A Room-by-Room Guide to Being Extra-Ordinary: Now may be the perfect time for vacation rentals to be a little “extra”

photo credit: Stay In Tamarindo Vacation Rentals, Photos by TruPlace

“She’s so extra!”

Now that we’ve all been exposed to Netflix-driven multigenerational dramas, you’ve likely heard the term “extra” being used to describe someone who is over the top and maybe a little dramatic, doing more than the situation calls for. Urban Dictionary defines this Gen Z use of “extra” as “Doing the absolute damn most. For no reason.”

For vacation rental  managers determined to thrive amid the current challenges posed by COVID-19, finding ways to be a little extra isn’t such a bad thing.

In May, organizations (e.g., VRMA, Breezeway, AHLA, Vrbo, Airbnb, hoteliers, and property management companies) began publishing augmented cleaning guidelines to adapt to a changing world’s expectations for lodging safety and cleanliness. Although a handful of these guidelines are in themselves a little extra, the bulk of them are on point, and some are long overdue in the vacation rental industry. While individual homeowners may be a little slower at adapting to new protocols, professional vacation rental managers find themselves at a pivotal moment with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come together as an industry and blow the socks off the hospitality sector.

Let’s take a look, room by room, at what is old, what is new, and what is extra.

 

It’s always a little fun to start in the bedroom.

 

 

 

Pro Tip: We have been hearing from several PMs who are moving to hospitality blankets/covers/duvets that mills are overloaded with demand. If you are moving in this direction, order ASAP as many popular coverings are backordered for months. 

 

Creating a hospitality standard for vacation rental bathrooms

 

 

 

Pro Tip: Design-folding towels into shapes is a step that can be eliminated as it indicates to guests that more hands have been on the towel.

 

With more guests opting to cook instead of dining out, expect detailed reviews about the kitchen.

 

 

 

Pro Tip: Homeowners have been notorious for sending old kitchen items to their vacation rentals as they replace things in their primary residences. This coronavirus challenge provides a unique opportunity to talk to owners about the importance of replacing kitchen items with new products.

Pro Tip: Wholesale potholders are priced under .30/piece. In-house housekeeping teams can have these on hand to replace as needed.

Pro Tip: VRMs that standardize kitchen packages easily replace items as needed when all properties have the same glassware, flatware, dinnerware, utensils, pots, and pans. These companies’ cleaners count the items as part of their checklist, report what is missing, and the inspector replaces. There is an additional benefit in housekeepers spotting problem areas in cabinets and drawers when counting.

 

Living rooms and common areas hold hidden challenges. Eliminate as many hurdles as possible.

 

Note: I read the guestbook in every rental I have stayed in as it offers a special connection and a glimpse into the lives of the people who have stayed there before, and have often dreamed of writing a book based on the guestbook stories of families who have stayed in the same vacation home. I hope that creative VRMs go beyond online reviews and find a way to reimagine guestbooks in a germ-free way. We are going to crave connection more and more, and there is an extra idea for guestbooks waiting to happen.

 

VRMA Guideline:

“Using a pressurized pump sprayer to distribute a sanitizing product across all soft surfaces is best.” And “Use disinfecting products on all major surfaces and pay attention to all high-touch areas, including door knobs (inside and out), lockboxes or electronics lock panels, elevator buttons, stair railings, telephones, light switches, remote controls, arms of chairs, refrigerator door handles, sliding door handles, toilets, faucets and knobs, clothes hangers, touch screens, and play sets/toys, to name a few.”

 

Resources for hospitality guidelines:

Breezeway: breezeway.io/standards

VRMA: vrma.org/page/covid19

AHLA: ahla.com/safestay

Special thanks to Breezeway CEO Jeremy Gall and TruPlace founders Suzi and Bob Cusack