Which guests are on your wish list and suit your holiday home - and how do you convince this target group to spend a holiday in your holiday apartment or holiday house? This is a question you should consider when furnishing and also when writing the description text for your accommodation. To make orientation easier for you, we present the 9 most important guest groups for which it can be worthwhile to focus on.
1. Families
Families with children are probably the largest target group. To meet their needs, the holiday home should offer enough space; separate children’s rooms are of course ideal. An adjoining garden with play facilities is also ideal. Another advantage of a family-friendly holiday home could be the provision of children’s and baby utensils, such as travel cots, high chairs, baby changers, and toys.
To make the holiday home safe for children, things such as edge protectors, stair gates and sockets with increased protection against accidental contact are helpful. Safety also plays a role in the outdoor area. If your holiday home is located on a busy road, it should be securely demarcated, e.g. by a fence. If you have a pool in the garden, a pool cover offers protection. Of particular interest to families are, of course, the possible leisure activities nearby. Whether rural nature, swimming pools, leisure parks or flat stretches of beach: Activities and excursion destinations suitable for families are a big plus for your holiday home and should be particularly highlighted in the description. This target group is usually quite price-sensitive, so it is advisable to structure the rental price adequately. You can find more information in our tutorial Making your holiday home family-friendly.
2. Dog owners
Families, couples, and singles with dogs are another important target group. These holidaymakers are predestined for holidays in holiday apartments or holiday houses. Air travel to distant countries and hotel stays are usually not an option with a dog. You can therefore significantly expand your target group if you allow your guests to bring a dog into your holiday home.
For dog owners, an outdoor area secured by a hedge, wall or fence is important so that the dog can run freely in the garden. Providing a dog bed is a nice touch, but not essential. Feel free to set guidelines in the house rules for bringing a pet, for example that the dog is not allowed in the bed or on the couch. You can find more on this subject in our tutorial Make your holiday home pet-friendly.
3. Active holiday makers
If your holiday home is located in the mountains, by the sea or in another environment suitable for sporting activities, it is particularly interesting for active holidaymakers. You should emphasise the nearby possibilities in your description text. For example, a holiday home in the mountains benefits from the proximity to a cable car, a ski area or to special hiking trails, via ferratas or mountain bike trails.
For winter sports regions, a ski room is a plus. For cycling enthusiasts, bicycle parking or a bicycle rental nearby is relevant. At the sea or lake, access to bathing and water sports spots can be interesting; information on the best bathing and surfing spots is also valuable. Anglers appreciate holiday homes with their own boat dock, a boat rental or even a place to process the fish.
Active guests often attach less importance to luxurious facilities, as they spend most of the day outside the holiday home. However, it is an advantage if it is easy to reach and has cosy, practical furnishings. Extras such as a fitness room are particularly well received. To differentiate yourself from other owners, you can offer your guests ski or mountain bike rental and provide route tips for their activities.
4. International guests
You can align your holiday home with an international target group so that you not only accommodate guests from your country, but can also operate internationally. For this, it is necessary that you provide your description text as well as your house rules in several languages.
The same applies to your guest folder and information material about leisure activities in the area. If necessary, you may also need to provide more detailed explanations about the inventory in your holiday home if the way it is used is not self-explanatory for international guests. Socket adapters could also make your guests’ stay more pleasant and are an easy way to increase guest satisfaction.
5. Travel groups
Larger groups are a promising target group for you if you have a larger holiday home with several bedrooms and bathrooms. Consider whether your accommodation is particularly suitable for larger family reunions or joint trips of friends, for example. If you want to appeal to this target group, you should clearly communicate whether youth groups are allowed or from what age the rental of the holiday home is permitted.
6. Luxury holidaymakers
Do you have a particularly high-quality holiday home that stands out due to its modernity, special architecture, high-quality furnishings as well as extras such as a great pool or its own spa area? Then discerning luxury holidaymakers are a suitable target group. Especially if your holiday home is in an exceptionally beautiful location of a popular destination.
In this case, luxurious furnishings and that certain something are just as much a basic requirement as the first-class quality of the materials and furniture. Especially with this target group, it is important not to address the broad masses, but to emphasise the exclusivity of your holiday home. Guests with an affinity for luxury are quite prepared to pay the corresponding price for the level of service offered.
7. Wellness holidaymakers
For wellness holidaymakers, a spa area is especially important. If your holiday home has a sauna, a pool or a whirlpool, you have a good chance of attracting wellness holidaymakers. It is also okay if your facilities belong to a communal area, but private spa areas are more popular and attract more guests.
The accommodation should also be in a quiet and beautiful location and be characterised by cosy and high-quality furnishings, so that the holiday is thoroughly relaxing for your guests. If wellness services such as massages are available near your holiday home, be sure to inform your guests about them.
8. City tourists
As the name suggests, these guests want to see as much as possible of the city they are visiting. A holiday home in a central location is ideal for this purpose and therefore very popular with this target group. But holiday homes outside the city centre with good connections to public transport are also booked a lot, so as not to live directly in the hustle and bustle of the city centre.
If you have a holiday home that is suitable for a city trip, you should also allow short travel durations and flexible arrival days, as city trips often only last a few days and usually take place at the weekend. This way you expand the circle of potential guests. It is best to also provide information on excursion tips, sights, and a city map.
9. Business travellers
If your holiday home is located in a larger city, possibly even near trade fair and congress centres, it is particularly suitable for business travellers. Holiday homes for this target group should of course be equipped with a desk and have a good internet connection. If you want to stand out from other accommodations, you can also place another monitor on the desk to which a laptop can be connected.
For business travellers, besides good and comfortable facilities, it is important to have a smooth check-in and check-out process that is as quick as possible. Therefore, you should guarantee an uncomplicated handover of keys both upon arrival and departure of the guests. As with city holidaymakers, you should also be prepared for short stays and, if necessary, flexible arrival days.
