We respect your privacy
With the growth in the number of accommodation facilities, which we have particularly witnessed over the past few years, competition naturally increases as well, along with the struggle for every single guest.
Statistics show that more than 637,000 tourist beds are located precisely in private accommodation, and this number continues to grow year after year, making private accommodation a kind of hallmark of Croatia. However, in the early stages of developing this type of tourism offer, the concept was significantly different, and accommodation providers were envisioned as hosts. This is why the categorization decisions that providers must obtain are called approvals for providing hospitality services in households. Namely, legislators at the time envisaged that accommodation rental would be carried out by those who, within the property in which they live, have the possibility to offer accommodation services to guests in part of the space.
The situation today is different, and we now have a large number of accommodation providers with holiday homes and apartments located away from their place of residence, and this distance certainly makes it more difficult to practice the so-called “host approach” toward guests. Although many providers are comfortable having as little contact with guests as possible, research nevertheless shows that those who make an effort around their guests and communicate with them achieve much better business results. Regardless of physical distance or a possible lack of time to dedicate to guests, there are many ways to show that we are good hosts. Below we present several tips that will certainly help you enhance your reputation and leave positive impressions with your guests.
1. First impressions are the most important!
You know how they say that it takes just three seconds to form a first impression of a person? It is precisely that first impression that directs all our subsequent thoughts in a positive or negative direction. The same applies to a guest’s first entry into an accommodation. Recall a situation when you yourself, while traveling, entered your hotel room for the first time. If the impression from the doorway was “wow”, everything you continued to observe in the room only reinforced that positive feeling. Of course, the opposite also applies.
Therefore, make an effort to ensure that your guest is positively surprised from the very moment they enter the property. Engage all of their senses. Is the apartment by the sea? Let them be welcomed by the scent of lavender or rosemary. Scents play a very important role in creating impressions. Just remember how the smell of Proust’s madeleine transported him back to childhood and into his search for lost time. Pay attention to the visual aspect as well. What is the first thing that catches the eye when a guest enters the apartment? If it is the dining table, make sure there is a vase with flowers or an attractive decoration on it. A tray with fresh fruit and a bottle of cold water to refresh them after a long journey would certainly brighten their day.
2. Be present, but not intrusive
If you welcome your guests personally, that is excellent! Of course, you do not intend to knock on their door every day asking if they need anything, nor would they want that, but make sure that those first 20 or so minutes of meeting you and getting to know the accommodation are as pleasant as possible. Be cheerful and welcome them with a smile. Convey that you are genuinely happy to host them and wish them a wonderful stay. Walk them through the accommodation and show them where everything is located. Tell them about the place they have arrived at—what they can see in the surroundings, where they can eat well (guests especially appreciate local recommendations), what events are coming up soon. It would be very practical to have a map of the wider area and show them where things are located, and it would certainly be helpful to inform them about technical details such as travel times to the most visited attractions, the location of the nearest gas station, post office, and medical clinic, bus routes if available, and similar information. When saying goodbye, let them know that you respect their privacy and want them to enjoy discovering everything the destination has to offer, and that you will be available if they need you—and explain how they can contact you. You are there, but when they need you.
If you do not welcome guests in person, prepare a detailed welcome letter for them that includes all of this information (naturally at least in English, and preferably in the language of the guests’ country of origin) and leave it in a visible place in the accommodation.
3. Provide guests with informational materials
Before guests arrive, it is certainly advisable to visit the local tourist board and collect informational and promotional materials. You can leave leaflets and brochures for guests to browse when they have time. Guests often take these materials with them as souvenirs of their stay. In any case, this approach also makes your “job” of explaining what they should visit much easier.
4. Welcome packages
It is not a rule, but most accommodation providers welcome their guests with a small token of attention, such as a bottle of wine. If you are unsure whether to prepare welcome packages, we certainly recommend that you do so. From personal experience, we know how delightful it is to find something to snack on or drink in a hotel room, because after the journey to the destination and the fatigue that always accompanies travel, even the smallest gesture can have a big effect. Of course, you do not need to spend much on welcome packages, but within your budget, try to design a package that will be both useful and interesting. For example, if a specific drink is produced in your town or region, include it in the welcome package and then tell the guest its story. A welcome package can consist of fresh products (e.g., a fruit tray) or be designed in an entirely different way. You can create a branded reusable canvas bag and place a glass bottle with your apartment’s logo inside. You can then tell guests that you prepared this for them so they can go shopping without worry and avoid spending money on single-use plastic bags (ecology is an important topic for everyone), while the glass bottle can be used to refill tap water, which here (unlike in most other European countries) is drinkable and healthy for consumption. In this way, you educate them, save money on buying bottled water, and show that you care about their health. Be creative and let your gift tell a story as well.
5. Create the impression of a friend
An overly formal and stiff approach will create the feeling of a purely business relationship between you and the guest. If you approach them in a way that conveys the impression of a friend, the relationship will be just that. And we always like to praise friends (for example, in reviews), don’t we?
You will create the impression of a friend by sharing a part of your personality. Tell how you renovated the house as a memory of your grandparents who lived there, or how you have always been in love with that location because of the beautiful nearby park. In this way, they will be even more convinced that choosing this accommodation was the right decision. Share a few “insider tips” with them—you will win them over. For example, tell them that a neighbor sells excellent honey that they absolutely must try, and that they should not miss the fishermen’s festival on Thursday and visit Uncle Mario’s stand, which always has fresh sardines. Also mention that you intentionally placed aromatic lavender oil in the apartment because it is relaxing, and that it is important to you that their vacation passes without stress and tension. Simple and effective, wouldn’t you agree?
6. What if the accommodation is in the countryside?
Are you concerned that there are no shops, cafés, or restaurants in your surroundings where you can direct your guests? What if they expected a more urban environment? The specificity of the location (whatever it may be) can be turned into your advantage! If the accommodation is in the countryside, consider creating a small garden and planting some fruits and vegetables that guests can pick themselves. It sounds simple, but for someone coming from a big city and consuming low-quality supermarket food, such an offer would be a true experience. Perhaps a neighbor has domestic animals, or there is a lavender field nearby where guests can take photos as souvenirs. There is certainly “that something” that makes your place special. Highlight it to your guests.
7. Offer something different from the competition
Details make the difference. Sometimes even small investments create the impression of a big difference compared to what the competition offers. If you primarily focus on families with children, purchase a game console and several board games. On long summer evenings, guests will certainly enjoy playing chess or assembling puzzles. Is your house located in seclusion and surrounded by a large yard offering a phenomenal panoramic view? Buy an artist’s easel, canvas, paints, and brushes, and set up a chair. Tell guests that this place will awaken the artist within them and inspire them to create true works of art.
What does all this have to do with you as a good host? You will emphasize to guests that you purchased the PlayStation precisely because of guests like them (e.g., families with children), because you want them to feel comfortable and have as much fun as possible during their vacation. That is how hosts think.
8. Emotion is the key!
People are emotional beings, and that is how we function—emotions are our trigger always and in every situation. Positive emotions encourage positive actions, and negative emotions encourage negative ones. Provide guests with positive emotions, and they will certainly return the favor through reviews, recommendations, or repeat bookings. Always strive to be smiling in communication with guests and encourage them to visit a nearby place that you know will delight them. Show emotion through your story about the destination when you welcome them on the first day, or even better, take a bit more time and show them around the area. When they see how you greet neighbors while they are in your company, they will also feel like part of the community.
Let us return, at least in our thoughts, a few decades back, when we truly lived tourism and made an effort to ensure that guests felt as good as possible. If we think this way, our thoughts will be reflected in actions, and actions will bring positive results. Let us be good hosts, and we will have good guests!
