What 'out of the ordinary' things would really delight you in a holiday rental?

[Malin52]

Just bought a holiday rental property (yes, I'm in another country with no COVID restrictions except the border remains closed) and I'm super keen to make sure my guests have a really lovely experience.

I've had many experiences of my own of staying in holiday homes with crap or limited amenities that ruins a holiday so between that and the various threads on here I've got a pretty decent list of 'non negotiables' ie full length mirrors, table lamps, 2x the crockery/glassware for max capacity, range of sharp knives, potato peelers, sieves, enough lounge/dining space for everyone, good towels, various saucepans and oven dishes, food serving dishes and tools, games and books you can actually read rather than a job lot of shite picked up at a knockdown price (the beginners guide to Visual Basic in one place I am reminded of) etc.

But I'm Keen to know what would really make you think your hosts had really thought about your needs? Some of those things that you wouldn't normally find but you wish were there or things you have to remember and pack, or go out and buy

Rental is a two bed , beachfront location

Some thoughts I've had:

• basic cooking bits on top of oil, salt/pepper such as mixed herbs, chilli?
• kitchen consumables such as paper towels, cling film, tin foil?
• couple of Tupperware boxes for picnics, cool bag and ice packs,
• ice made up in the freezer
• chilled tap water in a glass bottle the fridge
• beach bits: sunshades, blankets, body boards
• reuseable bags for the supermarket
• sugar, teabags, coffee.

Anything else?

How would you feel about using food items someone else had used previous such as the herbs, oil, sugar etc? What if there was a decanted sealed jar of ketchup in the fridge (bbq on the deck and I always find buying yet another ketchup just for a couple of burgers v annoying). Would the ice and water delight you or make you go eurggh?!

Thoughts welcome? Too much effort for the potential for someone to think it's all a big grim?

Enough bin bags/access to bins and recycling. We went to a place a couple of years ago where they wasted money on a "welcome pack" of like whisky, shortbread and tablet (guess which country ) but then they gave us one 30l bin bag for a 10 day stay and indicated that we shouldn't need any more than that (i.e. they only had space in their bin for 30l of our rubbish, we weren't to buy our own bin bags or even pay extra to have them dispose of another bag for us) - which I would normally manage OK with recycling etc but we had a couple of takeaways and that was the bin full by the Tuesday morning.

@ShirleyPhallus

Do people SERIOUSLY think water goes off??!!

It might not go off but water left in the fridge for a week in a bottle tastes disgusting

How do you cope with bottled water from shops then?

How do you cope with bottled water from shops then?

Ease off Miss Marple, it tastes fine because it’s been sealed properly in a sterilised bottle. Water in the fridge is rarely sealed properly and usually is kept in a bottle which has been washed so many times it has mineral deposits around the neck.

@ShirleyPhallus

How do you cope with bottled water from shops then?

Ease off Miss Marple, it tastes fine because it’s been sealed properly in a sterilised bottle. Water in the fridge is rarely sealed properly and usually is kept in a bottle which has been washed so many times it has mineral deposits around the neck.

Yup. Tap water is not sterile - that's why it has to be boiled for babies. Tap water kept in a non-sterile environment will go stagnant, bacteria will grow in it, etc. Bottled water, once the seal is broken, likewise.

Totally agree with pp about being clear that you accept dogs. We have very strict rules about pets staying in the house, and guests respect them. However guests with allergies won't want to stay if you accept pets which is fine with us. It's a case of deciding what your target market is.

Definitely love a welcome pack where things are new for us, but I get a bit squeamish about oil/herbs etc. Salt, pepper yes, sugar in individual sachets but not open containers.

Yes to chilled water but I’d rather in new bottles, and just nice lighting, bedding, attention to details. Often we find the TV is crap on holiday or there is only freeview. A way to log in to our own Netflix, Disney plus etc would be good.

Also decent outdoor furniture if you have nice outside space.

You do know bottled water isn't sterile either?
It would be disgusting if it was boiled.

We have a let. Lots of these things aren’t very realistic to have to check, replace and clean in the 5hrs max we have to changeover property.

When I clean, I clean everything. Every item in kitchen for example is removed from drawers, rewashed in dishwasher on hot and each drawer and cupboard cleaned inside before everything back. This means I have 8 of everything (sleeps 4), and stick to essentials as extras would all have to be checked and cleaned. I mean a blender might be nice, but I guarantee 50% guests wouldn’t have left it super clean.

Also depends on where you live. Where we live they are very hot on environmental aspects. Things like individual coffee pods or mini toiletries are frowned upon.

We leave a simple coffee press ( all pets can go in dishwasher) and fresh unopened bag of ground coffee

It does take space up storing everything people might or might not want as well as mentioned. We have various things stored outside of let that we just put in according to who is staying ie basket of baby toys.

But even things like that add time, a basket of baby toys I will have to fully clean before it’s put away for next guests. if I have guests leaving that morning with a baby and more arriving the same day, it takes a fair bit of time making sure all baby stuff has been fully cleaned ontop of normal cleaning.

Things like bbq. We provide free of charge and include charcoal/ lighters etc. Most people clean before going, but if they don’t that’s an extra 30 mins for me to clean fully instead of a 5 mins check over.

People talk about beach stuff. We include, but again if someone has wandered off with half the stuff, yes I could sort out via deposit, but on a changeover day it’s a pain having to again quickly source replacements. We still include, but it’s not as ‘simple’ as you might think
( we do have spares of key things that might need replacing, but that’s things like extra glasses that might have been accidentally broken, I don’t have a spare coffee table incase someone takes a fancy)

All guests always want to check out later and check in earlier, yet still expect some magical cleaning to be able to take place in between. Our check out is 10am, check in 3pm onwards. To fully clean, replace, touch up, all extras, remove extras, those 5 hours are needed. I have had people arrive at 10.10am saying they know check out is at 10am so assume it’s now free.

And breathe..

One of the best U.K. places I’ve ever stayed in (and I’ve returned twice with another visit booked) was SPOTLESSLY clean with good quality equipment. A welcome basket with jam, a small loaf, some eggs from the owners chickens, cake (it’s been different each visit and last time there were scones and some clotted cream in the fridge too), a pint carton of milk, “posh” crisps and a bottle of wine. There were also enough individually wrapped teabags, sachets of coffee, (all good quality “named” brands), sachets of sugar & sweetener to make a drink on arrival. I would use salt and pepper but nothing else like herbs etc., not through doubting the owner but through doubting previous renters.

When we communicated about arrival times etc. the owner did say there would be a welcome basket and did we have any dietary requirements / vegetarian/vegan and would a bottle of wine be acceptable.

The key thing in any of the places we return to is cleanliness and being well equipped.

( all pets can go in dishwasher)

That’s one way of cleaning up after dogs

I am sure its been mentioned but aside from what you said on page 1 about basic condiments which are sooo useful, I would say nexflix etc and tv in sitting room an bedroom.

Re cleaning, do people also clean the under mattress protector and pillow protectors?

I was horrified when we stayed in a premier in and they would not wash the mattress protector and it was covered in black pubes and the bed had a human dent in it - ie nothing shaken or freshen up. Bathroom also had lots of hairs. It was a new premier inn right near the beach in dorset.

In covid times I would appreciate the mattress protectors washed as well as TV control wiped.

Wiping surfaces is one thing but leaving cloth items that have been breathed on all night is another...

Good bedding. No polyester cotton because it prickles. You can get lovely pure cotton bedding in places like IKEA and TK Maxx.
Everything else is irrelevant 😊

Oh, enough milk to make a cup of tea when you arrive is the only other thing!

The price of holiday rentals varies enormously.

If you’re paying a low rate, you can’t really expect lots of delights. All the requests for top quality bedding and towels and very new looking furniture and expensive baskets of goodies (some listed here would cost in excess of £30) aren’t realistic. However, if you’re in a. Fancy location and paying top dollar I think you can expect those things and to find some delights or wow factors.

However, sometimes too dollar results in extremely mediocre and a bit tired (often great location but not great maintenance) and sometimes a low price can result in something surprisingly good.

Even with some kind of star system being used, it can be quite variable. I’m thinking particularly of rentals with good quality but pretty old sofas which are just rather faded and tired, and a mish mash of crockery.

Can’t remember if it was this thread or another, but someone said, maintaining a high standard is a lot of work. It means replacing bedding the minute there’s a small mark on it or towels which aren’t looking really fluffy, and doing little bits of maintenance to scuffs etc on a weekly basis. It’s the kind of thing a holiday letting agency probably won’t do on a weekly basis and the owners who only visit once or twice a season and leave it to someone else, can find that in a couple of months things have deteriorated. But if you’re paying £3k for a cottage, you really don’t expect to discover that most of the kitchen cupboard doors stick, or one of the shelves in the fridge has a bit of a crack, or the carpets are looking frayed round the edges.

I’ve always liked having a welcome pack with a bottle of wine/Prosecco, nice chocolates etc and a handwritten note from the owner. I don’t mind using condiments that other people have used but secretly I think it makes the place look a bit classier somehow if you’re using new each time. Definitely loo roll, kitchen roll and enough dishwasher tablets.

Have a comprehensive list of what is available in the property. We arrived in one once in Paris which stated that it had a cooker. I mean, it did but it was a small camping one about the size of an average microwave and was hidden in a cupboard. Took about 20 minutes to find it and made it a lot harder to cook for 5. Would have liked to have known that in advance.

@Malin52 I think your plans sound perfect and your welcome basket sounds ideal. If/when I make it to NZ it sounds like just the place I’d be looking for!
I wouldn’t want a Nespresso machine, just a decent cafetière and some good coffee.
I wouldn’t be coming to NZ to watch tv, would prefer maybe some NZ magazines.
I am not squeamish about using oil, herbs, spices etc used by other people- otherwise I’d never visit friends! Also, I imagine if you’re aiming for UK visitors you’ll get a lot of 2-3 night stays - we won’t want to be lugging condiments, ketchup etc around in case we fancy a barbecue etc.
Your ‘secret places’ list is just what I’d want to see, with restaurants, bars, coffee shops, local food and wine producers, shops, markets etc.
Your herb garden sounds wonderful.
Definitely plan for a dishwasher but I’d expect to be eating out a lot.
If I’m spending a month touring NZ (fantasising about my trip now) then a washing machine would be very welcome.
Are you North or South Island?
Comfortable seats outside, ice in the freezer, bottle of wine, comfortable bed and I'll be very happy.

@WombatChocolate

The price of holiday rentals varies enormously.

If you’re paying a low rate, you can’t really expect lots of delights. All the requests for top quality bedding and towels and very new looking furniture and expensive baskets of goodies (some listed here would cost in excess of £30) aren’t realistic. However, if you’re in a. Fancy location and paying top dollar I think you can expect those things and to find some delights or wow factors.

However, sometimes too dollar results in extremely mediocre and a bit tired (often great location but not great maintenance) and sometimes a low price can result in something surprisingly good.

Even with some kind of star system being used, it can be quite variable. I’m thinking particularly of rentals with good quality but pretty old sofas which are just rather faded and tired, and a mish mash of crockery.

Can’t remember if it was this thread or another, but someone said, maintaining a high standard is a lot of work. It means replacing bedding the minute there’s a small mark on it or towels which aren’t looking really fluffy, and doing little bits of maintenance to scuffs etc on a weekly basis. It’s the kind of thing a holiday letting agency probably won’t do on a weekly basis and the owners who only visit once or twice a season and leave it to someone else, can find that in a couple of months things have deteriorated. But if you’re paying £3k for a cottage, you really don’t expect to discover that most of the kitchen cupboard doors stick, or one of the shelves in the fridge has a bit of a crack, or the carpets are looking frayed round the edges.

Hence why it's so important to have lots of photos on the website, detailed descriptions of what's included, lists of utensils, etc.

There are lots of people willing to pay top dollar for quality in terms of furnishings and also breadth of provisions. Not everyone is a cheapskate - far from it. But what people aren't happy about is paying top dollar for shoddiness and inadequate equipment, utensils etc.

That's the crux. Too many people look at listings and see ££££ pricing and then think they can do the same with Grannies old crockery and their old microwave! It doesn't work like that. If you want top dollar, you have to have Bosch or Miele white goods/cookers and a house full of everything imaginable. If that means you need a couple of cleaners to clean it all in the turnaround time rather than doing it yourself, then that's what you have to do to "earn" top dollar.

Pricing isn't just about number of bedrooms and locations, it's also about quality of fixtures & fittings, top WIFI, quality towels and bed linen, etc.

Being 100% honest on websites is the way to get happy customers and repeat business. Once you've got steady repeat business, you've won the marketing battle. People do go back time after time to places they like. Owners who get little repeat business and have to continually market like mad are probably doing something wrong. (Same as with good tradesmen such as electricians and plumbers - the good ones don't need to advertise!).

Totally agree User.

Too many people are trying to let their rather tired property for unrealistic prices. They seem to have lost sight of what people expect for top prices, and to think that because their furniture was expensive 25 years ago, or because their property is large or in a key location, they can get away with, or indeed customers should be grateful to be there. They don’t seem to realise the regular maintenance and replacement of items that is required.

Some holiday letting agencies are more meticulous in insisting in high standards, as it’s their reputation on the line, as much as I the individual owner, but lots of agencies aren’t so thorough and of course, is possible to book direct.

So, some holiday property owners are unrealistic. But it’s also true that some holiday makers are unrealistic too. If you’re paying £250 in a peak week, up you really can’t be expecting a hamper with £30 Worth of produce, brand new top quality bedding and top of the range appliances....but some people do expect those things for £250.

It’s about mis-matched expectations between customers and clients. That’s where the problems lie.

There are lots of people willing to pay top dollar for quality in terms of furnishings and also breadth of provisions. Not everyone is a cheapskate - far from it.

I don't think it's a question of being a cheapskate - people just have different budgets and needs. You just have to know your market. If you want to provide accommodation that is basically boutique hotel standard without room service, you need to factor in the cost/time required and be able to charge accordingly.

If you want to compete on price, some of the suggestions on this thread won't be possible.

Space in the kitchen cupboards for a week's worth of groceries for my family. Space to store my suitcases/equipment I've brought with me. A list of what's there so I know what I don't need bring from home (as there's usually no space to store it).

Bit niche maybe but I always love it when a holiday cottage has old local maps on the wall, and any suggestions of good local walks.