09/10/2020
7 Issues for Hosts to consider while hosting during the Pandemic
(The full article with map of guest home location is at here: www.shortterm.host/covid_notes.php )
Takeaway 1 - If you're buying ad space for your rental, focus on metropolitan areas within half a days drive (300 miles). Do no cross border advertising.
Takeaway 2 - Guests are more likely to use the amenities you have listed. Make sure they work, or you'll hear about it. (Specifically wifi or cable tv)
Takeaway 3 - Guests are going to play 'chef'. Pre-pandemic, our guests went to restaurants located nearby. We feel it is a combination of restaurants having reduced capacity/fear of the virus, and the trip being 'less vacation, more stacation' (more on budget than a regular trip).
Takeaway 4 - Your cleaner may be grumbling. With all of this additional 'staying in the room', the units are dirtier when guests leave. Obviously this varies by guest, but overall, we feel units are, on average, left in a worse condition than for a similar length stay pre-pandemic. Upping your cleaning fee might be warranted. We are also seeing an increase in the number of guests travelling with pets, which isn't helping your cleaner, but leads us to...
Takeaway 5 - Have Dog, Will travel . People on a budget, driving to your location, are far more likely to bring a pet. If you are not allowing animals, I suspect your occupancy is taking a bit of a hit.
Takeaway 6 - People are taking greater notice of cleanliness of the unit
Takeaway 7 - Bookings are much more likely to be last minute
Agree? Disagree? We'd be interested to hear your take!
Prior to the pandemic our average guest travelled 807 miles to reach our location (during the pandemic, 580 miles). The map below shows our 'pre pandemic' guest's home city. Our results are slightly skewed because of our close proximity to the closed Canadian border (many of the 'close' visitors we....
