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21 Vacation Rental Concierge Services to Enhance Guest Stays

Concierge services are traditionally associated with the hotel industry but nowadays, guests expect hotel-grade services from vacation rentals, too. And not just in the luxury vacation rental industry.

vacation-rental-concierge-service

Successful venture-backed companies like Sonder, Frontdesk, and The Guild are prime examples as they combine hotel-like services and amenities with Airbnb-type properties. They’ve managed to disrupt the vacation rental space, capture investor attention, and attract a growing number of customers around the world.

To over-deliver on guest satisfaction is the power of vacation rental concierge service. But you don’t have to be a VC-backed startup or have ultra-luxury services to wow your guests. All you need is a variety of concierge services to enhance guest stays.

With this article, we’re going to show you:

  • Why you should consider providing vacation rental concierge services.
  • How property managers can provide concierge services easily.
  • The top 21 vacation rental concierge services to blow your guests away.
  • Also, see our super-handy chart Vacation Rental Concierge Services per Guest Type.

Why should you consider providing vacation rental concierge services?

Vacation rental concierge services can help your business in various ways:

  • Enhance the guest experience. Whether it’s a family reunion or workation, offering hotel-like services can transform an ordinary trip into one your guests will remember for a lifetime.
  • Get better reviews. When guests perceive added value, such as local recommendations and outstanding communication, they’re more likely to leave stellar reviews, which will attract more guests and optimize your occupancy rates.

“The check-in details were amazing and the service from the management was unlike any I have had before. Thanks for a great getaway!" - Frontdesk guest review

  • Boost your repeat bookings. Guests are more likely to return to an accommodation where they experienced better and unique services. One recent study confirmed the importance of overall and individual communication to capture repeat bookings.
  • Receive referrals. Loyal customers mean you can increase the probability of guest referrals. When guests can’t stop talking about your property to friends and family, it’s only natural everyone will want to book a sure thing.
  • Stay one step ahead of the competition. Advertise your concierge services upfront and potential guests will know they’ll get better value for money when they stay in one of your properties. You’ll beat any comparison with competitors hands down.
  • Increase your revenue with upsells. Turn your upsell ideas into reality. Whether it’s bicycle rentals or late check-outs , additional services offer a great way to maximize your vacation rental income .
  • Gain deeper insight into your customers. You can create a better vacation experience for guests once you know how to match the right services to the right customers. But you never know what guests want until you show them the services you can offer. Recent data from Statista reveal that the majority of U.S. vacation rental guests are middle-to-high-income earners. Never take anything for granted and keep a variety of services available to all of your guests, luxury-oriented or not.
Statista screenshot of U.S. vacation rental user demographic per income range in 2021

Image source: Statista screenshot of U.S. vacation rental user demographic per income range in 2021

How can vacation rental managers provide concierge services?

While offering concierge services may seem daunting, property managers can provide extra services without having to do extra work in three easy steps. Here’s how:

  1. Use a digital concierge app or software like RueBaRue. With RueBaRue’s streamlined communication system, you can provide concierge-level services at the touch of a button.
  2. Organize your concierge team. When you add services like extended stays and daily housekeeping, your maintenance staff will do the heavy lifting. Or have a staff member provide extra services or assistance on site, if needed. It’s just a matter of organizing your team in advance.
  3. Create local partnerships. For guest services like airport pickup and local attractions, you can partner with local providers, like a transportation company and tour operators. Or you may have someone on staff who can double as a driver or book theater tickets.

When you use a combination of internal staff, outsourcing, and seamless communication in your vacation rental management, you can provide hotel-like services without overworking yourself. To help you choose the right vacation rental concierge services for your properties, here are our top 21 picks to wow your guests.

The top 21 vacation rental concierge services that will blow your guests away

1. Local recommendations

"People want that local experience when they come here. Our RueBaRue guides help us provide that." - Beachcomber - RueBaRue customer review

To increase repeat bookers and referrals, your guests not only have to be delighted with your rental property but the area as well. And a digital guide can accomplish this.

With RueBaRue, you can provide local area guides , which are a part of RueBaRue’s digital guestbooks . Local area guides are the equivalent of a hotel concierge giving guests tips on where to have dinner or which beach is the least crowded.

You can create them for each location and send them to guests in advance of their arrival, and you’ll help them plan their trip better because they’ll have all the information they need beforehand, including your insider tips for a more authentic experience.

RueBaRue makes creating local guides easy as you can automatically upload information from Google in seconds. Then, if you want to add a personal touch, add your own recommendations.

RueBaRue screenshot of local area guide as a vacation rental concierge service.

Image source: RueBaRue - Screenshot of RueBaRue local area guide as a vacation rental concierge service.

2. Answering guest questions

Excellent guest communication means greater guest satisfaction. But answering questions is time-consuming unless you use the right software, like RueBaRue’s guest SMS messaging feature.

Here’s how using text messages instead of email means better communication for you and your guest:

  • Instantaneous. They arrive in seconds.
  • Higher open rate. Guests are much more likely to open and read your messages.
  • Wi-Fi free. Guests don’t have to depend on internet access to read and respond.

With RueBaRue, you can send text messages from your computer, tablet, or phone instantaneously. Set up team access, so more than one person is managing communications. And because text messages have a higher open rate than emails,

And with stored messages, there’s never any confusion about what kind of information has been exchanged. Guests can contact your team any time and receive answers to their questions in an instant.

3. Option to extend the stay

Offer existing guests discounted rates to extend their stay, like checking in one or two days in advance or leaving a few days later. This is especially handy for filling in those Sunday-to-Monday gaps or turning a weekend booking into a 3 or 4-night stay.

After all, it’s easier to get an existing customer who has already booked to prolong their trip than it is to find a new guest. And guests will enjoy more vacation time while saving money.

RueBaRue makes filling in your availability gaps easy with a targeted extend guest stays feature. Just use RueBaRue’s color-coded calendar to match gap days to guests and send a message with your offer to extend check-in or check-out via text or email. It’s that simple.

RueBaRue image of Extend Guest Stays feature provides added value to guests with discounted rates on extended, which is a great vacation rental concierge service.

Image source: RueBaRue - Image of RueBaRue Extend Guest Stays feature provides added value to guests with discounted rates on extended, which is a great vacation rental concierge service.

You can even calculate your ROI with our Extend Guest Stays - ROI Calculator.

Image source: RueBaRue - RueBaRue image of Extend Guest Stays - ROI Calculator

4. Late check-out

How many times have guests asked to check out late because they want to catch a few more waves, indulge in another authentic meal, or simply because it worked better with their flight schedule? Late check-outs can be a great way to enhance your guests’ stay while also increasing your revenue.

Offer a late check-out possibility in advance so guests can think about it during their stay. They’ll appreciate it, especially when they're taking advantage of the insider tips provided in your local guide.

5. Daily housekeeping

Daily housekeeping is another upsell that can be a top seller for large groups and families. But don’t underestimate your other guest segments, too. Even a bleisure guest who doesn’t have time to fuss will appreciate working in a clean, organized environment.

6. Grocery delivery

Whether your guests’ flight has been delayed or they’re just exhausted after a day’s worth of sightseeing, grocery shopping is the last thing they want to worry about. Strike a deal with a local grocer or use an online service like Instacart or aplant-based option, like Hungryroot.

7. Airport pickup

Whether you or a staff member provide this or you commission it out to a transportation company, airport pickups are an added convenience to guests who don’t want to rent a car and prefer avoiding public transport while struggling with heavy luggage.

8. Tours and activities

Partner with local tour guides and operators to give your guests the best possible taste of local experience. Include a variety of tours and activities from kid-friendly attractions and amusement parks to booking museum tickets and private wine tours.

Some partnerships may also prove profitable, bringing you commissions on each tour or activity you sell. And don’t underestimate the added value of booking dinner reservations at the city’s most exclusive restaurants.

9. Laundry services

Extra bath and kitchen towels can be a boon to any guest segment, especially for long stays. You may be able to outsource this concierge service to the laundry company currently cleaning your bed, kitchen, and bath linens.

10. Family-friendly services

Guests want to travel light, especially when they’re vacationing with children. Here are some extra rental services you can provide for families:

  • Cribs
  • High chairs
  • Strollers
  • Beach toys
  • Local babysitting service

Also, furnishing a rental with children’s books, and baby plates and utensils will go a long way to make a family’s stay more enjoyable.

11. Private chef

Offering exclusive services is a wise choice, especially if you have luxurious vacation homes. A personal chef for hire will make your guests’ stay unique and unforgettable.

See what this happy Airbnb guest thought of their private chef:

“... This was hands down the best Airbnb experience I’ve ever had. Swipe to unlock the door, temperature controls, property guides, local guides. We were even able to book a personal chef to come to the property and cook a big dinner for us one night 🤤🤤 this is the future of traveling….” - Airbnb guest review

12. Sports equipment rental and services

Convenient for all types of travelers, sports equipment rental can help your guests travel light while they take full advantage of the local activities. You can invest in buying some of the smaller items like snorkeling gear or even provide a few mountain bikes. For bigger equipment like skis, snowboards, or paddleboards, put your guests in touch with local rental shops or find an online service that delivers.

Be prepared to reserve golf tee times or a tennis court to ensure rental guests have the vacation of their dreams.

13. Seasonal services

Whether your rental property is near ski slopes or sandy beaches, offering extra seasonal services is another great vacation rental concierge service your guests will appreciate. When you can buy their ski passes in advance or get them into a private beach club, they’ll be more likely to leave you a great guest review and become a repeat booker season after season.

14. In-house spa treatments

A new report shows wellness is a current travel trend. Find a nearby spa where guests can feel pampered with a variety of exclusive wellbeing packages as well as the standard facials, scrubs, and mani-pedis. You can even connect with a local masseuse to provide at-home massages.

15. Personal trainer

There will always be guests who can’t do without a daily workout, no matter where they are. Partner with a local gym to provide daily, weekly, or monthly access passes. You can even find a personal trainer to help guests work out on-site or outdoors. Fitness guests will request this even when they’re staying for a short term.

16. Celebrations/Special occasions

Clients may want to organize a small surprise birthday cake or celebrate a wedding anniversary. Have contacts ready for local balloon delivery, pastry shops, florists, wine shops, and nearby decoration-supply stores.

"We use RueBaRue to connect with our guests during their stay to ensure that a 5-star stay is had by all." - Bluewater Vacation Homes - San Diego (RueBaRue customer review)

17. Personal photographer

Whether your guests are celebrating special occasions or are influencers who want to look their best no matter where they go, find them a photographer for hire. You might even get a free promo out of their social media posts.

18. Car rental

Last summer, car rentals boomed and caused a shortage of available vehicles . Advise guests to book car rentals in advance if they need one, but be ready with alternatives if there’s a rental shortage. Check availability at secondary airports that have fewer arrivals, use comparison car rental apps, like Hopper, or book a car share through Turo.

19. Private driver

Make contact with a local Uber driver or a chauffeur because guests will want to explore the area in style. Whether that means booking a full-time water taxi to island-hop in privacy or cruising around town with a private driver, guests will enjoy the added comfort.

20. Private jet charter

While this luxury vacation concierge service may seem extreme, asking to book a jet or even a helicopter is mainstream for a luxury traveler. Many guests may want to avoid traffic altogether to visit nearby hotspots. Or they just want to enjoy unique scenic views from on high in the privacy of a charter plane.

21. Fashion rental

A recent Skift report shows fashion rentals on the rise with more eco-conscious luxury guests who want to travel luggage-free. Put your guests in contact with a personal stylist or shopper to help them rent a new wardrobe and blend in with the locals.

Wow your guests with your best vacation rental concierge services

We hope these vacation rental concierge service ideas will inspire you to add further value to guest stays.

To provide hotel-like services, all you need is to create localpartnerships, organize your team in advance, and use RueBaRue as your all-in-one guest communication software.

Here’s a quick reminder of how vacation rental concierge services can benefit your property management company:

  • Enhance your guests’ experience
  • Improve your guest reviews
  • Boost repeat bookings
  • Receive referrals
  • Beat the competition
  • Increase your revenue
  • Get greater customer insight

And to help you to match the right concierge services to your customer segment, use this service-to-guest chart (click the image to zoom in and out):

Frequently asked questions about concierge services for vacation rentals

What concierge services can vacation rentals offer?

Vacation rentals can offer a wide range of concierge services, from the most basic, like late check-out and airport pickup, to the more luxurious, like a personal chef and in-house wellness treatments.

When you use a guest communication software like RueBaRue, you can share your concierge services digitally and help guests get the most out of their stay.

What is a virtual concierge?

A virtual or digital concierge is an artificial intelligence tool that provides information about the property and local area to guests.

While time-saving, a digital concierge has its drawbacks. Invasion of privacy, limited information, and guest tech fatigue can dampen your guests’ vacation experience. Instead, try an all-in-one guest communication software, like RueBaRue, to enhance your guests’ stays.

What are the best concierge services vacation rentals can offer to guests?

Local recommendations, daily housekeeping, and grocery delivery are some of the best concierge services vacation rentals can offer guests.

Property managers can easily provide these by organizing maintenance staff and setting up local partnerships to provide extra services. And they can use RueBaRue to create and send digital local area guides to guests.

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