for by their resilience to COVID flare-ups, high levels of occupancy and the steady flow of income throughout the year.

Recent observers described how some short-term landlords had pivoted to mid-term markets in 2020 and managed to secure occupancy rates of 70-100% during a pandemic.

As such, operators should use agile software to diversify their portfolio and find the most profitable blend of short-term revenues and long-term security throughout 2021 and beyond.

Offering extended stays is therefore not only on trend but allows operators to open up their business to new customer segments; customers that are actually travelling at any given time.

In the short-term, this boosts bookings and revenue by delivering desired flexibility and great guest experience.

In the long-term, it improves direct and word-of-mouth sales and enables operators to leverage guest contact details and data for return bookings (i.e. by offering bespoke loyalty discounts).

Future-ready

LOS diversity is not just a 2021 weapon, but an integral part of a long-term revenuegenerating armoury. Be it a future pandemic and recession or hypergrowth and housing market boom, having the ability to chop and change stay lengths according to future eventualities stands operators in good stead.

For example, social distancing issues, rents and the rise of home working is threatening the future of the traditional office. Operators can capitalise by offering long-term lets that focus on remote working needs (e.g. high-speed wifi, ergonomic chairs and solid desks).

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Top tips for implementing LOS diversity

Great right, so what’s the catch? Well combining different lengths of stay is no walk in the park. Thankfully, there are four steps you can take to turn it into a stroll.

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Embrace PropTech (property technology)

From providing clarity with full remote oversight of all units to allowing managers to seamlessly switch between unit lengths with the touch of a button, PropTech enables operators to reap LOS diversity benefits.

2.

Prepare apartments

4.

Employ dynamic

Imagine being a long stay customer - what would you want? Inside the apartment, that could be great working from home facilities, outside space and the ability to bring pets, while externally, operators should think about providing gyms, cafés and activity classes in the building.

With multiple stay lengths, you need multiple prices in order to get the best return out of each available unit. Operators should therefore employ dynamic pricing tools which automatically adjust your rates according to unit size, location, market factors, local trends, demand and competition.

pricing

for longer stays

3.

Multi-channel approach

Different stay lengths require different channels. Traditional OTAs like Airbnb and Booking.com may work well for shortstay lets, but extended stay operators should look to mid-stay specialists - like SilverDoor and The Apartment Service and long-stay experts - like Zoopla and Rightmove. At res:harmonics, for instance, we connect operators with Rightmove so they can move some of their portfolio to the ultimate long-stay demand market: assured short hold tenancies (ASTs).

5.

Get ahead of the crowd

This may be the first time you’ve heard of Length of Stay (LOS) diversity, but it certainly won’t be the last. Thanks to tech advancements, a niche revenue strategy that was previously complicated to implement is now widely available and will soon be the norm in the rental accommodation world.

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Giles Horwitch-Smith is CEO at res:harmonics. To get ahead of the crowd and find out how LOS diversity could generate new revenue opportunities for your company visit resharmonics.com

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£ £

£

Free

business advice

from VisitEngland Looking for funding opportunities? Want tips on improving your social media? Need to check which licences you need to operate?

VisitEngland’s free Business Advice Hub can help.

Designed for small and medium tourism businesses, the Hub provides quick links to useful resources, from official Government tools to practical toolkits and case studies. It can help you to: + Understand COVID-19 operating guidelines + Get top tips on digital marketing + Know your legal obligations as an accommodation business + Find local support specific to your area + Explore case studies of real-life businesses …and more.

Take a look at how VisitEngland can help you.

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Image credit: Alex Hare

Start your business

The key target markets for your destination, guidance on the practicalities of setting up a new business and where to get help from mentors.

Find funding

Funding opportunities for your business, guidance on the different financial options and the current rules around VAT.

Know your legal obligations

Understand health and safety

Your legal responsibilities and how to run a safe business. Fulfil a legal requirement by using the downloadable Fire Risk Assessment template, produced in collaboration with the National Fire Chiefs Council.

Make your business accessible

Guidance, tools and resources to help you provide access for all – and gain a share of a £15.3 billion inclusive

On what grounds you can refuse a booking, what licences you need to provide TVs and how to comply with health & safety regulations. You can also buy a printed copy of the popular Pink Book: legislation for tourist accommodation – keep an eye out for the fully updated edition coming in April.

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tourism market. You can also create an Accessibility Guide for your business using a free online tool. Check out the article on page 53 for our top tips on how to improve your accessibility.

Make your business sustainable

How to save money, reduce your environmental impact and win more customers with practical sustainability tips and case studies. If you’re already a sustainable business, explore our Keep it Real toolkit for tips on marketing or consider applying for a certification scheme.

Employ and manage staff

Step-by-step guides to finding and employing staff post-Brexit, guidance on managing employees and information on apprenticeships.

Find training

Training courses for you and your staff on customer service, digital skills and inclusion, including free e-learning options. You can also find out about Taking England to the World, a flagship one-day course by VisitEngland and Google Digital Garage to help you target overseas visitors.

Get quality assessed

How to get an official star rating or accreditation for your business from VisitEngland Assessment Services. Scheme members also have the opportunity to gain the coveted ROSE Award.

Enter the Awards for Excellence

How to apply for one of the highest accolades in English tourism – the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence – for the chance of local and national recognition.

Market your business Increase your bookings using Tourism Exchange Great Britain (TXGB), a business-to-business platform connecting tourism suppliers to a diverse range of domestic and international distributors. You can also find our downloadable Digital Marketing Toolkit, VisitEngland/VisitBritain marketing opportunities and best practice communication guides.

Attract international visitors Guidance to help your business get ‘international ready’, including extensive research on overseas markets and our Inbound Tourism Toolkit. Our annual trade shows, including ExploreGB, can connect you with international buyers.

Find local support

An online tool that connects you with your local Destination Organisations (a form of local tourist board) and Growth Hubs to access business support in your area.

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Manage a crisis

Ensure your business is prepared for a crisis situation. Find COVID-19 dedicated pages on Government support schemes and how to operate in a COVIDSecure way during the pandemic. The ‘Dealing with floods’ toolkit can help you with a practical action plan for your business in the event of flooding.

BE Brexit COMPLIANT Get the latest information and guidance for tourism businesses since the transition period, including help with hiring staff from the EU.

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Key Takeaways ­ Get the latest official COVID-19 guidance and funding opportunities ­ Increase your reach with TXGB ­ Download the Fire Risk Assessment template ­ Improve your online presence with the Digital Marketing Toolkit ­ Find local support in your area

Hannah Lowe is Business Support Executive at VisitEngland.

For more information and to explore the hub go to visitengland.org/businessadvice

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photos on a smartphone

Actionable takeaways ­ Plan your photos and set the scene ­ Get stable and secure ­ Use HDR and Burst settings ­ Be consistent with light ­ Use apps to enhance your photos

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As an accommodation business you will probably know that the smartphone you carry in your hand is one of the most powerful tools you can use to create and drive bookings.

Email, calls, text and access to the 8.93 million apps make it a critical bit of tech to improve your business but in this article we are going to look at the camera on your smartphone and how it can make your property stand out against the competition.

Humans are visual creatures and 90% of all the information that we process comes from what we see which makes pictures really important. Combine that fact with online profiles and posts with imagery increasing interaction by 85% and you have a compelling reason to take photos seriously.

Airbnb did a study a couple of years ago that noted how property profiles that had rich colours in their photos increased booking revenues by more than £3,000.

Here are our tips to pap your property and showcase it in the best light possible!

Declutter your property

Keeping surfaces as clear as possible means that there are fewer small details to distract from the overall impression of the property. You need to keep your property’s character but make the space as sellable as possible by focusing on the rooms and how guests can enjoy them.

Invest in a tripod

Setting the scene list

A tripod is a great investment to improve your photos and provides the correct support to make sure the image is sharp and crisp. There are many different types of tripods but as a starter we recommend that you buy a tabletop tripod which is a great size and will do the job. A tripod can also be used if you are creating YouTube videos and/or streaming calls with guests so it a great buy.

Before you start snapping, draw up a list of the pictures you would like to feature on your property profile, listing or social media. You need to think of all the elements you want to sell. For example; + Grand entrance + Peaceful terrace + Luxurious bath + Comfortable beds + Leisurely lounges + Rolling hills

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Go HDR

By activating the HDR mode, your smartphone is actually taking three photos at once- each of them with different exposure and focus areas to show various highlights and shadows in the image. Then, HDR combines all three of these images to produce a single photo that captures just the right exposure. HDR is a fantastic feature for capturing a landscape photo of your property.

Get in position

If you don’t want to get a tripod then you will need to get your position right. When we are taking pictures with your smartphone we instinctively take it at arm’s length but this is the worst possible position.

Instead if you bring your elbows inward and plant them in your chest or kneel down and rest your elbows on your knees. Doing so helps stabilise your forearms and wrists, which gives your smartphone camera a more stable base for photo taking.

Fingers and thumbs

Rather than use the screen-based shutter button on your phone, it’s a better to hold you phone horizontally with both hands and use one of the frame buttons - on the Apple phones it is volume button to trigger the shutter.

Like the tip above, this helps you secure a better grip on your smartphone and reduces the movement while you are taking the picture.

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Never zoom in

Although all smartphones give you the option to zoom in and out – it is best not to do this. The zoom on smartphones don’t actually zoom – they just crop what you see on the screen and enlarge the area you want to focus on without improving the quality. That is why your ‘zoomed’ photos tend to be more grainy and lower quality than the regular photos.

90%

of INFORMATION that we process comes from what we see

Be consistent and use the apps Lighting is everything

Lighting is crucial to get the right photo of your property. Weather and time of day is a big factor in this. The ideal weather is partly sunny and if you can, try to take your photos in the morning around an hour after sunrise or in the evening around an hour before sunset - that is when the light is best.

Use burst mode

If you’re trying to capture a tricky shot where there is movement like a bubbling hot tub or a flickering flame, try using burst mode. Burst mode is the best way to capture several versions of the same shot, very quickly. To take burst photos, simply hold down the capture button and release when you think you’ve have enough.

In some photos the light might be quite cool while in others it might be quite warm. This back-and-forth can be jarring to the eyes as potential guests look at property photos. By editing your images and giving them a consistent white balance, you’ll have a much more consistent and pleasing collection of images.

Using apps like Snapseed or VSCO gives you the power to lighten or darken images, manipulate colour and contrast, manage highlights and shadows, and other tools to help you enhance your images. These types of apps are far more powerful than the editing software in your existing phones.

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If you look at Google Trends for search terms that were popular in 2020 you can be pretty confident terms like distancing, contactless and frictionless are high up on that list.

Check Ins Done Right Realistically new processes that were developed last year are likely to remain in place for 2021 but importantly they may now be the new gold standard going forward.

With that here are our tips to smooth check ins in 2021.

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1.

Self Check In

OK this is going to be a big one. Tech is the dealmaker in this scenario.

With the advent of smart locks and property automation you can allow guests to enter and leave your property with no physical contact with you as the host. Once you have invested in this state of the art tech you will find that key exchange problems are a thing of the past. It will save you time and money in the long run and is definitely one element of innovation you should be looking at in 2021.

Share your best check in tips by emailing us at info@stayjam.com and we will feature them in the next edition of the Stayjam Playbook.

2.

Respond Quickly

Nothing reassures a guest when their question gets answered promptly and in a timely fashion. The longer you take to answer not only increases their anxiety about their concern but also negatively reflects badly on you and your business in delivering customer experience. Set alerts and notifications so that you know when messages arrive but also set their expectations with automated responses and contact numbers about response times during the week, at weekends and on special days.

4.

Tailored Experience

Always try to find out the purpose of your guests’ stay and adapt the check in to reflect their profile. Think of how the requirements of a solo business professional differ to those of a large family on holiday and how they differ to a couple enjoying their honeymoon. Little changes in the check in experience whether that is travel cards, welcome hampers or handpicked discounts from local restaurants will supercharge your guest experience.

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3.

Answer Succinctly

The simpler the instructions the better.

Don’t waffle or over-articulate checkin steps. Communication is the key here and if you demonstrate that you can interact in a clear and concise manner you’ll be onto a winner with your guests. When answering any query, it is important that you help and don’t sell.

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Specialist Suppliers

Treehouses & Glamping Lodges

Bespoke Design Service & Modular Options Healthy Returns & Development Longevity

Contact us today for a free consultation info@morelcompany.co.uk | www.morelcompany.co.uk

The Stayjam Directory 200+

specialists listed

Our directory features 200+ suppliers which can help accommodation businesses and short stay property owners become more profitable and grab more bookings!

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Minut is the leading privacy safe smart home monitoring solution that tracks noise, motion and temperature, empowering hosts worldwide to prevent parties, keeping their properties safe and neighbours happy.

Nuki – the digital access solution for short-term rentals.

The Nuki Smart Lock is an electronic, retrofit door lock that can be installed on the existing cylinder within a few minutes. Access permissions are easily managed and sent to guests for the corresponding booking period via the Nuki app or Nuki Web. www.nuki.io | b2bsales@nuki.io

Host Happy with Minut + Noise monitoring + Security alarm + Temperature & humidity tracking + 100% privacy safe (camera-free) + Wi-Fi connected + Up to 6 months battery life + Instant notifications to your phone and web app + Works worldwide Unique offer for Stayjam members: Get 40% off a Minut Home Sensor when you add a monthly plan. Use the code at checkout: SHORTSTAY-MB-L1 www.minut.com sales@minut.com

Quality in Tourism is an

independent accreditation service, offering grading, mystery shopping and

specialist advice in the hospitality industry.

If your aim is to differentiate by reassuring guests of their safety and developing the trust of your customers, whilst positively influencing their buying decisions contact Quality in Tourism.

Operating the highly respected Safe, Clean & Legal™ award; the only 3rd party accreditation that involves a visit to each and every property. www.qualityintourism.com hello@qualityintourism.com Tel:0845 300 6996

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TravelNest is reinventing the way hosts market their vacation rental properties.

Our innovative software solves the problem of low occupancy and helps hosts turn unsold dates into guests.

The TravelNest platform provides a simple and efficient way to ensure that vacation rental properties are seen in all the right places and bookings are maximised. We distribute and optimise property listings across 30 of the world’s most popular booking sites including Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, Vrbo, TUI, TripAdvisor and many more. Our team provides dedicated support and takes care of all enquiries, bookings and payments, saving hosts a huge amount of time and streamlining their business.

The Point of Sale for Vacation Rentals.

Sell contact-free upgrades & services to your guests during their stay. Make more revenue from every booking by selling your own services (e.g. late check out) and make a passive income from YourWelcome’s network partners (food delivery, tourist tickets and more). Turn OTA bookings into future direct bookings with non-paying guest data capture and promotional banner adverts on a YourWelcome Point of Sale. Join 1,500+ vacation rental managers globally and install YourWelcome Tablets in your vacation rental properties today! www.yourwelcome.com sales@yourwelcome.com

www.travelnest.com sales@travelnest.com

Safely powers safe Airbnb and HomeAway home rentals.

For each reservation, we quantify the probability of a bad stay and the estimated amount of damage that will be caused, verify the guest as trustworthy, and insure the rental with $1 million of primary liability coverage.

Homeowners are comfortable renting for the first time, and even making their home available for an instant booking to any Internet stranger on a global booking site such as Expedia and Booking.com. www.safely.com info@safely.com

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The Stayjam Directory Access, Keys, Locks and Security

Vikey vikey.it

Autohost autohost.ai

Yale Digital yalehome.com

August august.com

Banham banham.co.uk

Check-in Scan checkinscan.com CheKin chekin.io

Igloohome igloohome.co iLockerz ilockerz.com

Keycafe keycafe.com

VirtualKEY virtualkey.co

Amenities and Toiletries Aslotel aslotel.co.uk

Molton Brown moltonbrown.com Out of Eden outofeden.co.uk

The Amenity Company amenitycompany.com

KeyNest keynest.com

Bathrooms and Kitchens

Klevio klevio.com

Homebase homebase.co.uk

Keyzapp keyzapp.com

Home Bargains homebargains.co.uk

Parcelly parcelly.com

IKEA ikea.com

Safely safelystay.com

Booking Platforms and Providers

RemoteLock remotelock.com

Salto Systems saltosystems.com Schlage schlage.com

SmartLOCK smartlock.co.uk

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Airbnb airbnb.com Awaze awaze.com

Belvilla belvilla.com

click to feature in the next directory

Booking.com join.booking.com Clickstay clickstay.com

Cottages.com cottages.com

CuddlyNest cuddlynest.com Dormoa dormoa.com

GetawayGoGo getawaygogo.com Holidu holidu.com

HomeToGo hometogo.com

MagicStay magicstay.com

misterb&b misterbandb.com Rentivo Group rentivo.com

SilverDoor Apartments silverdoorapartments.com StayUrban stayurban.co.uk

The Plum Guide plumguide.com THIRDHOME thirdhome.com

TripAdvisor Rentals rentals.tripadvisor.com Tripz.com tripz.com Vrbo vrbo.com

Building Maintenance and Services Homyze homyze.pro

LifeSafe Technologies lifesafetechnologies.com TaskRabbit taskrabbit.co.uk

Channel and Property Management Software AvaiBook avaibook.com Avantio avantio.com B2Book b2book.net

BookingPal bookingpal.com

Bookster booksterhq.com Breezeway breezeway.io

Cloudbeds cloudbeds.com Eviivo eviivo.com

Freetobook freetobook.com Guesty guesty.com

Hostfully hostfully.com Hostify hostify.com

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iGMS igms.com

iPro Software ipro-software.com Jetstream jetstreamtech.io

Kigo, a RealPage Company kigo.net Rentals United rentalsunited.com Rentivo rentivo.com

RES:Harmonics resharmonics.com

Room Raccoon roomraccoon.co.uk Smoobu smoobu.com

SuperControl supercontrol.co.uk TravelNest travelnest.com Your.Rentals your.rentals Zeevou zeevou.com

RankBreeze rankbreeze.com

Cleaning Services CLEANCIO cleancio.com Doinn doinn.co

EZinspections ezinspections.com

London Supermaids londonsupermaids.co.uk Properly getproperly.com

RoomChecking roomchecking.com TurnoverBnB turnoverbnb.com

Finance and Payments Solutions Swikly swikly.com

VacationRentPayment vacationrentpayment.com Yapstone yapstone.com

Furniture, Fixtures and Fittings David Phillips davidphillips.com Dunelm dunelm.com

click to feature in the next directory

Property Letting Furniture propertylettingfurniture.co.uk Sofa.com sofa.com/gb

Space Group spacegroupuk.com 173

Guest Communication and Management

Spree spreeup.com

GuestTalk guesttalk.co.uk

Travelzoo travelzoo.com

Guest Hook guesthook.com

Guidewiser guidewiser.com HelloHere hellohere.com Hosttools hosttools.com

Moneypenny moneypenny.com Smartbnb smartbnb.io

Touch Stay touchstay.com

Virtual Concierge Service virtualconciergeservice.com Your Front Desk yourfrontdesk.co

YourWelcome yourwelcome.com

Guest Experience Specialists Attraction World attractionworld.com Guest Porter guestporter.com

LuggageHero luggagehero.com Musement musement.com

Stasher stasher.com

Unwrapped unwrapped.co

Welcome Pickups welcomepickups.com Wishbox wishbox.co

Xplorie xplorie.com Zipcar zipcar.com

In-room Technology StayFi stayfi.com

YourWelcome yourwelcome.com

Industry Association, BODIES and Media ASSC assc.co.uk EHHA ehha.eu

Quality in Tourism qualityintourism.com

Short Term Rentalz shorttermrentalz.com Skift skift.com

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stayjam.com

click to feature in the next directory

STAA ukstaa.org

Vacation Rental Management Association (VRMA) vrma.org Visit England visitengland.com VRM Intel vrmintel.com

Interior Design 1 Chic Retreat 1chicretreat.com Decology decology.co.uk Fülhaus fulhaus.com

Imitate Modern imitatemodern.com

Market, Data, Pricing and Revenue Specialists Airbtics airbtics.com AirDNA airdna.co

AllTheRooms Analytics alltherooms.com Beyond Pricing beyondpricing.com Key Data Dashboard keydatadashboard.com Outswitch outswitch.com PriceLabs pricelabs.co

Rented.com rented.com STR str.com

Linen, Laundry and Towels Suppliers

Transparent Intelligence seetransparent.com

Laundrapp laundrapp.com

Marketing, Training and Branding

Airlinen airlinen.co.uk

Laundry Depot & Dry Cleaning laundrydepot.co.uk Mitre Linen mitrelinen.co.uk Nestangel nestangel.com

Vrolio vrolio.com

Abode PR abode-pr.com

Adormo Consulting adormo.com AJL Atelier ajlatelier.com

Bnb Made Simple bnbmadesimple.com

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Boostly boostly.co.uk

Money, Mortgages and Insurance

Holiday Let Success hlspodcast.com

Boshers boshers.co.uk

Magnetic Strategy magneticstrategy.com

Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited endsleigh.co.uk

Rental Tonic rentaltonic.com

HHH Mortgages hhhmortgages.com

Rentals Marketing rentalsmarketing.com

Nova Financial nova.financial

Short Term Rental University str.university

RentalGuardian.com rentalguardian.com

The Business of Holiday Rental thebusinessofholidayrental.com

Schofields schofields.ltd.uk

Vacation Rental Marketing Blog (VRMB) vrmb.com

Worldwide Property Company worldwideproperty.co

Get Paid For Your Pad getpaidforyourpad.com

Alan Boswell alanboswell.com

LearnBNB learnbnb.com

CopoFi copofi.com

OptimizeMyBnb.com optimizemybnb.com

GUARDHOG Technology guardhog.com

RentalPreneurs rentalpreneurs.com

HJR Tax hjrtax.co.uk

Short Term Rental Revenue shorttermrentalrevenue.com

Pikl pikl.com

STR Profit Academy strprofitacademy.com

Safely Insurance safely.com

Vacation Rental Marketers vacationrentalmarketers.com

Slice slice.is

Vacation Rental University thevru.com Yes Consulting yes.consulting

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stayjam.com

Photography and Videos BOOM Imagestudio boom.co Matterport matterport.com

Space Photo spacephoto.co.uk

Property Management Companies

onefinestay onefinestay.com

Pass the Keys passthekeys.co.uk Pillow pillow.com

Portico portico.com

Roomfilla roomfilla.com

Air Host for You airhostforyou.com

Smartbnb smartbnb.uk

City Relay Solutions cityrelay.com

SpotHost spothost.co.uk

Dromor dromor.co.uk

The Spaces Collective London thespacescollective.com

Hello Guest helloguest.co.uk

Vacasa vacasa.com

Luckey luckey.ca

WinwInnKeeper winwinnkeeper.com

ALTIDO stayaltido.com

Sonder sonder.com

Domio staydomio.com

Sykes Holiday Cottages sykescottages.co.uk

GuestReady guestready.com

UnderTheDoormat underthedoormat.com

Houst houst.com

Veeve veeve.com

MadeComfy madecomfy.com.au Nestify nestify.co.uk

NOVASOL novasol.com

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Smart Home Technology

click to feature in the next directory

and Property Automation Amazon Echo

amazon.com/echo Brivo

brivo.com Minut

minut.com Nest

nest.com

NoiseAware

noiseaware.io Nuki

nuki.io

Operto

operto.com

Party Squasher

partysquasher.com PointCentral

pointcentral.com Ring

ring.com

Roomonitor

roomonitor.com

Samsung SmartThings smartthings.com

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