What do guests expect from self-catering accommodation providers?

Guests who book their holiday online through SuperControl are asked to complete a short feedback survey¹. Their comments help us ensure we make the booking process as efficient as possible for them. Their feedback also provides an insight into what you can do to ensure they keep booking with you!

So, what do your guests want?

We’ve had a look at the feedback we’ve received from guests over the past month and concentrated on just one question: What could be added or changed to make the booking process easier? There were many answers but a few things cropped up again and again (and again):

  • The option to pay by card. This was by far the most requested facility guests asked for. If you don’t already allow your guests to pay by card at the time of booking, it’s time to change this.
  • Pictures – and lots of them. Guests want to see what they’re booking, in as much detail as possible, so include pictures of the exterior of your property, the interior, the garden/outside and the facilities etc. First impressions count, so make sure pictures are realistic and good quality – good pictures are more likely to attract guests to your listing and, ultimately, get you more bookings. All pictures should be of high resolution, and well shot/styled/lit – it’s worthwhile investing in professional pictures if you can.
  • Put yourself on the map. It’s really important to guests to know your location before booking. Guests want to pinpoint the exact property on Google satellite view so they can see access, neighbouring properties, lie of the land etc. So, make sure you include your latitude/longitude information. They also want to know the location of the property they’ve booked in relation to other properties/amenities if you have a holiday park or a site with a number of cottages, for instance, so include a site map if this is the case.

¹ The survey is a small form for guests to complete once they’ve booked – it basically asks how they found the booking process. SuperControl customers can ask for this to be removed.