Owners Sometimes I despair of getting the message across, particularly in my part of the world. Traditionally, cottage rental was simply an alternative to camping – with walls and a roof being the difference, and an inside toilet an absolute luxury. Over the past 5 years, it’s been a slow move to the realisation that ‘renters’ should be respected as ‘guests’, and that the expectations of a vacation rental are rising. I am still called out to inspect vacation cottages that have not seen a vacuum cleaner for years (if ever) where the owner’s overriding perception of vacationers is “It’s just a cottage, what do they expect?” So, I wasn’t really surprised this morning, on my daily trawl through rental listings and web sites, to find a cottage advertised with the following limitations: DOES NOT INCLUDE Linens, Towels and Pillows Condiments or cooking oils Paper towel, toilet paper or napkins Blankets or sleeping bags Aluminum foil or plastic wrap Garbage bags Hair dryer or iron Coffee The biggest shame of this is that it’s a brand new cottage with tremendous scope to create an welcoming space.
Barb - April 14, 2010 I completely agree with you that at least the basics (blankets, pillows, toilet paper and garbage bags etc) should be provided. With so many people looking at vacation homes as a subsitute for a hotel stay the expectations are rapidly changing. Not everyone has the luxury of packing a car full of pillows and blankets to take with them on vacation, especially when flying. I don’t think it’s a requirement to keep the home stocked of disposable items such as toilet paper for the guests entire stay however a starter pack is much appreciated. Looking at the target market of who your renters will be should help dictate what amenties should be added. In addition, as a general rule we find that the more cleaning up supplies, garbage bags and paper towels are left – the tidier the home is left after the guests depart. Leave a reply: Cancel Reply Name* Email* Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Comment Heather Bayer - April 14, 2010 Hi Barb – I completely agree about the cleaning supplies issue. Not providing sufficient supplies makes a great excuse not to clean! Leave a reply: Cancel Reply Name* Email* Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Comment Kendal Cottages - May 8, 2010 I agree with the above, too! It’s better – to my mind – to provide the basics and give a good first impression to your guests. If as an owner you are concerned about the additional cost you incur, then add $10 to the rent. It really doesn’t cost a lot to provide these things but does make the world of difference. Leave a reply: Cancel Reply Name* Email* Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Comment Comments are closed
