When it comes to vacation rentals, the guest experience is everything. Bad reviews from the people who’ve booked your place can seriously damage the chances of getting other visitors in the future.

We know that keeping up with vacation rental management is already time-consuming, so don’t worry: it’s not that hard to become a good host. It just takes some extra steps and a bit of preparation. Afterward, you can truly give your guests a memorable experience.

So, are you ready to find out what you need to do to improve your hosting skills?

Here are the basics:

1. Keep Your Promises

In other words, don’t lie or confuse your potential guests. If you promise them wifi, then you better make sure that the router is up and running by the time they arrive.

There’s really nothing worse than arriving at a vacation place and seeing that all you were promised was a lie. Be honest with people about what you can offer them. If someone has a special request and you don’t know if you can accommodate that, be open about it. Tell them you’re doing your best, and prepare them just in case you can’t make it happen.

2. Stay Within Reach

As the host, your guests should know how to get in touch with you in case they need it. People might have some question during their stay, from “how does the shower work?”, to information about the sights, or even some emergencies.

It’s good to let people feel like you were always there to help them if they needed it. And it can show up nicely in the reviews too.

3. Information (lots of it)

When a potential guest contacts you, you should give them as much information up-front as possible. It’s important to communicate openly about rates, amenities, the area where the vacation rental is, and other things you know to interest the guest, but maybe doesn’t ask about at first.

Being open lets people know you are honest, and they can trust you. Plus, it avoids any unpleasant surprises.

4. Act Like a Hotelier

Though it’s an alternative accommodation to hotels, guests still expect some hotel-like perks from their vacation rental. For starters, they expect the place to be clean before they check in, with fresh sheets on the bed, and towels in the bathroom. Plus, other things like toilet paper or hand soap are also expected, so be sure to provide them. The vacation rental decoration also speaks volume about the property, so try to avoid any cheap or cliche items.

5. Think Like a VR Owner

Hotels cannot personalize every single guest’s experience, but you certainly can. The whole point of a vacation rental is to get a homey vibe even when on holiday. You can do something extra to put a smile on your guest’s faces and uphold these standards.

For example, if they are repeat guest you can leave them a small token to show your appreciation. Even something as small as a welcome back card can be very appreciated by people. Think of some elements that can help your guests feel like you’ve done something just for them; it’s really worth all the effort.

6. Talk to Your Guests About Their Preferences

Sometimes, people don’t know they expect something until they arrive at the vacation rental and see it’s not there. And then they get frustrated.

There’s nothing wrong with asking the guests if they want or need something during their stay. That way, people can see you are going out of your way to accommodate them and can feel like they’re treated specially. So, there you have it: six ways to improve your hosting skills. By applying these tips you are essentially improving a good part of the customer experience. Your vacation rental could be one of the most beautiful places in the world, but if people have a bad experience communicating with you or booking it, that really won’t matter.

Sometimes, these very small gestures can matter greatly to people. And since they’re so easy to apply, why take the risk of letting your guests down with bad hosting skills?