As an owner of a vacation rental in Port Aransas, you have the responsibility to ensure that your tenants deserve the dream-come-true vacation they have always wanted, especially as the summer months arrive. There is a magic to beach life, and that magic doesn’t have to end at the front door leading into their escapes, it should continue on inside, and at On Island Time, we know how to make our spaces as pleasing, serene, and magical as the white sand beaches that frame turquoise waters and we want to share our secrets with you. This guide to preparing your Port Aransas property to enjoy maximum bookings during the peak summer months will help you learn the magic of our ways.
Make Sure your Air Conditioner is Running in Top Form
Obviously, this tip should be taken care of before the season starts, and we generally schedule maintenance in the spring months, giving us time to get any repairs made before the crowds begin flocking to our doorstep. As you well know, summers are hot and muggy in this part of the world, and if your guests can stay nice and chill in the interim moments, the reviews on your home will be good ones!
Consider Adding a Blender and Wine Refrigerator to your Amenities
Staying hydrated is important in the summer months, and we aren’t just talking about water. There’s a certain pleasure that comes from watching the sunset from the balcony with a glass of chilled wine in hand, but for some, that pleasure is multiplied if the beverage in hand is a frothy margarita! Guests appreciate the extras, and when they find joy in the vacation retreat they are renting, they will remember yours when it is time for a return visit.
Provide a Local Guidebook
The first thing we do when checking into our own vacation rentals (after picking our bedrooms), is search out the local guidebook that offers important information about the area and the space we have rented. Knowing this, we ensure that every place we manage is equipped with one that we keep updated with current festivals and special events that may be taking place in the area during the time they are going to be in town.
Offer a Closet Filled with Beach Supplies
As owners of vacation properties, many offering a community or private pool, we often remember to provide beach towels and floats, but what about adding some supplies for a day spent at the beach? No one is going to want to travel cross country with a wagon, beach chairs, and beach umbrella in their luggage, nor are they going to want to lug a cooler with them on the plane either, and for a relatively small initial cost, you can make your guest’s vacation experience one they won’t ever want to end. Amazon sells a selection of collapsible beach wagons with prices that start at $50, and beach umbrellas starting costs are about the same. A beach umbrella can take up a lot of space in said closet, and can be bulky and hard to handle, so you might want to consider a shibumi beach shade, which costs a little more, but can be rolled up into a tight roll and take up far less space in your closet. Include a bag of plastic toys, a couple of boogie boards, some frisbees, and maybe even some floaties for the kids’ safety, and your guests can enjoy the complete day at the beach experience, one they will remember for years to come.
Board Games, Puzzles, Movies, and Books
It’s a Port Aransas fact of life that in every summer vacation, a little (or a lot) of rain will fall, and although there are plenty of things guests can do in town during a rainy day, rainy nights are best enjoyed in the cozy spaces of home. Stocking your vacation rental with a selection of board games, puzzles, movies, and books will give every guest a little something extra to enjoy when the rain falls and dark clouds block out the moon and stars. Encouraging guests to stay in and enjoy the amenities of home will tip the scales in your favor, and as they fall even deeper in love with your rental, you can bet that when they return home they will be telling their friends, their family members, their coworkers and bosses about all the comfortable adventures they enjoyed during their stay in your rental. And you can watch the bookings roll in, just as YOU have always dreamed they would.
Happy Guests are the Least Expensive Form of Advertising
Happy guests are the least expensive form of advertising, something we at On Island Time learned long ago. We put a lot of work into ensuring that guests enjoy the best vacation of their lives, and if you have been thinking about finding someone to help you manage your Port Aransas escape, we would like to apply for the job. Give us a call today and let’s discuss all the ways we can share the work of keeping your property rented and your guests happy.
