Ahh, those first few steps strolling around an Airbnb. Clean apartment: check. Fresh linens: check. Great view: check. This vacation was well deserved. *Buzz* – wait, only 10% battery remaining. Better go plug in the cell phone. And then it hits. The moment of truth. Your guest realized that they forgot to pack their charger. Possibly the only item more important than the phone itself. It takes a lot for a guest to have a great vacation, but it doesn’t take much to have an awful one. Forgetting to pack an essential item can take a trip from relaxing to frustrating in just a matter of seconds.
Here’s How You Can Help Your Guests with Some of the Most Commonly Forgotten Things to Pack:
Sometimes, when someone is so excited for their trip they forget to actually pack the things they need to take on a trip, so we’ve compiled a checklist of the most commonly forgotten travel items that you can provide for your guests. This small gesture will go a long way, and ensure their satisfaction, which translates into 5-star ratings.
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All Things Toiletries
From a toothbrush to contact solution, if you can think of it, your guest might have forgotten it. Arrange a toiletry kit with at least some of the following items: a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, deodorant, q-tips, razors, moisturizer, makeup remover, nail clippers, nail polish remover, face wash, a comb, hairspray, hair ties and contact solution.
Basically, any bathroom-related item under the sun is a good fit for your welcoming toiletry kit. These mini items will make an immense impact on your guest’s stay, and may land you that glowing review. -
Electronics We Live By
After that last list, you might think your bathroom is complete, but no bathroom is ever complete until it’s equipped with a blow dryer. This simple hotel-like touch will bring your rental to the next level.
On the topic of electronics, provide a couple of travel adaptors for guests coming from overseas. And always have phone chargers at your guest’s disposal. -
Seasonal Gear
Depending on your location, climate and the time of year, your guests may not be armed with the necessary gear. If you’re in a rainy area, put some ponchos and an umbrella or two in the coat closet. These are some of the things they realize they should have taken on their trip when it’s already too late.
If you’re in a warm location, or your rental has an outdoor pool, provide a pair of flip-flops, and while you’re at it, a bottle of sunblock. And if your guest forgot to throw their SPF into the suitcase, you can bet they forgot aftersun cream as well. -
The Tourist Bible
It sounds silly, but sometimes your guests are so excited for their trip that they overlook arguably the most important item – a backpack. You can use this opportunity to market your property management business by printing your logo on a drawstring or tote. Your guests also may not have water bottles, which would look great with your logo on them to match.
For your overseas guests it might be nice to provide a map. Yes, everyone uses Google Maps on their phone, but foreign travelers may not have a working SIM card in your location. Do you remember the good old days of marking up a map? Put a few pens in your rental, too. They’ll come in handy. -
Reading Materials
One of the biggest allures of a vacation rental over a hotel is the privacy. With no random people in the lobby to mingle with, it’s an opportune time to relax with a good book. Your rental has bookshelves, so go ahead and fill them up with some best sellers, or your own personal favorites.
A book is useless, though, if you can’t read it. Your guests might not have their reading glasses with them. Lucky for you, this commonly forgotten travel item is easy to get at the dollar store. -
On Vacation, Every Hour Is Happy Hour
A relaxing weekend away always involves a glass or two of wine. Your guests probably remembered to pack that bottle of wine they’ve been saving for a special occasion, but didn’t even think about needing to bring a corkscrew. Most forgotten travel items are small, which is why this one might have been overlooked. Good thing you’ll provide them with one.
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Eat. Beach. Sleep. Repeat.
On vacation, nobody gets judged for sleeping past noon. If your guests want to sleep in, you can stop the sun from waking them up. No, you don’t need to call NASA, just place a sleep mask on the nightstand, and some earplugs would definitely help the cause. It’s the most understandable commonly forgotten thing to pack, because at home your guests probably don’t use them, and if they traveled via airplane, might have assumed the airline would provide one for them to snag.
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First Aid – Sweeter Than Lemonade
This is one of those things people don’t realize they need until it’s too late. Your guests might have a first aid kit at home, but it probably spends all of its time tucked away in the kitchen cabinet, and there’s no way it even made it onto the packing list. It’s an item that could really come in handy, and while you’re at it, put in a bottle of aspirin.
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DIY Laundromat
Your guest probably had a lengthy packing list with outfits picked for every occasion, but the list probably lacks a laundry bag. Clothes that were in pristine condition before the trip, get wrinkled after spending hours crammed in a suitcase. Your guests could really benefit from an iron to get those creases out. Put together a nifty sewing kit with a stain removing pen, for those just-in-case moments. These items are all great, unless your guest somehow forgot to pack clothing, but there’s nothing you can really do about that.
It’s Not Rocket Science
You might have noticed a common theme by this point – most commonly forgotten things to pack are both very useful, and relatively small. So you see, it doesn’t take much for you to salvage your guests’ vacation. As a property manager, one of your greatest concerns is your guests’ satisfaction; by putting these items in your rentals, their satisfaction is halfway there.
Spectacular property manager: check, check, check. 5-star review coming right up.
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