RueBaRue

How To Create Great Digital Guestbooks — and Why They Matter

Guestbooks are a basic feature of vacation rental homes, like thermostats and WiFi. But go digital, and guestbooks become a game-changing asset.

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They still do their job only better, acquainting guests with their vacation home and the area in a format that’s easy for property managers to master and update. But digital guestbooks can also help you save you time, set your business apart from the pack and make your guests happy. They can even reel in five-star reviews.

RueBaRue is an easy-to-use tool to create individualized, mobile friendly guestbooks for your vacation rental properties – and it takes minutes to set up. Book a 30-minute demo to see RueBaRue in action.

Here’s what digital guestbooks can help you do:

Reduce repetitive phone calls from guests

Guests have all the information they need in one place, including when to check in, where to eat and directions to the home. Property managers using digital guestbooks report a drop of 50 percent or more in calls and emails from guests.

Provide guest-pleasing extras

Include an area guide to the best restaurants, attractions, activities and essentials (the nearest grocery store, pharmacy, dog run) that updates automatically when businesses change their hours or close. A guest communication platform like RueBaRue makes it easy to add this feature.

Please your guests

Guests love the convenience of having all the information they need for their trip on their phone. They can choose a restaurant for dinner, book a table and get directions while sitting on the beach.

Include multimedia

You can add informational videos and photos of the home, an amenity guests find helpful. Send the guestbook to guests by text or email when they book to help them with trip planning.

Save time for you and your staff

No more going from home to home to update paper guestbooks when there’s a new garbage collection day or a local beach changes their hours.

Build your brand and make your business look professional

Digital guestbooks are an impressive feature showing that you run a tech-savvy company that cares about their guests. Adding your company logo and colors reminds guests of your business each time they consult the guestbook and can lead to direct bookings.

Save the planet

Say good-bye to paper guestbooks in clunky binders destined for landfill.


Here are eight ways to create a digital guestbook that is a bonafide asset for you and your guests:

Feature an up-to-date photo of the front door of the home so guests will know exactly what to expect when they arrive, whether it’s snow on the ground or leafy trees.
An unfamiliar security system can be challenging. Include a photo of the door lock or a brief video showing how to use the door code, so that your guests can enter their vacation rental home with ease.
Create simple video instructions for anything that may seem confusing, like how to change the TV input or adjust the thermostat.
Not all vacation rental homes are near a store. Include a list of things guests should bring like paper towels, trash bags, bottled water and milk. Be specific. Let guests know if the coffeemaker is a pod, drip or French press so they can buy the appropriate type of coffee, for example. Add photos of kitchen appliances as well as dishes, flatware and pots and pans so guests know what to expect.
Provide a list of seasonal items guests should bring. For summer homes, suggest sunscreen, swim clothes, beach towels, picnic baskets and such. For winter homes, items can include gloves, warm hats, ski masks, hiking boots, etc.
Every rental is an opportunity to promote your business. Include a link so guests can write a review of their rental home. And provide photos and information about other vacation rental properties you manage to entice guests who may want to try out a condo or a bigger home or sample a different area that you represent on a future trip.
Show guests you appreciate their business by offering a discount if they direct book their next stay.
References can be a gold mine. Offer guests a cash incentive or an Amazon gift card if they refer a friend who actually books and pays for a vacation rental home.

RueBaRue is an easy-to-use tool to create individualized, mobile friendly guestbooks for your vacation rental properties – and it takes minutes to set up.Book a 30-minute demo to see RueBaRue in action.

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