Cabin and lakeside rentals are uniquely positioned to help city-dwellers looking to stay away from condensed metropolitan areas, given the current climate and restrictions on international travel due to coronavirus.
How should cabin rental owners plan to keep reservation rates stable and attract locals from nearby cities and towns planning to take a staycation amid COVID-19? This post will walk you through the key strategies to consider when marketing your cabin and vacation rentals on Airbnb or other channels.
Choose An Angle for Your Cabin Rentals
Part of your marketing strategy will be branding your cabin rentals to attract the right audience. If the property is on the smaller side, you could market it to couples (e.g. “Cozy Close-to-Home Couples’ Retreat”). Choose photos that show off soft lighting or a romantic fireplace and highlight couple-friendly activities nearby, like a peaceful hiking trail.
If your cabin rental is larger, you can brand it for families (e.g. “Countryside Escape for Families”). Don’t underestimate the power of words — the language you include in your listings helps potential guests imagine staying at your property. Once you’ve chosen the right wording to describe your family-friendly cabin rental, focus on photos of common areas, outdoor activities in the area and at-home perks, like toys and games for all ages.
Pro-tip: Stay on top of the current traveler amidst this global pandemic, like locals looking for a 2-4 week staycation outside their cities or even those needing to self-quarantine for 14 days away from their families. Whether you have a beach cabin, a lakeside rental, or a secluded spot in the woods, change up your listing to reflect the needs of this new type of traveler. In the winter months, use words like “cozy” or “warm” and in the summer, use “breezy” or “bright” — and don’t forget to refresh your photos to reflect your optimized text.
Upgrade Your Cabin Rental Amenities
Similar to staycationers in their own cities, domestic tourists booking a local vacation may be looking for a bit of luxury in their accommodations. To increase your vacation rental bookings, pay attention to the details. For example, spruce up outdoor spaces that your guests wouldn’t have access to in their urban day-to-day life — buy a grill for the porch and keep patio furniture clean and in good shape. These Instagrammable design trends will ultimately translate to increased occupancy.
When it comes to the indoor space, invest in thoughtful perks like an espresso machine, luxury linens and a first-class stereo system. Anything you can do to make guests feel like the short drive from the city took them miles away will improve their experience, and you’ll see the pay off in glowing reviews and return guests.
Pro-tip: If you’re not in a position to invest in high-ticket items like new speakers or a hot tub, focus on low-cost ways to create a complete vacation experience, like providing hot chocolate packets and marshmallows in the winter, and sunscreen, aloe and ice tea mix in the summer. Your guests will appreciate the effort, and these little gift baskets will add fuel to your cabin rental marketing strategy.
Don’t Forget the Surroundings
The nice thing about advertising vacation rental properties like cabins or beach houses, is that the surrounding area does so much of the marketing for you. Whether guests are looking for Gold Coast holiday beach houses in Australia, a quiet cabin in the Pacific Northwest, or a lakeside cottage in the Great Lakes region, the setting plays a major role in how the property is perceived.
When putting together your listings, include photos of the views from your properties, and make sure to mention what guests can do nearby, whether it’s a nature walk, a swim in the ocean or lake or a ski adventure.
Pro-tip: To stand out from other listings and help guests make the most of the natural beauty nearby, provide sports equipment, like complimentary bikes, snowshoes, kayaks or lifejackets. Make sure to mention that you have these extras on hand — in messages or directly in your listings — so guests will know they’ll be well taken care of.
Guesty’s talented marketing team is comprised of passionate professionals who share insightful industry knowledge and shape brand narratives. By bringing a diverse blend of expertise to the table, we are the visionary architects behind the Guesty brand and innovative campaigns that help people understand our product.
