Adjusting To The New Needs Of Travelers
The vacation rental business has changed a great deal since March and I believe adapting to the fluid market is proving to be incredibly important. What’s different for us at The Morrow House? First and foremost, before March, we were booked months in advance which made it easy as a business owner to plan and coordinate services to prepare for guests and maintenance on the house. After every single reservation cancelled for several months, our business shifted quickly. After folks needed to shelter in place, guests began booking same day, or same week reservations. This means being available to respond on short notice to welcome guests. We love to leave welcome gifts and take extra care to have pillows fluffed and the AC just right to greet folks to our home, so preparation now has to look a bit different. How did we adjust? I bought gorgeous silk flowers, instead of having fresh flowers consistently in the house. We now have chocolate chip cookies frozen and ready to bake for guests who are arriving at the last minute. It is now understood that the house must be left “guest ready” every time we leave it in the event that bookings happen quickly.
We also have seen a change in the type of guest coming to visit. Our guests over the last few years have literally been from all over the world, so when they arrived they needed an overview of a few special things to do each day. Now, our guests seem to be primarily from Texas, or some where nearby like Oklahoma that is an easy drive. The travel party tends to be just a few friends or a family who are simply in need of a quick get away. Guests from Texas are looking for different things to do, they may prefer to take their children to a water park or paddle boarding on the Brazos rather than spend time eating BBQ or shopping, so our recommendations for folks have changed based on their needs.
Another adjustment we have made is to lower our prices and allow one night stays, some vacation rental owners may not feel comfortable doing this, but our moderate price reductions and one night stays have been helpful in driving business. The travel trend right now seems to be quick local trips that won’t break people’s budgets so we are working to make that happen.
An anecdotal “trend” that I find interesting is the connection I have had with so many guests during this time. In “normal times” it isn’t uncommon for me to have very little if any conversation with a guest while they stay at the house. I think it was a reflection of the busy nature of life at that point and that many guests were rushing to town and rushing around and then rushing out of town just as quickly. Now, guests are coming for different reasons. They have a real need to have a bit of a safe escape and they need more reassurances, which translates into more dialogue. I have found it to be very satisfying learning the background stories of some of our most recent guests and I think they like sharing them too.
Business is picking up, I see the calendar beginning to fill up again, which gives me the feeling that people may be feeling more hopeful. I am grateful for that hope. After all, with hope all things are possible, and I believe hope and resiliency may just carry us through to the other side.
