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Leisure Stays: How To Make Your Guest Feel More At Home

3 Essentials You Need To Make Your Guests Feel More At Home During Their Leisure Stay

Many people like to feel at home, even when they are on leisure stays. So, your property may feel like home to you, but it may not feel like home for your guests.

Therefore, it is beneficial that your holiday cottage is as cosy and homely as possible for others, as well as yourself! Fundamentally, this benefits your guests during their leisure stay and your business. As well as this, you will also boost the chances of more leisure stays bookings in the future. At Clooper we’ve got your back! We’ve collected these tips on how to make your holiday cottage feel more like a home for your guests.

YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE A WELCOME FOLDER

However informed your guests are with the property they are staying at, it is still essential to have a welcome folder. Every welcome folder should be in good condition. Additionally, it should cater to the guest’s needs and be very informative. However, aim to make it as reader-friendly as possible. We don’t want the guests to be uncertain of vital information or feel confused. The information to include in the welcome folder should be information on:

• Important/Emergency contact information 
• Information on how the appliances work in the property
• Data on the facilities in each part of the property i.e. kitchen bathroom et cetera 
• Current information on local transport links
• A section on do’s and don’ts rules for guest in the property 
• Tourist/sightseeing section, such as the best landmarks to visit, restaurants, pubs et cetera
• Section about what to do if a guest breaks something in the property 

As a note: place the welcome folder in an accessible place.  We don’t want the guest(s) to spend a considerable amount of time looking for the folder. So, we suggest placing it on the kitchen table, the bed or even the front table. The welcome pack will set a great first impression on the guest. This will make them feel completely informed and relaxed. Therefore making them feel more like they would at home. We recommend that you include a section that encourages them to leave a review of their experience at your holiday cottage. Many people tend to do extensive research before booking a holiday cottage. Therefore a great review from your previous guest might be the incentive they need to book your property in the future.

PERSONALISED DECORATE YOUR COTTAGE

A welcome folder is a great way to make your guest feel settled in. A nice touch to that will be decorating the property to make the guest feel more at home. Many landlords decorate their cottages to make them as neutral as possible to acquire everybody’s taste. Some may get guests coming in from all parts of the world, so they would not want to offend anybody with a distasteful image hanging on the wall. And or furnishing the property with animal fur carpet or leather sofa et cetera may be offputting for certain guests. So many opt for minimal decoration and furnishing to please everyone. 

As great as that is, you can go above and beyond by decorating to your guest’s needs without offending any future guests. You can achieve this by creating a lovely dog bedding area if you know your guest has a family pet and you allow them at your cottage. If you often have guests coming in from the city you can hang a large image of a skyscraper to make them feel more at home. It may benefit you to have an art piece you can easily trade out for different guests! If you tend to attract couples, you can design the bedroom to look more romantic. Start with a beautiful vase full of fluorescent flowers. Add a painting that symbolises love and romance. Additionally, add rose petals to the bed for when they arrive. Here are more decorations you can add:

• Soft blankets in the tone that work with your colour scheme
• Lovely painting/image of the cottage
• Tall lamps that fits with the aesthetic of the cottage 
• Good quality and comfy bed and sofas with bedding hat fits with the colour scheme 
• Scented Candles
• Warm blankets
• Sanitary towels 
• Decorate cage bedding for pets such as cat or dog 

To reiterate, a welcome folder makes your guests feel more informed and relaxed, a similar feeling they experience at home. Decorating your cottage to suit your guests taste also allows them to associate those decorations with their own home. Not to mention this will make your guest feel as though you are a great landlord who has taken up their time to understand who they are. Additionally, this will humanise this experience. And make your guest feel as though they are guests at a friend’s house. This can further strengthen your relationship with your guests and potentially build a long relationship with them. Holiday lets with recurring guests are a goldmine of guaranteed income!

FINALLY, LEAVE A SPECIAL GIFT BASKET WITH A WRITTEN NOTE

So, the welcome folder allows your guest to be informed about the property they are staying at. The personalised decorations also stimulate a sense of familiarity and comfort. With these homely feelings, it is also essential to remind your guest they’re still on holiday. Vacationers love that ‘holiday feeling’! Commemorate that feeling with a gift basket. A gift basket is a fantastic way to welcome your guest to their new temporary home. To emphasize, your guest should always feel like they are at home while at your leisure stay, but it is also essential that your guests feel excited and special.

Your guest should also feel as though they are stepping into a pristine place where they will create lasting memories. As well as a gift basket we recommend adding a lovely welcome note. The note should be short and simple. And make them feel welcomed. Even a simple note of “we hope you feel at home during your leisure stay” could already be the encouragement they need to feel as though they are at home. As well as that, a note is as personal as it gets. It comes from your own thoughts and feelings and will make the guests feel special. The gift basket is the perfect final touch to make your guest feel at home ready to experience a magical leisure stay at your cottage. 

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