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How to Write to Get Bookings for Luxury Vacation Rentals
What makes some luxury vacation rentals get booked more than others? Is it a great location, better decor, or all the amenities? When all things are equal, sometimes it comes down to the way a holiday home listing was written, together with outstanding photos and beautiful videos. Please follow our helpful hints for writing a stand-out listing for your luxury vacation home or holiday property.
Highlight the Bests
Make a list of all the various aspects people will especially enjoy about the holiday home and integrate the best of them into the ad. Consider the particular needs or wants of potential guest types that may stay in the home, including children, the elderly, singles, etc. Is there something about the home and its regional destination and immediate environs that will appeal to those with specific interests or hobbies?
Make It Personal
A great villa ad appeals to a potential guest’s desire to immerse themselves in the lifestyle and culture of a certain destination. No matter how simple and commonplace a local experience may seem to you the owner, the guest may find a great deal of pleasure in it. Perhaps it’s the local green market, the crazy drunken karaoke nights at the local bar, or the weekly poetry reading at the local café, a pawn shop mall, or the hidden swimming hole only the locals know about…mentioning a few of the “unique” and oft-overlooked things to do in your area gives your ad a personal flavor and flair, and you never know who it will appeal to.
Supplement with Photography and Video
If you have not used your full allotment for photography and video in your vacation rental ad, consider taking extra photos of your region or city, or purchasing royalty-free stock photography. Place these extras in your ad to help potential guests get a feel for the beauty of the surrounding areas where they can visit. We suggest purchasing photos from IStock or Dreamstime. Opt for the smallest size photos they offer, usually at 72dpi, which will usually fit fine into internet presentations. Please note that if you wish to use the same photos for printing a postcard or brochure, you will need to opt for a higher dpi to end up with a sharper printed image.
Speak to the Primary Modalities: Audio, Visual, Feelings
Most people respond to one primary sensory modality or stimuli more than others, meaning, some are more auditory-, more visual-, or more kinesthetic- (feelings)-oriented. A good villa ad will appeal to all of these modalities, so nobody is left out.
Auditory Guests: you will use word and descriptions that are related to listening and hearing and love of music, such as, “someone has said XYZ about the home…,” or, “the backyard fountain bubbles away night and day…” or “the Jacuzzi features an Ipod player with underwater speakers.” These types of guests may also like to know that they can feel free to call you for a more in-depth conversation about the property.
Visual Guests: A more visual person will respond best to vivid descriptions of views, places, and things to do, as well as the palette of the decor; these especially enjoy receiving a colorful brochure in the mail and they will particularly appreciate viewing as many good photos as you can provide of the property, and a video.
Kinesthetic: These guests are looking for confirmation that their visit will feel good, so speak to their need for a comfortable bed and the free pair of slippers you put by the bed just for them; emphasize the awe and wonder they will feel visiting a nearby attraction, and assure them of the warm welcome of your property manager or staff.
Appeal to the Senses
Along the same lines as above, go for descriptions that appeal to the six senses. These attract the reader into the ambiance of your property and the destination. By addressing what they will hear, touch, taste, smell, and feel there, they can more easily imagine themselves enjoying, which is the first step to gaining the booking.
Point of View: Try Hypnotic Language and the Magical “You”
This style of writing is not for every property description. But it might be worth the experiment to see if it would work for yours, particularly if yours is a romantic getaway property. You may write about the property in the objective third person, which would read like this:
“Villa Rosa is a Mediterranean-style, two story guesthouse on an estate in the Hollywood Hills. Owner Kelly, a local interior designer famous for her work with celebrities, welcomes guests warmly with a fresh pomegranate cocktail on arrival. At sunset time, the “to die for” infinity-edge pool tiled in exquisite blue mosaics appears as if it is spilling into the LA hillside, just as the lights of downtown LA begin flickering on in the distance. The candelabras in the bedroom overlooking this scene sparkle, highlighting a magnificent wrought iron bed, sumptuously made and strewn with rose petals.”
Now, how does it read when you bring in the “magical you” – and place the reader directly into the description?
“Villa Rosa is a Mediterranean-style, two story guesthouse on an estate in the Hollywood Hills. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed warmly with a fresh pomegranate cocktail, and shown around the property by Kelly, a local interior designer famous for her work with celebrities. At sunset, you will enjoy a swim in the “to die for” infinity-edge pool tiled in exquisite blue mosaics, appearing to spill over the LA hillside, just as the lights of downtown LA begin flickering on in the distance. Upstairs overlooking this scene is your bedroom, where candelabras sparkle, highlighting a magnificent wrought iron bed, sumptuously awaiting you and strewn with rose petals.”
Which style works best for your ad?
Address Common Fears and Objections in Advance
If it does not interrupt the flow of your description, it can help if you address certain common fears of guests or potential objections to your property in the text of the ad. If that is not possible, the highly detailed ad placement facilities in such websites as LuxuryVillafinder.com does help you to be detailed when you are asked to fill in forms about the property’s specifics, for the factual part of your advertisement.
Here is a list of common fears and objections to a property or destination that could be addressed in the text body of your ad:
Safety and Security: if you have special security features, it doesn’t hurt to highlight them in the description. Do you have hurricane-proof glass windows, or high walls surrounding the property, or have you completely baby-proofed the home or perhaps there is a security guard patrolling your lobby at night? Do tell.
Isolation or Overcrowding: Is the property quite far from “civilization” in the form of a grocery store, restaurant, or café? Would a very social person or a very private person either find the property too isolated, or its environs too crowded? Does the vacation home tend to get booked well in advance because of particular events or festivals that occur each year? These are good to mention.
Potential Inconveniences: if there are recurring areas of concern that have bothered, annoyed, or angered guests in the past, it might be a good idea to mention them in your ad. There will always be some people for whom these “inconveniences” are charming adventures while others will want a refund for not having been informed first. The luggage has to be carried up your mountain by donkeys? The wireless internet connection is run off a satellite so it comes and goes in the rain? There is only one restaurant in town and there’s nothing for a vegetarian? All good to mention.
Extra Charges: Most guests want to know in advance what kinds of fees and charges and tipping will be included or not in their stay. Try to be as clear as possible to avoid any misunderstandings. Upon booking, make sure you include a price list of these items in the contract. In some countries, air conditioning, heating or firewood is extremely expensive and using it will incur more cost to the guest. If the destination country is so unsafe as to require the constant presence of a local guide when going out, it’s good to mention the typical daily cost and tipping expectations of the guide and/or driver. Being honest and upfront about potential costs makes renters feel more comfortable and more likely to book your property before others.
By getting as detailed and descriptive as possible in your luxury vacation rental ad, you and renters can save much time and potential frustration in getting the home booked. An enticing ad will not only bring you bookings, but when it is also honest and straightforward at the same time, you will have a happy renter that love the holiday home and return “same time next year.”
About the Author
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