At aBundle, we’re thrilled to have sponsored four episodes of the new digital series, Sense of Place, hosted by vacation rental expert Matt Landau. With each episode, Matt shines a light on the great vacation rental movement by taking us to amazing locations and introducing us to great local people. Along the way, he shares useful tips on improving a vacation rental property’s look and enhancing the guest experience.

We’ve learned quite a bit from our journey with Sense of Place, and we’re happy to share some of the most insightful series highlights with you. Here’s our first installment.

Check out our behind-the-scenes footage with property hosts, video clips, and useful insights by episode below!

Sense of aBundle: Ana Maria Island

Vacation rental host Nancy and Sense of Place’s Matt Landau discuss the importance of equipping a VR property with quality items. Durable furnishings also help generate 5-star reviews, which gives you the momentum and social proof needed to earn your investment back sooner rather than later.

Master the Learning Curve

Learn from Nancy rather than making these mistakes yourself! High-quality products end up costing you less in the long run. For example, our hotel-quality sheets withstand twice as many launderings and our convenient cookware sets make it easy to stock your kitchen and come with a 1-year warranty.  

Splurge NOW, Save Later

What one single item gets featured the most in your reviews? For Nancy, it’s her towels. Super-luxurious towels not only help boost guest reviews but can also lead to commanding a higher nightly rate. Finding and then doubling down on “the little things” can really make a difference in the overall guest experience.

There’s no time for trial & error when you’re prepping your vacation rental. aBundle provides unique amenities, large beach towels and towel collections so that you can get the guest experience right the first time, helping to boost your reviews for the long-term.

Sense of aBundle: Nashville

Hosts John and Ellen Oden use their own personal travel experiences to improve their vacation rental for their guests. Where does a lot of this inspiration come from? Hotel stays! Since meeting guest expectations are only going to get tougher as the competition increases, it behooves you as a host to offer the highest quality amenities that match a hotel experience.

Backed by the reach and resources of American Hotel, aBundle has hotel-tested products ensured to last! Items like hangers and luggage racks are hotel products often forgotten about in vacation rentals.

Do Your Research

Another way hosts can improve their vacation rental property is by doing market research. A quick search can locate the most popular, 5-star vacation rentals. Make a reservation, take a vacation, and then suss out the competition. What do these successful rentals have that yours don’t? Take note of how the host communicates ahead of, during, and after your stay and use that to improve your own guest interactions.

Invest in the Guest Experience

A thoughtful, personal gesture can do wonders for making your guests feel welcome. John leaves a handwritten note and stocks their favorite beverage in advance to welcome guests upon their arrival to Stay in the South properties. As seen in his host interview and detailed on his blog, personal touches are a cornerstone to the guest experience and are simply ‘the cost of doing business’.

Sense of aBundle: Seattle

Back in the early 2000s, hosts Darik and Sally were some of the first vacation rental owners in Seattle. The city had a shortage of hotels but an increase in visitors, and this savvy couple saw a business opportunity that would eventually turn into a large, successful operation. However, now the vacation rental industry in Seattle is more competitive than ever before and so they have to keep making improvements and offering quality guest stays in order to stay a step ahead!

An Expense Worth the Experience

Darik and Sally grew the scale of their vacation rental business to become industry leaders in Seattle, but don’t want to compromise the personal touch that guests crave. The X-factor that makes them so successful, like many other hosts Matt has encountered on Sense of Place, lies in the personal contributions they offer their guests and the high quality amenities they stock in their rentals.

Staffing for in-person check-ins and purchasing higher quality products will be more expensive, but are worth it in the long run to this couple because this superior level of service makes their business stand out.

Sense of aBundle: Sayulita

The final episode of Sense of Place took us to Mexico where hosts Frank and Kelly have done more than just offer a gorgeous vacation rental, they have a created a truly luxurious experience for their guests at Hacienda Antigua. From boutique amenities to on-site spa and chef services, no expense has been spared to create the ultimate beach getaway.

Consider In-House Services

If your vacation rental is going to be located in a rural town like Sayulita, it’s important that you as the host provides everything that the community might be lacking. In order to offer a truly rich experience, speciality collections like aBundle Select will leave guests with that elegant impression you want to deliver.

While Kelly and Frank are passionate about delivering that promise of elegance and luxury, that doesn’t mean they don’t have their share of frustrations. One example of this was the challenge of cleaning white luxury towels after guests left makeup stains. Luckily, aBundle can fix that problem with the help of specialty makeup remover towels!

Save 20% on your first aBundle order!

Adapt and improve your vacation rental to offer your guest a great stay. aBundle provides essential items like soaps, shampoos, towels, and sheets to vacation rental hosts. But don’t take our word for it — see for yourself! Shop our products at aBundle.com