Let’s say you have a Bed and Breakfast. Your potential customers first stop is your website. Do you have high quality photos that highlight why your Bed and Breakfast is unique, wonderful and the perfect place to stay? Does each room look inviting, comfortable and vacation worthy? Does it draw in your ideal customer and make an emotional connection? If not, you have lost them within a few seconds!
I did a little market research on how my customers selected my Bed and Breakfast. My research (I asked them) showed that most picked my place based on the lower price. My target market was couples that were interested in wildlife viewing, and wanted a little luxury and were willing to pay more for a mid-high end Bed and Breakfast. My ideal customers were not the bargain hunters. I decided I needed to make a change!
My goal was to make my place unique and beautiful, raise my prices, increase my bookings and attract guests with interests similar to mine so I could provide them with great customer service.
I knew home staging worked to sell houses fast and for more and to attract a particular target market by using decorating to make an emotional connection with those buyers.
So, I transformed my Bed and Breakfast inside and out!
I love your idea of applying home staging tricks of the trade to your bed and breakfast! Great blog post!
Thanks so much Amy! I would never have thought of it for my Bed and Breakfast until I became a home stager and designer and realized how all the things that work to sell a house can work to “rent” a house too:)
This is a service offering ALL bed and breakfast owners should take advantage of! Great insights, Mary Ann!
Thank you! I look forward to helping any vacation rental owner experience similar results!
So great to know with a plan for good decor, advertising and better photos you can actually increase your ROI on a vacation rental.
It really does make a difference, which was great to experience in my own business!
Your ideas are perfect! So much more inviting for a relaxing stay.
Thank you Suzi! It is important to find that balance between interesting and exciting enough to attract your ideal customer and relaxing once they arrive:)
Staging is worth every penny and more!! Makes such a huge difference!
Thanks so much Christie!
I love your before & after pictures, Mary Ann- what a difference!
And I also appreciate knowing the real financial difference it made in your business.
Thanks Leslie! I only have 1 room at my B&B so imagine what a difference it could make to a business with multiple rooms!
Nice blog! Very helpful tips for all bed and breakfasts owners.
Thank you Cindy!