When you consider Thanksgiving, what comes to mind? The most significant aspects we connect with this unique holiday include family, comfort, and food. It’s a fantastic chance to sell your vacation rental and develop enduring relationships with your visitors.
For Thanksgiving, more than 50 million Americans traveled abroad. Due to the strong demand for travel and lodging at this time, hotels may be overbooked, expensive, and not always the best choice for guests.
To succeed in the hospitality sector, keep in mind that creativity and flexibility are essential. Whatever your strengths, emphasize them to create a memorable and imaginative trip. If your vacation home offers a lot of space, you should highlight and promote this in your offering. One of your main benefits over hotels and smaller rentals is that you have lots of space for a larger number of guests, so you should make the most of that.
What significance does Thanksgiving have for vacation rentals?
Some owners consider November to be the start of the off-season. As we dragged out an Indian summer, you might have scraped a few reservations in September and October. Still, on the whole, reservations start to decline in November for individuals whose main income comes from the warmer months.
Thanksgiving is a perfect opportunity for vacation rental owners to boost their off-season income or start their peak months if their property is winter-oriented. Thanksgiving is the ideal time to showcase your property and secure high-value reservations regardless of the sort of property you own, but the benefits don’t stop there. Here are some further explanations for why Thanksgiving is a crucial time for vacation property owners.
More guests equal higher revenue.
Thanksgiving is all about spending time with the people you love, whether they be friends or family. Large gatherings are common on this holiday. Thanksgiving is the perfect occasion if you have the room to host or cram in a few more visitors for a cozy family get-together!
In addition to being a terrific way to have the whole family vacation at your property, providing extra cots, cribs, and sleeping space also presents an opportunity to make extra cash. You can make more money using your extra guest charge than a typical weekend reservation if you use it graciously and hospitably.
Free exposure
Thanksgiving is a day when people dress up and spend time in the kitchen. However, visitors want to display their Christmas attire and selfies with their cousins! Due to the increase in online activity and time spent on social media throughout the holiday season, Thanksgiving is a busy time for users of these platforms.
This is a fantastic opportunity for your vacation rental company to enjoy the fun! You can ensure that your visitors mention your property in their posts by providing them with your company’s branded hashtags, account handles, and location tags. The best approach to attracting new visitors is through user-generated content, and Thanksgiving is the perfect occasion to do it.
Recognize returning visitors
This time of year is about giving thanks, so why not express gratitude to your visitors? Thanksgiving is really about showing our regular guests how much we love them, so they keep coming back, and we’re always looking for excuses.
This is the time when a modest brag about your visitors suffices. Also, think about using Thanksgiving as a chance to give guests who you want to thank freebies, discounts, and offers.
How to promote your rental property for Thanksgiving
Ready to express gratitude and obtain bookings? Thanksgiving is a fantastic time to advertise your vacation rental, but remember that your guests are undoubtedly already bombarded with many different commercials and promos. In addition, there is fierce rivalry for vacation rental properties at this time of year as owners vie to host family reunions.
How, then, might you draw attention to your house for Thanksgiving? Ten strategies are provided below to help you market your rental home during this unique time:
1. Make your kitchen known.
Travelers will prioritize your rental if it is a roomy home with a full kitchen that can accommodate a large family. The kitchen could very well be your selling feature since visitors are seeking a roomy, open space where they can prepare and have a satisfying meal. Include upscale, expertly taken pictures of your kitchen that portray your house as welcoming and warm. Make the visitor picture themselves preparing Thanksgiving dinner at your property.
You may still set up your home, so your guests have all they need for a stress-free vacation, even if it doesn’t include a huge kitchen. Promote all the culinary utensils that would make it easier to prepare a Thanksgiving lunch, including the turkey and all the side dishes! Draw attention to your enormous oven and all of the kitchenware.
Don’t forget to pack the little cooking implements, such as a carving set, gravy jug, and meat thermometer, required to prepare a Thanksgiving meal. Make sure to include these kitchenware items and appliances in your listing. Knowing they don’t need to buy or carry the little items will put guests at rest.
Include a barbecue and grill in the ad description if you have a sizable backyard garden and it’s warm and sunny where you live. This will distinguish your vacation rental substantially, especially for young families.
2. Dress up your home
The dining area must also be impressive because it is where the guests will spend most of their time eating. Decorate the space following the aesthetic of your residence. Buy some spiced pumpkin-scented candles (I know it’s tempting, but try to avoid the “Turkey and Stuffing”-scented candles), decorative pumpkins, and a sad floral arrangement if you’ve chosen a minimalist and modern style. Do everything above and more if you want to create a pleasant and homey atmosphere. Accessorize the entrance, elegantly arrange the table, have fun with the fairy lights, or create a gratitude tree.
Having a dining table set up in advance for the visitors might be a good idea so they can avoid setting it up themselves.
3. Provide grocer’s services
Thanksgiving Day is a widely celebrated, historic event celebrating the harvest’s food bounty. If visitors are coming from out of town, they must purchase all the food needed for lunch. The night before Thanksgiving, if your guests come late, they might not have enough time to go shopping for everything. As a result, you can offer to order some items in advance for them and charge it to their final bill. In the same way, if necessary, you can also set up a turkey for them.
If your visitors want to shop independently, give them a list of local stores where they can obtain ingredients for their cuisine and the finest places to buy a turkey! You can provide services like meal catering from nearby restaurants or hire a private chef if your visitors have made reservations in advance. You can email your visitors in advance and bring up this subject.
You may even go above and beyond and provide them with some items that have already been frozen, such as a handmade pumpkin pie.
4. Add entertaining activities
Families and close friends get together to celebrate Thanksgiving. Many visitors might wish to engage in some enjoyable activities, while others, especially after such a substantial supper, may just want to relax on their day off.
Incorporate family-friendly activities like picking apples or pumpkins. You might supply a football and perhaps some jerseys so attendees can break up into teams and engage in more physical games like backyard football.
Offer a variety of board games the whole family may play, such as Scrabble and Monopoly, for quieter pursuits. For kids, arts and crafts are fantastic! On that day, additional televised events like a football game and the Thanksgiving parade.
5. Surprise your visitors with unique touches
You’ll remember the cozy feeling you had from reading a handmade welcome note or discovering a bottle of wine with your name on it waiting to be opened if you’ve ever rented a property that concentrated on tailoring your stay. A little goes a long way when it comes to these particulars, and it’s especially appreciated over the holidays. Not only does it distinguish you from most hotels and other large-scale lodgings, but it might also be the determining element in someone selecting whether to rent from you again in the future.
Remember that your guests’ experience starts before they enter the rental property. Once the reservation has been confirmed, get in touch with your guests via email to introduce yourself and inquire about any special requirements they may have for their Thanksgiving visit. This will help you make a good first impression. Giving a helping hand is quite reassuring during the stressful Christmas season.
Create a charming welcome letter that visitors will discover as soon as they arrive at the property. Making your guests feel unique is easy and effective with welcome letters. If you don’t have time to compose a fresh letter for each guest’s stay, you can use a template and customize it for each one. Say happy Thanksgiving and many blessings to them in this situation.
Do you want to go a little further? Prepare a welcome basket with treats fit for Thanksgiving. We’re talking homemade cranberry jelly, apple cider, candied corn, pumpkin cookies, homemade cranberry sauce; you name it. It doesn’t have to be large, but it should have the coziest grandmother-made vibe possible. People typically don’t expect gifts when renting a space, so even just a few seasonal drinks or treats will make them swoon.
There are countless options available! Be imaginative, steer clear of generalizations, and consider what would move you if you were the visitor.
6. Highlights of the attractions
What major occasion will occur after Thanksgiving? Black Friday follows the next day.
All commercial establishments and stores have sales and discounts on Black Friday, so your visitors might wish to take advantage of the newest offers and lower-priced merchandise.
Travelers will appreciate being able to take advantage of Black Friday deals the next day if they are close to a major mall. They should be given links to all the nearby retail centers, along with information on their hours of operation and how to get there.
As some of your guests may want to do their shopping online, ensure you have a strong internet and WiFi connection.
Visitors may wish to take a walk on an actual day after eating so much. Describe neighboring parks that people can visit. List the top attractions if your property is located in a popular tourist area.
Offer your customers fantastic restaurants, bars, theatres, bowling alleys, etc., if you’re in a city or location with few things to do. Perhaps a particular cuisine is well-liked in the area? Or a regionally specific culinary technique? All the attractions might be listed in your welcome book.
7. Make more sleeping accommodations
Make sure everyone can fit in because Thanksgiving brings the whole family together. So that family can book together under one roof, you might want to provide additional cots and beds. Additionally, emphasize this in all of your marketing materials.
Posting, “Looking for a spot the whole family will enjoy? More is always better! Let visitors know that your property is equipped to accommodate large families so they may completely enjoy Thanksgiving without having to break up the team. Our vacation rental sleeps 10.
8. Encourage the Thanksgiving holiday
The holiday itself; promote it. Make your vacation rental feel like home to promote a kid- and pet-friendly atmosphere.
Promote Thanksgiving and the fall as well. Consider photographs of the outside with autumnal foliage or a small coating of snow and of the interiors with a warm log fire, a collection of board games and novels, a wreath of leaves on the door, or hot chocolate simmering on the stove. Don’t forget to place scarves and caps by the front door and cozy duvets in the bedrooms.
Thanksgiving is the ideal time to market your cabin rental if that is what you are renting out. You’ll get a jump start on Christmas planning if you prepare your vacation rental and sell it for Thanksgiving.
9. Include the necessary amenities
You’ll want to provide amenities that everyone can use. Beyond suggesting extracurricular activities, as shown above, think about what your audience would like to see within your home.
Perhaps a hot tub is what the adults want after the kids are in bed? It’s entirely up to you whether or not free additional parking would be a lifesaver for all the distant family members. You should adapt or emphasize your amenities based on the type of audience you intend to host.
10. Emergencies, upkeep inspections, on-site Covid tests, and cleaning
One of the main things that can result in bad evaluations in the vacation rental market is a lack of hygiene. When reopening a business during a pandemic, sanitation and cleanliness are the top priorities.
Holiday travel is still apprehensive for some visitors, and living in a cramped environment with many other people exacerbates these worries. If you have the resources, think about providing on-site testing. This might be a major selling factor for visitors and encourage the weary of making a reservation.
Several nations have started to distribute COVID-19 Free Badges due to the current issue to ensure that the proper cleaning processes have been followed. In the US, we advise adhering to a cleaning manual with CDC standards and adding a cleaning process emblem to your website to highlight the sanitization measures you have followed.
During the holidays, it’s probable that you’ll be hosting a sizable group, so it’s crucial to be ready for anything. Doing maintenance checks well in advance may prevent the unrest from attempting to fix a malfunctioning fridge over the weekend. Utilizing a vacation rental inventory checklist, go over all necessary appliances and arrange repairs as necessary.
Making an emergency plan for potential worst-case scenarios will help to safeguard your visitors and your property, last but not least.
Thanksgiving roundup
Thanksgiving is the ideal occasion to invite people over and show them your house and your thanks. Why not make your vacation rental the ideal site to entertain the many individuals looking to visit this year? You could expect significant profits this holiday season if you sell your house wisely. Prepare to express gratitude for the upcoming Thanksgiving reservations.
There you have it, then! Ten fantastic marketing strategies to use before Thanksgiving to capitalize on consumers’ “weekend getaway” mindset. Use these ideas to attract last-minute travelers and remind them why your property is the ideal location to observe this American holiday this year.
