Getting Started With Vacation Rental If you want your vacation rental to appeal to potential guests, your bedrooms must look inviting and appealing. I’ve been blown away by the poor standard of bedrooms being offered in some listings and wish I could post the photos I have found online to demonstrate just how bad they are. An example I found today was from a cottage listing that was titled, “Lakefront Luxury”. The ‘comfortable’ bedroom boasted a blank white wall behind a yellowed headboard with unmatched spindly-legged side tables to either side, one of which sported a lamp that should have been left behind at the yard sale it probably came from. The bed had no pillows; simply an outdated shiny bedspread circa 1975 draped over the mattress. To be honest, it was probably one of the worst examples I’ve ever found, compounded by the superlatives used in the listing. This was extreme I know, and most of those I see are perfectly acceptable, but it would be great if more attention was spent on making bedrooms desirable and attractive. After all, guests will spend a lot of time in the bedrooms, and it is only fair to ensure this part of their vacation is well taken care of.n Creating beautiful bedrooms isn’t difficult. Alan Egan has addressed the need to get it right in his colourful and beautifully presented Bedroom Makeover Guide. There’s plenty of tips on staging with props, as well as good advice on how to set up for photographs, and get those pictures really spot on. He suggests checking out ‘hotel bedrooms’ on Google Images to get some ideas. Happily, there are plenty of beautiful bedrooms on listing sites that show how professional owners can create appealing images. Sylvia Guarino is just one of those owners and the bedrooms at Toucan House on Sanibel Island demonstrate her attention to detail and understanding of guest expectations. It’s not surprising there are 16 five star Trip Advisor reviews. Given that Toucan House offers monthly rentals only, that is no small feat. With guest expectations rising and so much competition, the relatively small investment to create a picture perfect bedroom is worth the time and money. Here’s a few suggestions to help you get started: · Use quality bedding to create a sumptuous looking sleeping space. Bare beds and flat comforters with old pillows are reminiscent of 3rd rate motels so avoid this look if you want to attract quality guests. · Choose matching side tables and lamps and switch them on when you take the photos. · Use large pieces of artwork and other accent pieces to add colour and texture to the image. · Egan suggests adding interest to a bed by placing a throw across the bottom third of the bed. · Photos taking in as much of the bedroom as possible are important for guests to see the ‘whole picture’ however try some close-ups of any special features For more ideas, Like our Facebook page and download my free Staged to Rent guide along with other resources to help get your images right.
