Hosting Movie Night

Summer coming to a close means guests will soon not be able to play in your garden or sway in the hammock.

Fall’s shorter days will keep them inside, and although you have provided guests with plenty of indoor activities, sometimes the minimal effort getting comfortable and enjoying movie night requires is more appealing.

But plopping on the couch and turning on a movie does not constitute “movie night.”

Movie night is about the ambiance. Equipping guests with what they need to feel like they are watching a movie on the big screen means your place can turn into a theater on a second’s notice.

Continue reading to learn how to make this happen.

 

Food and Drinks

Movie night is the perfect excuse to indulge in your cravings, and not just a few bites here and there.

But rather several handfuls of goodies consumed only on special occasions.

Movie night being one of them.

 

Popcorn

Going to the movies has long been one of America’s favorite pastimes, most likely in part because it is where eating copious amounts of popcorn is acceptable.

Watching the latest blockbuster on the big screen is entertaining, but watching the latest blockbuster on the big screen with a bag of popcorn in your lap is just a better experience.

Guests complaining about microwaveable popcorn is unlikely (be sure to leave them enough, those bags have less than you think), but investing in a popcorn maker would be a game changer.

Including it in your rental’s photographs would increase the likelihood of bookings and enhance the movie night experience.

Which contributes to the entire guest experience, something you know how to make special.

Check out these affordable options that will earn you more five-star reviews!

 

Candy

Hosting movie night means you have to account for someone’s sweet tooth. Keep the essentials stocked (like M&M’s and Sour Patch Kids), but also leave some from a locally owned candy store.

Doing so introduces guests to the locality, and if they like it, they may visit the store to get more before going home.

Way to support local business!

 

Ice Cream

Candy does not satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth, which is why having ice cream in your rental’s freezer is wise.

A couple scoops of ice cream and a good movie, what more could guests ask for?

 

Wine

Modern Innkeeper found most vacation rental guests are 31 to 35 years old, and close to 60 percent travel with children under 18.

Knowing most of your guests are of drinking age and have children qualifies providing wine as a must.

Aside from guests drinking it to decompress after a day spent chasing their kids around during a local tour, they may also enjoy a glass or three while watching a movie!

In addition to the usual suspects (chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, etc.), leave them a dessert wine they can pair with their ice cream or new favorite candy.

 

Pizza

Helping guests eat a hot pizza during movie night may establish you as the best host of all time.

Let your guests know who makes the best pizza in town so they can savor its deliciousness during their exciting night in!

 

Furniture

Supplying the best food and drinks for movie night will mean nothing if guests have nowhere to be comfortable.

Depending on space, you can create a theater-like atmosphere with:

●     Continental seating (three attached chairs)

●     Reclining chairs and sofa

●     Sectional couch

●     Six to eight-foot bean bag chair

If these are out of the realm of possibilities, a comfy couch will do the trick.

 

Equipment

Bringing the big screen to your guests does not mean literally bringing the big screen to your guests, but make sure they have a high-resolution, good-sized television to watch movies on!

Another pivotal component to all this is how guests find and watch movies.

As we mentioned above, guests are typically between 31 and 35 years old. The second most prevalent age group is 26 to 30. This means you can count on guests to be savvy with streaming platforms such as:

●     HBO Max

●     Netflix

●     Disney+

●     Amazon Prime Video

●     And several others!

Subscribing to one or more of these is a good business decision.

Just make sure guests have the login information.

 

Ending Credits

Hosting movie night is advantageous because you can either make a good movie better with what you provided or make a disappointing movie not as bad because of what you provided.

Either way, you come out a winner because you improved the guest experience.