Preparing Your Rental for Daytime Activities
We have documented how important it is to emphasize your vacation rental's locality and spatial advantages versus hotels to travelers seeking their next destination. While these selling points are enticing, you want guests to know if they wake up one day and do not feel like going anywhere they will find plenty to do around the property to keep them entertained. Depending on your rental’s size and climate, not all of what Modern Innkeeper suggests may be feasible, but you can count on being able to apply at least some of the six daytime activities we recommend to make your rental a more attractive destination!
Get Active
One of the most obvious activities you can enable your guests to enjoy is sports. While we previously suggested providing sporting equipment guests can use outside of the property in this blog, there are plenty you can stock up for onsite, too:
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Baseball gloves, balls, and bats
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Basketball hoop and ball
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Ping pong table
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Cornhole (if you need proof it is a sport, just look here)
Pay attention to who your guests are so you can more accurately gauge what sports they prefer playing. If you need further proof sporting equipment is necessary, approximately 82 percent of travelers we polled classified themselves as active people!
Deck of Cards
Whether your vacation property is closer to being a 10-acre ranch in the countryside or a 500-square-foot apartment in the middle of New York City, a deck of cards is still an incredibly handy activity to keep around. With an endless amount of games, your guests can engage in some, hopefully, friendly competition all day long!
Board Games
A wide selection of board games is a productive way to keep your guests entertained and encourages them to spend their time on your property together. Age plays a large role in determining what they are capable of playing, so remember to maintain a plentiful of options:
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The Game of Life
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Monopoly
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Candy Land
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Scrabble
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Backgammon
Supplying your guests with board games is a definitive way to promote some healthy intellectual competition!
Bookworm
Maybe your guests spent the previous day hiking a trail you recommended in your personal letter or embarked on a tour of the town with a local guide you helped them find. Whatever they did, they desperately need a day to recharge their batteries. What better way to do that than by diving into a novel? Bestow an at-home library on your guests so they have a variety of books to choose from. If applicable, include some books about your area that will maybe spark a new idea as to what they can do once they feel rejuvenated.
Pool Table
If the main perk of your rental is its outdoor area, you can still contribute a pool table to your list of activities! Especially in parts of the country where hanging out outside is permissible year round, an outdoor pool table is a great addition, and one that separates your vacation property from the competition. Placing one near the swimming pool, if you have one, creates an inclusive environment, or near any patio furniture that may be on the premises. If your property does have space for one indoors, go for it!
Darts
Like a pool table, guests can play darts either inside or outside. Whichever suits your rental, elect for that option. Because darts have the potential to be dangerous, it is imperative to consider how that could play out with your guests. If your travelers frequently consist of families, opting for a magnetic dartboard is a safer option, as it is an action step towards preventing an accident. Again, this comes back to knowing who your guests are!
Seize the Day
By providing guests with plenty to stay busy with for the entirety of their vacation, you are effectively separating yourself from other properties in the area and assisting them in creating long-lasting memories!