Accommodating Guests Who Work on Vacation
Remote work doesn’t only affect employees and employers. It also affects your vacation rental business. Because now when people travel, they aren’t always on vacation, per se.
Guests now have the flexibility to work on vacation, and they’re taking advantage of it. As of August 2022, 24 percent of professional jobs are remote in the United States and Canada, according to Ladders. A more relevant statistic to you is 23 percent of remote workers in a Skift survey said they took long trips because they work remote.
This is why it’s so essential your vacation rental can accommodate guests who work on vacation.
Let’s look at ways you can make your vacation rental remote-work friendly.
Create a Workspace
First things first, you must provide guests a space where they can focus. Not working where they typically do could make it difficult to get in work mode. You can help guests buckle down easier by setting up a workstation. A quality workstation includes:
● An open desk
● A charging station
● Plants
Besides office amenities, also consider where you set up the workstation. If there’s a room with a view of your Japanese Zen Garden, that could be a great place for a workstation. On the flip side, if there’s a room that is noisier than others, that’s probably not a great place for a workstation.
Helping your guests be productive during their stay can enhance your vacation rental’s guest experience.
Pay Extra Attention to Your Amenities
The quality of your vacation rental’s workstation goes beyond its office supplies and furniture. Guests who work remote may be used to having all the amenities they need at their disposal. This could include:
● Groceries for a healthy breakfast
● Dependable Wi-Fi
● Cleaning supplies (some guests may like their workspace tidier than others)
You of course want your guests to be comfortable no matter what. It’s just especially important when your guests are working because they’re going to spend a lot of time at your vacation rental. Stock up on everything your guests need so they only have to worry about their work.
Ask Guests What They Want
Asking guests what they want can improve your workspace and amenities. But the benefits go beyond that. Asking guests what they expect from your vacation rental’s workstation can enhance the guest experience.
An example of how the travel industry is already doing this is hotels embracing remote workers’ lifestyle and making changes accordingly. SevenRooms head of product Angela DeFranco said in her article on Hotel Management, “(Hotel) operators should focus on integrating technology solutions to not only boost the working guests’ experience but have them use hotel spaces, like restaurants and lounges, as a remote office when they return.”
You don’t necessarily have to integrate technology solutions to enhance your vacation rental’s remote-worker experience. What you may want to do, however, is talk to your guests to better understand their working needs. Asking guests if there’s anything you can do to help them be more productive will show you care.
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