Elevating Short-Term Rental Listings on OTAs | Distribution Expert in Vacation Rental Property Management
Do you include cleaning fees in your rates for hotel-centered OTAs? I love traveling during the shoulder season, even for a little staycation or a road trip. No crowds, and prices are typically cheaper. It’s usually just me and my husband, and we stay for one night in one place. Last week we traveled through the wine country in Eastern Washington. As a travel enthusiast and industry insider, it strikes me every time I see prices on private apartments or studios skyrocketing for such a short stay, mostly due to exorbitant cleaning fees. Imagine my disappointment when a promising $74 per night rate on Booking.com quickly ballooned to 200% more for a 1-night stay due to a hefty $170 cleaning fee! In fact it was more than 4* hotel with a pool 😱 Sure enough, I booked a room with a view in a beautiful historic hotel in downtown Spokane instead. It was cheaper, yes. But more importantly, it was psychologically more acceptable than paying $170 for the cleaning fee for a one-night stay, especially when most guests do not even use the kitchen. With this rant, I just want to bring attention to urban STR managers competing in a hotel market. Of course, pitching a $70 nightly rate will draw attention to your property, but will lookers turn to bookers at the last stage of sale? Did you know that some OTAs punish property rankings if they don't convert, seeing it as something wrong with it? If you are competing in a hotel-centric market or listed on OTAs like Booking.com, Hopper, or Expedia Group, first of all, include some of the relevant rooms in your comp set to track them down. Hotels, with their advanced revenue management, are usually a pretty good indicator of demand and events in the area. But most importantly, consider including a cleaning fee in the rate or lowering /prorating the fee for a shorter stay. That could really win you some guests during the shoulder season and fill your mid-week. #RevenueManagement #Hospitality #Tourism #OTA #STR #VacationRentals
