Top 10 “must haves” in your holiday rental home in Portugal

In a time when holiday rental properties have increased and become an ever

growing competitive market, how do you make your holiday home in Portugal stand

out from the crowd?

Every guest is different and what makes your property unmissable for one person might be the same thing that puts another person off entirely. But by paying attention to the details and listening to guests about the aspects, facilities and amenities they actually want in their holiday rental, you can invest your money wisely and create a holiday rental property that appeals to the largest audience.

SCH Solutions has accumulated years of experience managing holiday rental properties in an ever-growing market and is today one of the leading Holiday Rental suppliers on the Silver Coast of Portugal. We have watched this industry grow and evolve which is why we pride ourselves being the ones that pioneered the concept “Hotel Experience in a Luxury Holiday Home!”

We understand that guests increasingly look for hotel standard amenities combined with modern home comforts in their holiday rental property bookings.

Short-term holiday rental needs are very different compared to long-term rental property needs. It’s not enough to offload all your old mismatched furniture and equipment to ‘the rental property’. It may be ‘good enough for rental’ but it’s no longer good enough for Holiday Rentals.

We scanned hundreds of reviews to look for consistency in guest feedback — good and bad. Here are our Top 10 items that guests consistently mention. Savvy holiday rental property owners know this and accommodate accordingly in order to get the right return on investment.

1. Free Wi-Fi

Yes, we know holidays are supposed to be about “getting away from it all.” And yes, we realize many people go on holiday precisely because they’re tired of being chained to their computer or their smartphone. But the fact is that people expect the same fast wireless access as they would find at home.

2. Smart TV / Streaming

Again, we recognize that holidays aren’t meant to be spent staring at TV screens. But your

guests will still hope for some comforts of home, and this includes cable or access to streaming services like Netflix.

3. Air-Conditioning / Heating

Guests love the comfort in knowing they can cool themselves down on the days when the breeze drops.

Also, a very important factor is that as we try and fill the winter months it is essential that there is obviously heating too. So Air-Conditioning / Heating units are a definite

MUST HAVE.

4. Well Equipped Kitchen

Guests have chosen your holiday home over a hotel, so they are not expecting room service and restaurants at their doorstep. Therefore, it is very important to have your kitchen well-equipped. If your property sleeps six, have double of all crockery and cutlery... Nobody likes to do dishes on holiday! Don’t forget, you can never have too many pots and pans or serving dishes. And every family loves a good picnic on the beach, maybe some Tupperware would be nice.

Be ahead of the game with small luxury kitchen appliances like a microwave, hand blender, kettle, toaster, and a coffee machine!

5. Amenities

Kitchen - Most guests book a more lengthy stay, of course, they’ll want to be able to keep

the area where food is prepared clean and sanitary — especially if there are small children

running around as well. In case they’re only staying for one night you also don’t want them

to leave a stack of dirty dishes behind for you to clean up before the next arrival.

Hence, dish soap, a sponge and cloth, a dish drying rack, and fresh dish towels should be

amongst your holiday rental supplies. If your kitchen already comes with a dishwasher you

only need to think of dishwasher tablets.

Bathroom - Guests expect to find travel-size toiletries in any standard hotel, but they’re totally blown away when they get the same service at a holiday rental.

However, we suggest thinking of our beautiful planet and saving on using plastic by installing larger dispensers in all the bathrooms with soap, shampoo & conditioner.

6. Outdoor Living

Holidays are all about the outdoors, soaking up the sun and breathing in the fresh air. When guests think of family holidays they more than likely think of summer nights having barbecue dinners together on the terrace or balcony, catching up and having a laugh. Outdoor dining furniture is a MUST! If you can provide a sun lounger or two, it’s a great addition for those days your guests just want to laze at the pool.

7. Barbecue

Nothing can top a holiday barbecue with family on those long summer nights. Having a barbecue grill will definitely make your property stand out.

8. Family Friendly

Holiday Rental Properties are very popular for families with young children. Therefore, child-friendly items are also a must. The most common items are baby cots, high chairs, a few plastic crockery & cutlery items and a small beach set like bucket and spade. Again, staying ahead of the game would be to have some children’s DVDs, books and games.

9. Local maps, guidebooks, ...

The information manual is actually mandatory, and it has all the essential contacts.

You never know what can happen, so your guests really do need to know that the manual is there should they need a doctor or to be able to call the correct emergency services. It also lets them know some small details like where to throw their rubbish away.

Some guests have chosen your holiday home for its location, and they are itching to get out and explore new places in the area and seek good dinner and lunch spots. Make things easier for them by leaving some guidebooks or maps too.

10. 24-Hour Check-in

Guests love being able to check-in whenever they please. Especially if something doesn’t

go to plan with their travels. That doesn’t mean you have to worry about being available 24 hours a day, just make sure you have an automated check-in system in place. Whether they gain access to your property via a key-safe, key-less entry or any other service, this amenity will make a great first impression on your guests.

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Find out more about SCH’s Holiday Rentals Programme

SCH offers holiday homeowners in Portugal a professional Holiday Rental Program that benefits from several years of hospitality experience...

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Author: Allenah Herholdt Tereso, Managing Director SCH SOLUTIONS

This article was originally published in the July 2020 edition of Portugal The Simple Life Magazine. Download your FREE copy on this link!