July 21, 2025 • 27 mins
Ever wondered what amenities truly make a difference in vacation rentals? Tim Cafferty and Tiffany Edwards dive deep into the evolving landscape of guest expectations and how successful property managers are responding.
The days of "bring your own TV" are long gone. Today's vacation rental guests expect a streamlined, hotel-like experience with the comforts of home. Smart TVs with streaming capabilities, reliable high-speed Wi-Fi, and quality linens are no longer luxuries – they're baseline requirements. Tim and Tiffany explore how successful property managers are standardizing these essentials while finding ways to stand out in competitive markets.
Kitchen provisions reveal a critical advantage vacation rentals hold over traditional accommodations. Guests value the ability to prepare meals, but expectations have grown beyond basic cookware. From coffee makers and filters to storage containers and starter supplies, the podcast explores how thoughtful kitchen setups translate directly to guest satisfaction. They share practical advice on inventory management, cost control, and creating consistent experiences across multiple properties.
Beyond the basics, premium amenities create memorable stays that drive repeat bookings. Welcome packages with local wine and charcuterie boards, personalized greeting services, beach chair setups, and mid-stay cleanings can transform a good stay into an extraordinary one. The hosts share strategies for determining which premium touches make sense for your market and how to implement them without breaking your budget or overwhelming your operations.
Whether you're managing a single property or hundreds, this episode offers practical insights to elevate your guest experience while maintaining operational efficiency. Listen now and discover how the right amenity strategy can increase your bookings, drive better reviews, and create loyal "whale" guests who return year after year.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
You're listening to the Vacation Rental Key with T&T
, the podcast for vacationrental managers by vacation
rental managers.
I'm Tim Cafferty and I managetwo companies, one in Virginia
and one in North Carolina.
I'm one of the two T's.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
And I'm the other, T Tiffany Edwards, born and raised
in the vacation rental business.
I help manage our familybusinesses from Key West all the
way to Kauai.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
In the next 30 minutes, we're going to give you
our keys to success in thevacation rental business.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Welcome back everyone .
Or, if it's your first time,buckle up, because this is sure
to be one of my favoriteepisodes.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Oh, they're all your favorite.
I think it's like children theycan't choose one, but I think
the folks are going to get a lotout of this one.
And, speaking of first time, weare trending with our podcast,
tiffany.
I'm so pleased to look at thestatistics and see that 85% of
our listeners are from theUnited States, but we have
people in Mexico, france,thailand, the Netherlands,
(01:15):
australia, germany, canada,italy, the United Kingdom.
People are listening to us allover the world.
Our most popular city is ParkCity, utah.
Of all places, do you haverelatives there?
Somebody's listening to us outthere, so we thank you for
listening.
And then, on the other end ofthe scale, thank you whoever you
(01:38):
are in Madrid.
We have a listener in Madrid,we have a listener in El Dorado
Hills, california, and we have alistener in Falkirk, scotland,
listening to us as well.
So welcome back or welcome tothe show, depending on what fits
your needs.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Tim, we need to spend a little bit more time about
thinking about taking this ontothe road to maybe see Madrid and
Scotland and El Dorado, so I'min complete support of that as
well.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
We're trending in Asia, so you might want to
increase that budget.
We were talking about thebudget last time and we really
are kind of going down a rabbithole.
We talk about budget andpreparing for the season and
what your expenses are, and Ithink you're going to find this
episode very helpful, as wediscuss basic amenities and
(02:27):
upgraded amenities in yourproperty.
And how do you do that, tiffany?
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
And it's so important too.
I think that one of the themesthat we continue to talk about
episode after episode is howmuch we have evolved as an
industry, and amenities aredefinitely part of that.
I think amenities in generaland the experience and what
those amenities provide for theexperience are so important, not
(02:55):
only to what a basic level ofcare and hospitality, but also
what speaks to your branding andwhat you provide for your
guests, and so there are acouple things that we would love
to address, and I think we wantto break them down in two
different categories One, whatare your basic amenities and
(03:15):
we'll elaborate a little bitmore on that and then, two, what
are those upgraded amenitiesthat provide you or delineate
you from the rest of themarketplace.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
It's fantastic.
So what must you provide forthe guest experience?
I've seen a lot of change inthis industry.
As you were talking aboutamenities, I remember when my
parents started the firm back inthe 60s.
We didn't have TVs, we hadcable TV hookup bring your own.
No air conditioning either.
We had cable TV hookup bringyour own no air conditioning
either.
But times have changed.
(03:46):
People expect more of a hotelexperience now when they come
into the property, don't youthink?
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Absolutely, and I think that even goes further to
what they expect.
That's in the property, butalso the way that it looks and
how those amenities are laid outare really important.
So if you're not providing, ata basic level, the same type of
items that you would find at ahotel, you need to review.
(04:13):
And that really goes a littlebit deeper into how would you
personally pack for a trip.
Are you going to bring ahairdryer with you?
Most likely not.
Are you going to bringadditional coffee with you?
No, you need to have the coffeepot there.
Those are obviously very basicamenities, but things that are
(04:34):
important.
We've also seen some robes inplaces because people are
expecting that from the hotelaspect.
But one thing that is, to me, anon-negotiable in all of our
properties is having a smart TV.
So many of our guests andpeople throughout the country
and throughout the world forthose who are listening are
(04:56):
moving away from cable andmoving into streaming devices,
and the ability to go into anyroom and any TV and log into
your account to continue towatch whatever you are watching
on your flight or your drive inis extremely important.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Yep, and you can rewind a few episodes to revisit
my experience when I rented aproperty close to where Tiffany
lives.
Close to where Tiffany lives.
Make sure you have instructionson how to operate the TV,
because you don't want them tobe having their mind in a
pretzel trying to figure out howto get the thing on there.
But irons, I think, are as wella basic amenity.
(05:35):
And then you better have greatWi-Fi, not only for the
streaming devices but for theaverage of four devices that
every person brings with them.
Now that needs Wi-Fi access.
I'm not sure it's on here yet,but when you are talking as a
vacation rental manager, ownerof company, whatever your role
is, do you have standards,asking you, tiffany, and those
(05:57):
out there in the listening worldof what that basic amenity
should look like?
For instance, do you have adrip coffee maker and a Keurig?
What type of iron?
What type of blender?
And then, as a nod to Ben inour last episode on budgeting,
do you have a supply of theseitems on hand or do you put
(06:17):
yourself where you're, at themercy of the local Walmart,
whatever they're carrying today?
This has been a big eye-openerfor us in the last year.
We looked at the top items wereplaced.
How many of those items did wereplace?
Back to our budgeting episodeonce again, and then we stocked
those items ourselves, so wedidn't have to make those trips
to the Walmart and we had aconsistency in all of our
(06:39):
properties of.
This is the type of drip coffeemaker, this is the type of
single cup coffee maker we makeand we have it on hand and the
owner knows what the cost isgoing to be if and when those
kinds of things need to bereplaced.
How about that?
Speaker 2 (06:52):
That's so important.
And I'll tell you for usspecifically, we have depots and
we streamline and we have thoseearly conversations with our
owners.
You may like a specific coffeemaker, but that's not what we're
utilizing for our guests andwe're happy to put a task in
breezeway from before you come,so we know that our inspector or
our housekeeper has to set outthat special coffee maker for
(07:15):
you on your trip, but that's notwhat we're doing for all of our
guests.
And even more so, as you diveinto these items, are you
providing coffee filters, areyou providing the Keurig pods,
and how many?
And they all need to beconsistent.
And I'll say one of the otherthings that we do is batteries.
Batteries always go out inremotes.
(07:35):
We have batteries and then wealso have some type of structure
with our owners, so there'ssome type of fee that covers
overall you know, light bulbs,batteries and that, so we have
those on hand and available inour depot and can quickly bring
them out to a property if needed.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
So, picking up from there, I think there's a real
decision that you have to makeas an innkeeper about those
kitchen items, particularly thestarter packs, the toilet paper,
the trash bags.
There's never enough of thosePaper towels, whatever it is.
What are you going to provide?
Again, as Tiffany just said,what's going to differentiate
you and what you provide?
And then how is that going tobe paid for?
(08:15):
Are you going to build it intoyour budget to absorb as being a
great innkeeper, or are yougoing to pass it along to the
guest in some manner a feestructure or does the owner pay
for that?
These are importantconsiderations to make.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Yeah, and it really depends on your marketplace as
well.
I'd really look at what yourcompetition does, because when
you're out there trying to findowners or fighting against
bringing some on, what does thatonboarding cost look like?
How are you distributing someof these costs?
And then, how much frequencyare you charging for these?
So really understanding thataspect.
(08:50):
But I also want to touch on too,tim, because this goes hand in
hand you need to overcommunicate with your guests how
much toilet paper they're goingto be getting.
Is you need to over communicatewith your guests how much
toilet paper they're going to begetting?
Is it truly a starter pack withyour dish soap?
Are you just providing smallshampoos and conditioners?
You need to really communicatethat, that this is just a
(09:12):
starter pack, or, if there'sadditional toilet paper, making
sure that they know that as well.
And even going further back toyour Wi-Fi, tim, and to the TV,
you need to have several touchpoints of.
Here's the Wi-Fi instructions,right, so we have a text where
we send it to them.
They get it in their check-inpackets.
There's papers all over thehouse with that Wi-Fi
(09:35):
information, and then the samething with the TVs having that
out, but we also leave our TVson when people come in and we
have some type of seasonal imageor music playing, so all the
TVs are on before they evenenter the home.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
That's fantastic.
To that end, communicating withyour guests directly is
important.
On your website is veryimportant to communicate that
stuff, but don't forget yourthird-party providers as well.
I have shared before that Ireview all of the guest reviews.
I have been dinged by Verboguests this year because we
didn't do a good job on thatplatform of making sure those
(10:14):
people knew what our standardwas.
There was assumptions made, wehad maybe the FAQs or something,
but nobody reads down there.
So we had a whole strategysession about how can we make
sure these guests understandwhat's going to be there for
them when they arrive Reallyimportant, and don't overlook
those third parties, becauseyour message doesn't always seep
through the way you think itdoes.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Yeah, and every year I feel like we trend.
So one year it's one item thatthey expect a lot of.
This year it's trash bags.
I've heard more comments backabout why I don't have more
trash bags available to me.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
How about in the kitchen?
Do you expect like storagecontainers as well?
Is that something that's astandard now?
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Yes, so we are actually very robust on our list
for all of the kitchenamenities.
We want a guest to walk in andnot have to think about anything
that they may need, and one ofthe ideas of going back to how
would you pack and how would youwant to experience Something
that is different for vacationrentals as opposed to hotels is
(11:21):
you have the ability to come inand cook and make a meal, and we
want to encourage that.
So you need items from start tofinish, and one of the biggest
things for all of our propertiesis having storage containers
Now letting the owners knowthese are continued items that
we're going to have to replenish.
They tend to get lost or peopletake them with them.
(11:43):
It's going to happen, but thatto me, it may be not a basic
amenity to others.
To me, that is a basic amenityas a part of the guest
experience.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Excellent.
Another basic amenity that Ithink some would be surprised is
not basic everywhere.
How about the provision oflinens as an amenity?
What is your standard?
I am in a market where, quitefrankly, we still have some of
our competition that does notprovide sheets and towels when
you check in, and nothing saysvacation more than the guests
(12:14):
arriving and having to rentlinens and make the beds
themselves.
Right, oh yeah, oh, my God.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
And some people who are listening are thinking you
know, oh, my goodness, that's soarchaic.
Okay, but how many blankets areyou providing?
How many extra pillows are youproviding?
Are you putting in additionaltowels and blankets and
comforters within the closetsfor these guests?
So those are basic amenities,but it's above and beyond, again
(12:43):
, thinking about that guestexperience and providing it for
them.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Yeah, we've actually moved to a new program it's oh
gosh, in our third year nowwhere we have what we call blue
standard bedding on ourproperties, where every bed
looks the same.
It looks as though you'rewalking into a hotel room back
to our initial discussion wherethe white coverlet, two lumbar
pillows, a little skirt at theend of the bed and how do you
(13:08):
put the towels out?
Are they shrink-wrapped in someplastic so people feel
comfortable that they've neverbeen touched?
Or maybe roll them or put themin some shape of an animal on
the end of the bed?
Whatever it is, just make sureyou're executing on that and
whatever your expectation is isbeing met by your guests.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Yeah, we're really consistent no animals for us,
but when we do.
Like a fan of a paper towel, Iwill also say that for my mom's
business that was.
One of the greatest things ofCOVID is that she moved all of
her bedding into white beddingand that logistically has helped
so much, not only from afinancial aspect, but it helps
from just an image aspect, fromkeeping it consistent in what
(13:49):
you experience from a hotel ofcleanliness and it's.
We can get additional itemsthere.
We know what our costs are, wecan budget accordingly.
So that is a nice opportunityif it presents itself Now.
On the opposite side, inCalifornia, we have as many
blankets and linens anddecorative pillows, so it's a
different way to measure and alittle bit more time consuming.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
I just had flashbacks about when the owners were
providing their own comfortersand so on, and one would get
lost Right the expense we'vesaved on reimbursing for
comforters.
Because you know, it's ironic,tiffany, I don't know if you've
experienced this when an ownerloses a comforter, it's never
one of those comforters boughtat Walmart for $29.95.
(14:34):
It's always a Laura Ashleylimited edition $585.
It's amazing how that happens.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
We used to do really well when we had a Steinmart.
They've all closed, but wecould go back to Steinmart and
get some well-priced ones forlike a Laura Ashley.
But I don't want to brag, butback in the day when we would
have Saturday turns and everyonechecked in and checked out on a
Saturday in the morning, Iwould go ahead with the earlier
crew and I would strip all ofthe beds and take all of the
(15:06):
sheets and take the comfortersas needed, and so, living
through that of making sure wehad everything laundered and
brought back timely and thosespecialty items, I started to
learn what owners cared aboutwhat comforters and I'm jealous
now that I'm not doing thatanymore because it'd be so much
easier.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
How many remote controls did you find when you
got back to the laundry?
Yeah, anything else on thebasic amenities you think we
need to cover.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
I think those are all pretty high level.
Again, the key is what wouldyour guests and what would you
pack on a similar trip?
What are some basic thingsavailable in the property, but
how can you make sure that thoseare consistent through all of
your properties to help withlogistics and costs?
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Yeah, it's kind of a theme of our podcast, isn't it?
Consistency.
So let's talk aboutinconsistencies now.
Maybe some upgraded items, somethings that will be nice,
pleasant surprises that elevatethe experience and set you apart
from the competition that youwere talking about earlier and
maybe provide a higher return onyour investment.
Give us some examples of someamenity programs that you're
(16:15):
aware of that would do this.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
I will shout out to our company in California
because they are unbelievable onservicing these high-end
amenities.
There's laundry detergenteverywhere.
There's the makeup removerwipes, there are full bottles of
shampoo and conditioner that'sfilled to the brim for every
single bathroom.
(16:37):
There's a fresh orchid in everyroom.
There are umbrellas by thefront door.
It's incredible what that teamis able to do, and one of the
ways that they're able todeliver on that one is through
their bulk purchasing.
But they've set up their systemlogistically where they require
a closet.
So instead of having an owner'scloset, there's a storage
closet or there's some type ofstorage shelving system that is
(17:02):
locked within the garage ifpossible and that has all of the
items to refill everything.
So it's a completely differentstructure than some of our other
businesses, but it is somethingthat is long time required for
that marketplace.
So it sets us apart in terms ofwhat all we can provide in a
(17:22):
higher end amenity.
But our guests receivesomething similar in the
marketplace there.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Weren't you telling me something about welcome items
as well, like wine andcharcuterie and things like that
?
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
That level as well.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Yeah, so that's one of the branding aspects that the
business does out there isbecause it's in Monterey County.
We have access to some wineriesout there and have been able to
build up relationships andpurchasing of wine at a very low
cost.
So we take on that cost andwe're able to greet every guest
(18:01):
with a bottle of wine and thenhave a small charcuterie board
that is placed out for them upontheir arrival.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
What a great treat.
When you get there, you got themunchies, you don't have to run
out to the grocery store.
I applaud you for that.
But I hear people scoffing.
I hear you out there in Madridscoffing at this.
Maybe you could just do it forspecial guests.
Do you know who your specialguests are?
We can have a whole episode onthat as well.
We call them whales here as aplay on what they talk about in
(18:31):
Las Vegas the big bettors thatcome in and they special rooms
for them and they bet a certainamount or whatever.
Do you know how much thatparticular guest has spent with
you over the course of theirlifetime with you?
And I think you'll be surprisedwhen you see some of the names
and go, wow, I just had a gueststay in one of my properties.
It was their 15th visit to thehouse.
I've got to do somethingspecial for this person so you
(18:55):
can implement some of thesethings on a one-off if you need
to as well.
And that person was verythankful for being recognized,
so keep that in mind as well.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
I like that of the idea of the whales.
It's also a great opportunityto train your res agents to ask
are you celebrating anythingspecial?
And making a note of thatwithin the system and figuring
out logistics on your team ofhow and what you put into those
rooms Maybe it's not a bottle ofwine for everyone, but it's a
bottle of wine for ananniversary and making sure that
(19:25):
you have that available.
The other thing that's a veryeasy thing for you to do
handwritten.
Thank you note.
Welcome note.
I know I love that when I gointo a hotel or go into a new
accommodation and that's anupgrade, a little amenity.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
As opposed to the text message the day after you
arrive saying we're going tomiss you.
Really.
You didn't even know I was here, but I digress.
One other thing that you coulddo and that we've implemented
here is maybe some pool towels.
Do you have a pool towelprogram?
If you're at the beachparticularly that's the time of
year people are coming to thebeach we have a rental pool
(20:04):
towel program and we've had someof our owners buy into that and
so literally when the guestsarrive, here are 16
complimentary pool towelsbrought to you compliments of
the property owner.
What a nice touch that's been.
People really love that.
They don't have to go to thewings or sunsations or whatever
the store is in your area andbuy the cheap $7 towels.
(20:25):
You can even brand the towelswith your logo on it and they
know where they're staying.
Another good idea on raisingthe bar.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
I love that.
We just started that in one ofour companies and what we did is
any of our properties thatproduce X amount, have so many
bedrooms and then have a pool onsite.
We've just kind of highlightedfor those homes and stay tuned,
we'll see.
We're continuing to review whatour linen loss is and what our
guest experience is there.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
I think you're going to be very pleased when you tell
the numbers at the end.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
So that's, a great idea.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Another one you might consider, again beach centric.
How about a beach chair set up?
You could include it in thedaily rate.
Have some service come and setthe beach up for the people.
What a nice welcome for thosefolks.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Yeah, I think those are so great.
Really thinking through again,how do you create a greater
guest experience without any ofthe concern, logistics and
organization for the guests?
So showing up and justsomething already being taken
care of for you?
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Another thing you might think is how about a
mid-stay clean?
Whether it's complimentary orcost, it's another way to show
the guest you're special.
We want to make sure this isgoing to be a stress-free time.
Have you done something likethat?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Oh yes, absolutely, Especially if we have those
longer stays.
So, depending on what that timeframe is, we provide the mid
stay clean as a part of yourreservation, and then we haven't
done this quite as well.
But I know some other companiesthat have been really great at
providing a recreation activityamenity.
(22:03):
So, having something that'sbuilt in, we usually use that as
more of a value add.
So, instead of lowering our ADR, we'll add in some recreational
activities as a part of yourreservation.
So they're a little bit moretargeted, but it's not something
that we necessarily offer everysingle reservation.
How about you, tim?
Speaker 1 (22:24):
We partnered with a company a few years ago that
provides a certain amount ofcredit towards gear recreational
.
Otherwise, you can rent a kayak, you can rent umbrellas, you
can rent bikes.
It also relieves me of theliability of those people
getting in an accident, and, godforbid, something happened to
somebody on that.
But it's there, branded with mylogo, sitting there waiting for
(22:46):
them when they arrive, and itis air quotes free.
It's simply added into the rateand so it's a win-win for
everybody.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
That's great, and I can guess that it's probably
something that differentiatesyou from the marketplace.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
I hope so.
That was the idea anyway.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Are those pretty much all of your upgraded amenities?
Can you think of any other tomaybe hit on?
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Again back to the whales and the top performing
properties.
We have designated certainpeople to greet guests on
arrival, which has beenunbelievably well responded to
by our guests.
When, in one case, it's mygeneral manager at this one
house, she's always there togreet them, welcome them back or
(23:30):
welcome them to the property.
Let me show you a few thingsabout the house.
So glad you made it here fromOhio safely and just want to
make sure you have any questions.
That is just such a personaltouch.
Those people will never forgetwho they rented from.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Yeah, let me show you how to turn the TV on.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Yeah, please, I could have used that guy.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
That's so good.
Yeah, and you know, from aregulatory perspective, I'm
seeing more and more locationsrequire that.
So if you're already startingto do that and it's welcoming
and a part of your check-inexperience you're already ahead
of game.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Let's talk about handling logistics on all this
stuff.
We've talked about all thesegreat ideas.
We need some way to organize it, have you?
Well, you told us, I guessalready, about the owner closet.
That's a great idea Some areain the house that we know where
to go to for those things.
What other ideas do you have interms of managing the logistics
of putting these things inplace?
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Yeah, so I probably sound like a broken record, but
we utilize Breezeway for all ofthe tasks associated.
So Breezeway is a softwarecompany and we are able to put
in all of the tasks and assignthem to people to make sure that
these amenities, if they areone-off, if they're an upgraded
amenity, to make sure that thoseare in place, some of the other
(24:49):
ones, we do beach chair setupsas well and we work with
specific vendors.
We send occupancy reportsweekly.
We have someone designated towatch that as well, so if a new
reservation comes in they haveto alert that individual and
then prepare any type ofnotification card that our
guests would have to utilize forany of these programs that are
(25:12):
not in-house but maybe offsite.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
That is a powerful platform that Breezeway and they
keep improving it every day.
Now they're introducing some AIfunctions which are fantastic,
and so we're not sponsored ormonetarily driven by that.
We just know that it worksreally well.
The other thing I would say ismaking sure this is a tip of the
hat to Mr Ben Edwards in ourlast episode making sure you're
reviewing those costs.
(25:34):
How are you going to charge forthese services?
Are you going to put it in therent?
Are you going to absorb it?
Are you going to pass it alongto the owner?
Make sure you are clear on yourprocess and nobody is surprised
about how it's done.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
And once you make that decision, it's very
difficult to make a change tothat.
More specifically, for an ownerIf you're onboarding an owner
and you're telling them this iswhat your charges are going to
be and this is what's going toyou, unless you are overhauling
the entire program, it's goingto be very difficult to add
another expense in over to theowner.
I'd be very careful andmeticulous on how you set that
(26:11):
up and how you set up that feestructure.
And also a lot of theseamenities are either contracts
or even, with your coffee makers, watch those costs.
Are there other ways that youcan buy in bulk from other
groups, businesses, so that youhave a place where you can store
these items?
And continuing year over yearto watch what those costs are is
(26:33):
extremely important becausethose pennies add up to dollars,
to significant changes to yourbottom line.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Another great episode in the books here.
Tiff, good job on this, as wehave walked you through the many
general and specific talkingpoints of amenities Basic
amenities, upgraded amenitiesMaybe you jotted down a few
things.
We hope so.
We hope to hear from you too.
Drop us a line, see us on ourwebsite,
thevacationrentalkeywithtandtcom, and we'll be back in two weeks
(27:07):
with another great episode foryou about how you can manage
another key to your business.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Until then so, long everybody, so long everyone, you
next time.
You're listening to the Vacation Rental Key with T&T
, the podcast for vacationrental managers by vacation
rental managers.
I'm Tim Cafferty and I managetwo companies, one in Virginia
and one in North Carolina.
I'm one of the two T's.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
And I'm the other, T Tiffany Edwards, born and raised
in the vacation rental business.
I help manage our familybusinesses from Key West all the
way to Kauai.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
In the next 30 minutes, we're going to give you
our keys to success in thevacation rental business.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Welcome back everyone .
Or, if it's your first time,buckle up, because this is sure
to be one of my favoriteepisodes.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Oh, they're all your favorite.
I think it's like children theycan't choose one, but I think
the folks are going to get a lotout of this one.
And, speaking of first time, weare trending with our podcast,
tiffany.
I'm so pleased to look at thestatistics and see that 85% of
our listeners are from theUnited States, but we have
people in Mexico, france,thailand, the Netherlands,
(01:15):
australia, germany, canada,italy, the United Kingdom.
People are listening to us allover the world.
Our most popular city is ParkCity, utah.
Of all places, do you haverelatives there?
Somebody's listening to us outthere, so we thank you for
listening.
And then, on the other end ofthe scale, thank you whoever you
(01:38):
are in Madrid.
We have a listener in Madrid,we have a listener in El Dorado
Hills, california, and we have alistener in Falkirk, scotland,
listening to us as well.
So welcome back or welcome tothe show, depending on what fits
your needs.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Tim, we need to spend a little bit more time about
thinking about taking this ontothe road to maybe see Madrid and
Scotland and El Dorado, so I'min complete support of that as
well.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
We're trending in Asia, so you might want to
increase that budget.
We were talking about thebudget last time and we really
are kind of going down a rabbithole.
We talk about budget andpreparing for the season and
what your expenses are, and Ithink you're going to find this
episode very helpful, as wediscuss basic amenities and
(02:27):
upgraded amenities in yourproperty.
And how do you do that, tiffany?
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
And it's so important too.
I think that one of the themesthat we continue to talk about
episode after episode is howmuch we have evolved as an
industry, and amenities aredefinitely part of that.
I think amenities in generaland the experience and what
those amenities provide for theexperience are so important, not
(02:55):
only to what a basic level ofcare and hospitality, but also
what speaks to your branding andwhat you provide for your
guests, and so there are acouple things that we would love
to address, and I think we wantto break them down in two
different categories One, whatare your basic amenities and
(03:15):
we'll elaborate a little bitmore on that and then, two, what
are those upgraded amenitiesthat provide you or delineate
you from the rest of themarketplace.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
It's fantastic.
So what must you provide forthe guest experience?
I've seen a lot of change inthis industry.
As you were talking aboutamenities, I remember when my
parents started the firm back inthe 60s.
We didn't have TVs, we hadcable TV hookup bring your own.
No air conditioning either.
We had cable TV hookup bringyour own no air conditioning
either.
But times have changed.
(03:46):
People expect more of a hotelexperience now when they come
into the property, don't youthink?
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Absolutely, and I think that even goes further to
what they expect.
That's in the property, butalso the way that it looks and
how those amenities are laid outare really important.
So if you're not providing, ata basic level, the same type of
items that you would find at ahotel, you need to review.
(04:13):
And that really goes a littlebit deeper into how would you
personally pack for a trip.
Are you going to bring ahairdryer with you?
Most likely not.
Are you going to bringadditional coffee with you?
No, you need to have the coffeepot there.
Those are obviously very basicamenities, but things that are
(04:34):
important.
We've also seen some robes inplaces because people are
expecting that from the hotelaspect.
But one thing that is, to me, anon-negotiable in all of our
properties is having a smart TV.
So many of our guests andpeople throughout the country
and throughout the world forthose who are listening are
(04:56):
moving away from cable andmoving into streaming devices,
and the ability to go into anyroom and any TV and log into
your account to continue towatch whatever you are watching
on your flight or your drive inis extremely important.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Yep, and you can rewind a few episodes to revisit
my experience when I rented aproperty close to where Tiffany
lives.
Close to where Tiffany lives.
Make sure you have instructionson how to operate the TV,
because you don't want them tobe having their mind in a
pretzel trying to figure out howto get the thing on there.
But irons, I think, are as wella basic amenity.
(05:35):
And then you better have greatWi-Fi, not only for the
streaming devices but for theaverage of four devices that
every person brings with them.
Now that needs Wi-Fi access.
I'm not sure it's on here yet,but when you are talking as a
vacation rental manager, ownerof company, whatever your role
is, do you have standards,asking you, tiffany, and those
(05:57):
out there in the listening worldof what that basic amenity
should look like?
For instance, do you have adrip coffee maker and a Keurig?
What type of iron?
What type of blender?
And then, as a nod to Ben inour last episode on budgeting,
do you have a supply of theseitems on hand or do you put
(06:17):
yourself where you're, at themercy of the local Walmart,
whatever they're carrying today?
This has been a big eye-openerfor us in the last year.
We looked at the top items wereplaced.
How many of those items did wereplace?
Back to our budgeting episodeonce again, and then we stocked
those items ourselves, so wedidn't have to make those trips
to the Walmart and we had aconsistency in all of our
(06:39):
properties of.
This is the type of drip coffeemaker, this is the type of
single cup coffee maker we makeand we have it on hand and the
owner knows what the cost isgoing to be if and when those
kinds of things need to bereplaced.
How about that?
Speaker 2 (06:52):
That's so important.
And I'll tell you for usspecifically, we have depots and
we streamline and we have thoseearly conversations with our
owners.
You may like a specific coffeemaker, but that's not what we're
utilizing for our guests andwe're happy to put a task in
breezeway from before you come,so we know that our inspector or
our housekeeper has to set outthat special coffee maker for
(07:15):
you on your trip, but that's notwhat we're doing for all of our
guests.
And even more so, as you diveinto these items, are you
providing coffee filters, areyou providing the Keurig pods,
and how many?
And they all need to beconsistent.
And I'll say one of the otherthings that we do is batteries.
Batteries always go out inremotes.
(07:35):
We have batteries and then wealso have some type of structure
with our owners, so there'ssome type of fee that covers
overall you know, light bulbs,batteries and that, so we have
those on hand and available inour depot and can quickly bring
them out to a property if needed.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
So, picking up from there, I think there's a real
decision that you have to makeas an innkeeper about those
kitchen items, particularly thestarter packs, the toilet paper,
the trash bags.
There's never enough of thosePaper towels, whatever it is.
What are you going to provide?
Again, as Tiffany just said,what's going to differentiate
you and what you provide?
And then how is that going tobe paid for?
(08:15):
Are you going to build it intoyour budget to absorb as being a
great innkeeper, or are yougoing to pass it along to the
guest in some manner a feestructure or does the owner pay
for that?
These are importantconsiderations to make.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Yeah, and it really depends on your marketplace as
well.
I'd really look at what yourcompetition does, because when
you're out there trying to findowners or fighting against
bringing some on, what does thatonboarding cost look like?
How are you distributing someof these costs?
And then, how much frequencyare you charging for these?
So really understanding thataspect.
(08:50):
But I also want to touch on too,tim, because this goes hand in
hand you need to overcommunicate with your guests how
much toilet paper they're goingto be getting.
Is you need to over communicatewith your guests how much
toilet paper they're going to begetting?
Is it truly a starter pack withyour dish soap?
Are you just providing smallshampoos and conditioners?
You need to really communicatethat, that this is just a
(09:12):
starter pack, or, if there'sadditional toilet paper, making
sure that they know that as well.
And even going further back toyour Wi-Fi, tim, and to the TV,
you need to have several touchpoints of.
Here's the Wi-Fi instructions,right, so we have a text where
we send it to them.
They get it in their check-inpackets.
There's papers all over thehouse with that Wi-Fi
(09:35):
information, and then the samething with the TVs having that
out, but we also leave our TVson when people come in and we
have some type of seasonal imageor music playing, so all the
TVs are on before they evenenter the home.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
That's fantastic.
To that end, communicating withyour guests directly is
important.
On your website is veryimportant to communicate that
stuff, but don't forget yourthird-party providers as well.
I have shared before that Ireview all of the guest reviews.
I have been dinged by Verboguests this year because we
didn't do a good job on thatplatform of making sure those
(10:14):
people knew what our standardwas.
There was assumptions made, wehad maybe the FAQs or something,
but nobody reads down there.
So we had a whole strategysession about how can we make
sure these guests understandwhat's going to be there for
them when they arrive Reallyimportant, and don't overlook
those third parties, becauseyour message doesn't always seep
through the way you think itdoes.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Yeah, and every year I feel like we trend.
So one year it's one item thatthey expect a lot of.
This year it's trash bags.
I've heard more comments backabout why I don't have more
trash bags available to me.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
How about in the kitchen?
Do you expect like storagecontainers as well?
Is that something that's astandard now?
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Yes, so we are actually very robust on our list
for all of the kitchenamenities.
We want a guest to walk in andnot have to think about anything
that they may need, and one ofthe ideas of going back to how
would you pack and how would youwant to experience Something
that is different for vacationrentals as opposed to hotels is
(11:21):
you have the ability to come inand cook and make a meal, and we
want to encourage that.
So you need items from start tofinish, and one of the biggest
things for all of our propertiesis having storage containers
Now letting the owners knowthese are continued items that
we're going to have to replenish.
They tend to get lost or peopletake them with them.
(11:43):
It's going to happen, but thatto me, it may be not a basic
amenity to others.
To me, that is a basic amenityas a part of the guest
experience.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Excellent.
Another basic amenity that Ithink some would be surprised is
not basic everywhere.
How about the provision oflinens as an amenity?
What is your standard?
I am in a market where, quitefrankly, we still have some of
our competition that does notprovide sheets and towels when
you check in, and nothing saysvacation more than the guests
(12:14):
arriving and having to rentlinens and make the beds
themselves.
Right, oh yeah, oh, my God.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
And some people who are listening are thinking you
know, oh, my goodness, that's soarchaic.
Okay, but how many blankets areyou providing?
How many extra pillows are youproviding?
Are you putting in additionaltowels and blankets and
comforters within the closetsfor these guests?
So those are basic amenities,but it's above and beyond, again
(12:43):
, thinking about that guestexperience and providing it for
them.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Yeah, we've actually moved to a new program it's oh
gosh, in our third year nowwhere we have what we call blue
standard bedding on ourproperties, where every bed
looks the same.
It looks as though you'rewalking into a hotel room back
to our initial discussion wherethe white coverlet, two lumbar
pillows, a little skirt at theend of the bed and how do you
(13:08):
put the towels out?
Are they shrink-wrapped in someplastic so people feel
comfortable that they've neverbeen touched?
Or maybe roll them or put themin some shape of an animal on
the end of the bed?
Whatever it is, just make sureyou're executing on that and
whatever your expectation is isbeing met by your guests.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Yeah, we're really consistent no animals for us,
but when we do.
Like a fan of a paper towel, Iwill also say that for my mom's
business that was.
One of the greatest things ofCOVID is that she moved all of
her bedding into white beddingand that logistically has helped
so much, not only from afinancial aspect, but it helps
from just an image aspect, fromkeeping it consistent in what
(13:49):
you experience from a hotel ofcleanliness and it's.
We can get additional itemsthere.
We know what our costs are, wecan budget accordingly.
So that is a nice opportunityif it presents itself Now.
On the opposite side, inCalifornia, we have as many
blankets and linens anddecorative pillows, so it's a
different way to measure and alittle bit more time consuming.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
I just had flashbacks about when the owners were
providing their own comfortersand so on, and one would get
lost Right the expense we'vesaved on reimbursing for
comforters.
Because you know, it's ironic,tiffany, I don't know if you've
experienced this when an ownerloses a comforter, it's never
one of those comforters boughtat Walmart for $29.95.
(14:34):
It's always a Laura Ashleylimited edition $585.
It's amazing how that happens.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
We used to do really well when we had a Steinmart.
They've all closed, but wecould go back to Steinmart and
get some well-priced ones forlike a Laura Ashley.
But I don't want to brag, butback in the day when we would
have Saturday turns and everyonechecked in and checked out on a
Saturday in the morning, Iwould go ahead with the earlier
crew and I would strip all ofthe beds and take all of the
(15:06):
sheets and take the comfortersas needed, and so, living
through that of making sure wehad everything laundered and
brought back timely and thosespecialty items, I started to
learn what owners cared aboutwhat comforters and I'm jealous
now that I'm not doing thatanymore because it'd be so much
easier.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
How many remote controls did you find when you
got back to the laundry?
Yeah, anything else on thebasic amenities you think we
need to cover.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
I think those are all pretty high level.
Again, the key is what wouldyour guests and what would you
pack on a similar trip?
What are some basic thingsavailable in the property, but
how can you make sure that thoseare consistent through all of
your properties to help withlogistics and costs?
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Yeah, it's kind of a theme of our podcast, isn't it?
Consistency.
So let's talk aboutinconsistencies now.
Maybe some upgraded items, somethings that will be nice,
pleasant surprises that elevatethe experience and set you apart
from the competition that youwere talking about earlier and
maybe provide a higher return onyour investment.
Give us some examples of someamenity programs that you're
(16:15):
aware of that would do this.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
I will shout out to our company in California
because they are unbelievable onservicing these high-end
amenities.
There's laundry detergenteverywhere.
There's the makeup removerwipes, there are full bottles of
shampoo and conditioner that'sfilled to the brim for every
single bathroom.
(16:37):
There's a fresh orchid in everyroom.
There are umbrellas by thefront door.
It's incredible what that teamis able to do, and one of the
ways that they're able todeliver on that one is through
their bulk purchasing.
But they've set up their systemlogistically where they require
a closet.
So instead of having an owner'scloset, there's a storage
closet or there's some type ofstorage shelving system that is
(17:02):
locked within the garage ifpossible and that has all of the
items to refill everything.
So it's a completely differentstructure than some of our other
businesses, but it is somethingthat is long time required for
that marketplace.
So it sets us apart in terms ofwhat all we can provide in a
(17:22):
higher end amenity.
But our guests receivesomething similar in the
marketplace there.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Weren't you telling me something about welcome items
as well, like wine andcharcuterie and things like that
?
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
That level as well.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Yeah, so that's one of the branding aspects that the
business does out there isbecause it's in Monterey County.
We have access to some wineriesout there and have been able to
build up relationships andpurchasing of wine at a very low
cost.
So we take on that cost andwe're able to greet every guest
(18:01):
with a bottle of wine and thenhave a small charcuterie board
that is placed out for them upontheir arrival.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
What a great treat.
When you get there, you got themunchies, you don't have to run
out to the grocery store.
I applaud you for that.
But I hear people scoffing.
I hear you out there in Madridscoffing at this.
Maybe you could just do it forspecial guests.
Do you know who your specialguests are?
We can have a whole episode onthat as well.
We call them whales here as aplay on what they talk about in
(18:31):
Las Vegas the big bettors thatcome in and they special rooms
for them and they bet a certainamount or whatever.
Do you know how much thatparticular guest has spent with
you over the course of theirlifetime with you?
And I think you'll be surprisedwhen you see some of the names
and go, wow, I just had a gueststay in one of my properties.
It was their 15th visit to thehouse.
I've got to do somethingspecial for this person so you
(18:55):
can implement some of thesethings on a one-off if you need
to as well.
And that person was verythankful for being recognized,
so keep that in mind as well.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
I like that of the idea of the whales.
It's also a great opportunityto train your res agents to ask
are you celebrating anythingspecial?
And making a note of thatwithin the system and figuring
out logistics on your team ofhow and what you put into those
rooms Maybe it's not a bottle ofwine for everyone, but it's a
bottle of wine for ananniversary and making sure that
(19:25):
you have that available.
The other thing that's a veryeasy thing for you to do
handwritten.
Thank you note.
Welcome note.
I know I love that when I gointo a hotel or go into a new
accommodation and that's anupgrade, a little amenity.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
As opposed to the text message the day after you
arrive saying we're going tomiss you.
Really.
You didn't even know I was here, but I digress.
One other thing that you coulddo and that we've implemented
here is maybe some pool towels.
Do you have a pool towelprogram?
If you're at the beachparticularly that's the time of
year people are coming to thebeach we have a rental pool
(20:04):
towel program and we've had someof our owners buy into that and
so literally when the guestsarrive, here are 16
complimentary pool towelsbrought to you compliments of
the property owner.
What a nice touch that's been.
People really love that.
They don't have to go to thewings or sunsations or whatever
the store is in your area andbuy the cheap $7 towels.
(20:25):
You can even brand the towelswith your logo on it and they
know where they're staying.
Another good idea on raisingthe bar.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
I love that.
We just started that in one ofour companies and what we did is
any of our properties thatproduce X amount, have so many
bedrooms and then have a pool onsite.
We've just kind of highlightedfor those homes and stay tuned,
we'll see.
We're continuing to review whatour linen loss is and what our
guest experience is there.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
I think you're going to be very pleased when you tell
the numbers at the end.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
So that's, a great idea.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Another one you might consider, again beach centric.
How about a beach chair set up?
You could include it in thedaily rate.
Have some service come and setthe beach up for the people.
What a nice welcome for thosefolks.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Yeah, I think those are so great.
Really thinking through again,how do you create a greater
guest experience without any ofthe concern, logistics and
organization for the guests?
So showing up and justsomething already being taken
care of for you?
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Another thing you might think is how about a
mid-stay clean?
Whether it's complimentary orcost, it's another way to show
the guest you're special.
We want to make sure this isgoing to be a stress-free time.
Have you done something likethat?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Oh yes, absolutely, Especially if we have those
longer stays.
So, depending on what that timeframe is, we provide the mid
stay clean as a part of yourreservation, and then we haven't
done this quite as well.
But I know some other companiesthat have been really great at
providing a recreation activityamenity.
(22:03):
So, having something that'sbuilt in, we usually use that as
more of a value add.
So, instead of lowering our ADR, we'll add in some recreational
activities as a part of yourreservation.
So they're a little bit moretargeted, but it's not something
that we necessarily offer everysingle reservation.
How about you, tim?
Speaker 1 (22:24):
We partnered with a company a few years ago that
provides a certain amount ofcredit towards gear recreational
.
Otherwise, you can rent a kayak, you can rent umbrellas, you
can rent bikes.
It also relieves me of theliability of those people
getting in an accident, and, godforbid, something happened to
somebody on that.
But it's there, branded with mylogo, sitting there waiting for
(22:46):
them when they arrive, and itis air quotes free.
It's simply added into the rateand so it's a win-win for
everybody.
Speaker 2 (22:54):
That's great, and I can guess that it's probably
something that differentiatesyou from the marketplace.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
I hope so.
That was the idea anyway.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Are those pretty much all of your upgraded amenities?
Can you think of any other tomaybe hit on?
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Again back to the whales and the top performing
properties.
We have designated certainpeople to greet guests on
arrival, which has beenunbelievably well responded to
by our guests.
When, in one case, it's mygeneral manager at this one
house, she's always there togreet them, welcome them back or
(23:30):
welcome them to the property.
Let me show you a few thingsabout the house.
So glad you made it here fromOhio safely and just want to
make sure you have any questions.
That is just such a personaltouch.
Those people will never forgetwho they rented from.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Yeah, let me show you how to turn the TV on.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Yeah, please, I could have used that guy.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
That's so good.
Yeah, and you know, from aregulatory perspective, I'm
seeing more and more locationsrequire that.
So if you're already startingto do that and it's welcoming
and a part of your check-inexperience you're already ahead
of game.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Let's talk about handling logistics on all this
stuff.
We've talked about all thesegreat ideas.
We need some way to organize it, have you?
Well, you told us, I guessalready, about the owner closet.
That's a great idea Some areain the house that we know where
to go to for those things.
What other ideas do you have interms of managing the logistics
of putting these things inplace?
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Yeah, so I probably sound like a broken record, but
we utilize Breezeway for all ofthe tasks associated.
So Breezeway is a softwarecompany and we are able to put
in all of the tasks and assignthem to people to make sure that
these amenities, if they areone-off, if they're an upgraded
amenity, to make sure that thoseare in place, some of the other
(24:49):
ones, we do beach chair setupsas well and we work with
specific vendors.
We send occupancy reportsweekly.
We have someone designated towatch that as well, so if a new
reservation comes in they haveto alert that individual and
then prepare any type ofnotification card that our
guests would have to utilize forany of these programs that are
(25:12):
not in-house but maybe offsite.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
That is a powerful platform that Breezeway and they
keep improving it every day.
Now they're introducing some AIfunctions which are fantastic,
and so we're not sponsored ormonetarily driven by that.
We just know that it worksreally well.
The other thing I would say ismaking sure this is a tip of the
hat to Mr Ben Edwards in ourlast episode making sure you're
reviewing those costs.
(25:34):
How are you going to charge forthese services?
Are you going to put it in therent?
Are you going to absorb it?
Are you going to pass it alongto the owner?
Make sure you are clear on yourprocess and nobody is surprised
about how it's done.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
And once you make that decision, it's very
difficult to make a change tothat.
More specifically, for an ownerIf you're onboarding an owner
and you're telling them this iswhat your charges are going to
be and this is what's going toyou, unless you are overhauling
the entire program, it's goingto be very difficult to add
another expense in over to theowner.
I'd be very careful andmeticulous on how you set that
(26:11):
up and how you set up that feestructure.
And also a lot of theseamenities are either contracts
or even, with your coffee makers, watch those costs.
Are there other ways that youcan buy in bulk from other
groups, businesses, so that youhave a place where you can store
these items?
And continuing year over yearto watch what those costs are is
(26:33):
extremely important becausethose pennies add up to dollars,
to significant changes to yourbottom line.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Another great episode in the books here.
Tiff, good job on this, as wehave walked you through the many
general and specific talkingpoints of amenities Basic
amenities, upgraded amenitiesMaybe you jotted down a few
things.
We hope so.
We hope to hear from you too.
Drop us a line, see us on ourwebsite,
thevacationrentalkeywithtandtcom, and we'll be back in two weeks
(27:07):
with another great episode foryou about how you can manage
another key to your business.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Until then so, long everybody, so long everyone, you
next time.
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