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?

problem with anything that can easily be removed will be removed by visitors that take their chances...

No space to store food is such a pain! There is often a weird assortment of kitchen and dining equipment no-one will use (who decants jam!?) but not a shelf to actually put your food shopping on. So it's either worktops for storage if there's enough space, piled on top of the fridge, or left in shopping bags.

Blackout blinds, a bucket, comfy beds with a change of bedding in case of spills/accidents, a coat hook by the front door over a surface that allows for drips, a clothes drying rack, decent wifi... just the things "missing" from our last trip anywhere.

@ArcheryAnnie my children rarely have sweets at home, and again I don’t buy toys other than birthdays and Christmas so it would be a treat for them.

@ShirleyPhallus A soft toy and welcome pack for children? Absolutely not my children are the priority when booking a holiday rental. We normally pay around £1200 -£1400 per week for a holiday rental. For that price I expect little extras.

EggysMom not everyone likes bleach around their towels/floors and some toilet systems can't have bleach. Please don't put bleach in someone else's toilet!

That is exactly why I'm suggesting the holiday home owner leave something appropriate. But I was writing on my phone and couldn't be bothered to write "bleach or other appropriate cleaning fluid depending on the sewage arrangements" ...

A knife sharpener. So many places have blunt knives. When we self cater in the UK I take my own, but a kitchen knife isn't something I would take on a plane.

I'm surprised at the number of posters who complain about small cups/glasses. We haven't encountered thimble sized drinking implements anywhere we have been.

IMO good Wi-Fi isn't a nice to have, but a must have these days.

[quote MyDcAreMarvel]@ArcheryAnnie my children rarely have sweets at home, and again I don’t buy toys other than birthdays and Christmas so it would be a treat for them.[/quote]
Then if you want them to have that stuff, buy them that stuff yourself. Other parents won't thank the owner for spending money on tat that their kids already have plenty of.

I'd rather have the cost of that tat knocked off the price of the rental.

Re kids packs. I'd be blown away by a kids pack for my child and that would be something I'd assume to find in a 5 start package holiday. I'd also not appreciate sweets at all.
But a multi pack of mini colouring books and a few crayons from the pound shop could be a 20pence per child little thing to leave on the bed / on the table in the welcome pack.

I think, salt, pepper, oil. Ketchup, no as could have been open ages. I hate getting somewhere and continually having to buy salt, pepper, oil. I think mixed herbs would be nice.

I think more important is, like others have said, enough crockery, cutlery, pots and pans to actually cook with.

Tea bags, coffee pods (not fresh grounds or instant are best as they are sealed), pack of biscuits, milk! I love the idea of seasonal produce - one thing to consider is offering this as an add-on for £x, then if people want it you can provide it and if not it's not going to get wasted.

I have never seen this in a holiday rental, but a V60 dripper plus small pack of filters would be amazing. You can all keep your Nespressos as the coffee is rubbish

We stayed in a holiday home once and there was a hamper waiting for us on arrival - fruit, wine, orange juice, and fresh croissants. It was a lovely touch. Kitchen also had salt, pepper, teabags, coffee, sugar, kitchen roll. Shampoo, conditioner and shower gel in the bathroom plus a pack of toilet rolls. All brand new. Oh and a selection of menus for the best local takeaways and a taxi number. Plus use of the phone for free. By far the nicest welcome ever!

@1940s - yes I think it’s all about what’s reasonable within the budget of the accommodation you’re paying for, but some kind of simple ‘activity pack’ for kids would be really special, particularly if it is tailored - with a bit of creativity you could make some activity pages focused on the local area / the property (eg word search with names of local landmarks, colouring pages based on local wildlife, things to spot in the house / out and about). It would just be the cost of printing a few pages and would definitely be an unexpected ‘wow’.

I'm not fussed about welcome packs and don't like pod coffee machines. One thing I've always liked is holiday lets that accept your internet shopping order and put it in the fridge/freezer before you arrive.

When we went to Efteling, there was a little caddy of stuff that was perfect. It included:

• sachets of sugar and stevia
• sachets of salt and pepper
• pods for the coffee machine
• dishwasher tablets (one a day)
• I think it had teabags but I can’t be sure.

Something like that would be lovely - you can replenish yourself and be sure people aren’t doing nasty things to decanted items (I would steer clear of that personally) and also keep the stock limited so less to be pinched. They topped ours up every couple of days when cleaning and you could do the same.

• extra toilet rolls a bonus. I hate it when there’s only one - there’s five of us and I have IBS so poo a lot!
• a hairdryer with a diffuser! It is such a bonus when a holiday place comes with one, as they’re bulky to travel with. Curly girls everywhere will thank you - make sure to mention it in your blurb!

If you provided none of those things and the beds were comfy with nice pillows though I’d be happy .

I don’t care about food being left as I wouldn’t eat it.

A nespresso machine is a fab idea, but it will get broken. (The more things you provide that are ‘extra’ the more issues your guests will find)

For me, modern clean shower room (I don’t use other people’s baths). No shower curtain, but a clean glass screen is vital. Shower curtains are my biggest hate. Nasty things that stick to your leg. Yuck.

A decent bed and mattress. With protectors. I bring my own pillow, so I don’t worry about them 😉

Good towels.

Lots of coat hangers in the wardrobe and an iron and ironing board to re-iron creased clothes.

A washing machine and separate tumble dryer, not an inefficient washer-dryer combination.

A really good hoover so you can clean up in between housekeeping which in self catering tends to be only weekly.

Somewhere to hang wet outdoor clothes where they can dry but not make a mess indoors - not necessarily a bootroom, but a porch or cupboard with a radiator would do.

If renting over Christmas or Easter, seasonal decorations are lovely.

Fresh flowers.

I would expect hand wash but certainly not shampoo and conditioner. Always have my own.

Yes to the usual kitchen necessities such as bin liners, cling film and foil, some detergent and dishwasher tabs.

It's annoying when there's nowhere to hang towels for more than one person.

A welcome pack is nice but for me not essential, and not boxes of chocolates.

Instruction manuals yes. And while I like a folder with brochures and local information I don't like when it's never cleared out and organised.

The main thing is for the owner to spend a few days in the place with the number of guests it caters for, to see if it works properly.

cleaning products / dishwasher tablets / trash bags

clear instructions for any machines - washing machine / coffee machine etc.

blackout blinds or curtains that actually close properly.

@Daisydoesnt

Things like Tupperware, binoculars, beach tat, etc. will get nicked. Books will be taken, and ‘swapped’. For anything unnecessary just think ‘will I be happy enough to replace this every few months?’ if yes, go for it

I repeat my earlier point - it totally depends on who you’re guests are. I never had one item taken in six years - and that included those full size LOccitane toiletries. But the sort of guests we had just really looked after things and appreciated what we offered. NB I did occasionally have people ask if they could take home a paperback they were reading which I never minded!!

I rented a villa in Spain for 15 years and agree with everything you have pointed out in your posts. Target audience is key.

Less is more and cleanliness is everything.

We had childrens stuff on request only. (No extra cost) Nobody wants that hanging around if they don't have children.

Everything must seem as new. Nothing opened and left over.

Beach towels will get left at the beach or somewhere. Factor that cost in. Or take a deposit.

You need spares of ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING you can think of, from kettles to mugs to throws and pillows, toasters and obviously bedding. You have a three hour changeover window. I repeat, everything must be pristine and as new. Agree 100% on touching up paint, that you will need each changeover.

Enough toilet rolls and a kitchen roll for a week and kitchen towels (usually new, 1 euro in IKEA) and a few dishwasher tablets. (I did not provide tablets for a two week stay, why would I? It is self catering)

Milk, tea and coffee, beer and a bottle of wine and water in fridge, supermarket icecubes.

Good luck. It is very hard work and you need to be available 24/7 and you need to be very patient!

Sorry if it has already been said but extension lead and various universal chargers if someone needs to charge their phone/kindle/tablet. Most people wouldnt need it, but if someone forgot theirs it would be a life saver.

I can’t bear showers that have a wall-mounted rose, with no separate handheld ‘telephone’ attachment.

If you don’t wash your long hair daily, have a child who needs help showering or doesn’t like water in their face, have a dog you need to hose down after a muddy walk etc, just a wall mounted shower is a real bloody nuisance. Plus DH is hairy and I like him to wash down the shower tray or bath before I step in [boak].

Mixer taps are another forgotten essential.

If people are concerned about ice cubes, how about a bag of those reusable ice cubes that you just freeze. They are easily washed? Then stick in a box in the freezer for people to use if they wish?

Tabs for the dishwasher, I hate having to buy a pack (or take some with me). A drying rack for the washing up, for some reason loads of places miss that out. Definitely a clothes airer. An ironing board!! This is my pet hate, my clothes are crinkled from being packed and I want to go for a nice meal in a restaurant. I want to be able to iron my clothes!

Nice coffee machine and fresh ground coffee.