In addition, booking behaviours have changed. With remote work becoming the standard across various countries and professions, wealthy travellers can travel even more freely than before. They bring their families and staff along, travel all year-round and stay longer, overwriting pre-pandemic seasonality and LOS trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, with increased demand comes increased competition. To attract high-value bookings, property managers must optimise their marketing and distribution based on the unique needs of luxury properties\u2014which are very different from your typical short-term rental.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking for some concrete, actionable advice on how to market your luxury vacation rentals in 2022, read on. For this deep dive, we interviewed three experts who shared their first hand-insights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For non-luxury, mass-market vacation rentals, maximising visibility and exposure on sales channels is considered best practice. The more places you advertise your rentals online, the more potential guests will see them and the more bookings you\u2019ll get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, for luxury vacation rentals, this is not the goal. The \u201cas-many-eyeballs-on-your-listings-as-possible\u201d approach doesn\u2019t serve a type of product that\u2019s meant to attract a very specific, niche audience. Simply put, luxury rentals are not for everyone. And marketing them to everyone is not going to get you the results you seek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, listing your luxury rental on too many channels can hurt its positioning and even its revenue potential.<\/strong> By over distributing your property, you risk devaluing it in the eyes of potential guests. And as your property\u2019s perceived value decreases, so do your bookings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So what should you do instead? Preserve your property\u2019s exclusivity by distributing only on a handful of strategically selected sales channels.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s take a look at what that means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you specialise in luxury rentals, OTAs and vacation rental marketplaces are not the ideal platforms for you. That\u2019s why Airbnb created its specialised collection of luxury homes ( Airbnb Luxe<\/a>, formerly Luxury Retreats).<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s why Moriya Rockman and her husband Ira launched Smiling House<\/a>: they realised that \u201cOTAs are not meant to give the perfect answer for this niche.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Moriya, luxury rentals have specific characteristics that make OTAs a bad match for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The obstacles we listed above seem like a lot to overcome\u2014but that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t distribute luxury vacation rentals online. On the contrary: you should list them on niche channels that address the specific distribution needs of luxury properties<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Smiling House, for example, ticks all the boxes. After managing 120 luxury rentals in the Swiss Alps for many years, Moriya and her team realised that luxury rental operators around the globe were hitting the same walls when trying to list on OTAs. So, they\u2019ve built a niche channel that provides a solution for all luxury vacation rental managers, no matter where they are in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Smiling House works exclusively on a request-to-book basis (\u201cThe final \u2018yes\u2019 or \u2018no\u2019 is always the property manager\u2019s,\u201d says Moriya). They operate similarly to a travel concierge, taking the time to learn about the entire guest journey, as well as the guest\u2019s specific needs and habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLast week we had a guest who was travelling with seven dogs. He didn\u2019t mind paying the $30,000 security deposit for a luxury property\u2014and in the end, there was very little damage. Without high-touch, real assistance from my team, this booking would never have happened,\u201d Moriya says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, Smiling House optimises the guest experience by offering a variety of payment options (luxury guests often prefer bank transfers over credit card payments for high-value bookings) and personalising the stay down to the last detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Currently, Smiling House offers 4,500 listings in 125 destinations worldwide\u2014and growing by the day\u2014plus many more exclusive, \u201con-demand\u201d rentals that can only be booked off the OTAs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For property managers, Smiling House promises a higher ADR, longer stays and increased occupancy rates.<\/strong> By listing on Smiling House, you don\u2019t just get exposure to high-net-worth B2C customers. The platform also has a B2B layer, which means you can capture demand from professionals, such as travel designers and clubs like American Express or ThirdHome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur mission is to make a good property management team into an excellent one,\u201d Moriya says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Smiling House is coming soon to Rentals United! Stay tuned. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Chris Pikoulas and his team at Mykonos.Luxury<\/a> manage 50 luxury villas on the Greek island. Out of those, only 15 smaller villas are listed on Airbnb and Booking.com. The rest of their portfolio\u2014comprising larger, ultra-luxury villas\u2014is distributed exclusively through travel agents and niche channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chris and his team recently started connecting to niche channels through the Rentals United channel manager. So far, they\u2019ve listed their villas on Homes & Villas by Marriott International<\/a> and are soon to go live on Top Villas<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Chris, this has been a crucial step for them because they still get 80% of their bookings from travel agents. Chris believes that relying too much on travel agents is a risky strategy because \u201cthe world is changing. We\u2019re building the metaverse. Soon, everything will be online.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having identified this shift in the market, Chris is aiming to \u201cget more bookings from niche channels and less from travel agents\u201d. Then, it\u2019s just a matter of finding the balance between being available online but preserving the value and exclusivity of the villas by choosing the right mix of distribution channels.<\/strong> And a channel manager is a great partner in streamlining that process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u200b\u200bRentals United has a big variety of channels and it\u2019s very easy to upload properties. Everything is automated. This is the innovation we need in 2022,\u201d says Chris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rentals United currently connects to four niche channels specializing in luxury vacation rental<\/span><\/a> and more are coming soon. Talk to us<\/a> if you want to learn more about expanding your distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All three experts we spoke with agree that curating tailored experiences is the only way to live up to\u2014and perhaps exceed\u2014the expectations of luxury guests.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Moriya and her team at Smiling House put a lot of emphasis on understanding the entirety of the guest journey. \u201cThe accommodation is just one part of the guest\u2019s wider plans,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chris echoes this thought, estimating that \u201cThe total experience is 30% the villa and 70% how you manage the guest\u2019s total vacation.\u201d Guests can find villas anywhere\u2014the personalised service you provide is what sets your property management company apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So how can you provide an elevated luxury experience?<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, you can go out of your way to grant special requests. \u201cSome people say \u2018I\u2019m vegan and I want all my shampoos to be eco-friendly\u2019,\u201d says Moriya. To that particular guest, having these needs met is an essential part of the luxury experience. As a result, it\u2019s essential to learn everything about the guest\u2019s preferences prior to the stay.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Paola Gheis, who manages a family-owned villa collection in Italy, large groups staying at luxury villas usually celebrate some special occasion. She considers services like a private chef or live music standard requests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHigh-net-worth travellers are becoming more demanding, pushing the role of the host or property manager into an evolving role of travel consultant,\u201d Paola says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe guests\u2019 requests can reach a level where they want to discover the territory by staying inside their villa. And we need to be prepared to bring the best experiences by promoting the excellence of the territory,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using your local expertise is a great way to provide tailored experiences. For example, Chris and his team advise guests on which side of the island to stay on depending on whether they want to experience a windy or sunny Mykonos. They source foods from local producers and artisans, tailoring everything to their guests\u2019 sophisticated tastes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Smiling House represents luxury rentals in 125 destinations around the world and their guests travel 6-14 times a year. As a result, they take personalisation beyond a single stay by advising guests on their next trip. \u201cOne guest just checked out of a ski chalet in Switzerland and has already booked their summer holiday with us,\u201d Moriya says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a luxury rentals consultant, property manager and event host, Paola Gheis has a multi-faceted perspective. In her years working as a professional in the industry, she has discovered the key to branding and marketing luxury rentals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rentalsunited.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/banner_signature-the-squiggle-mag_02.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe 3 pillars of a successful luxury vacation rental marketing strategy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Select your distribution channels strategically<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rentalsunited.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/villa-italy-terrace-with-a-view.jpg\")
Luxury vacation rentals and OTAs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rentalsunited.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Smiling-House-beach-villa-terrace.jpg\")
A niche channel specialising in luxury rentals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rentalsunited.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smiling-house.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAutomating your channel distribution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rentalsunited.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Mykonos-luxury-villa-with-curved-pool.jpg\")
2. Curate tailored experiences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/rentalsunited.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/how-to-market-luxury-vacation-rentals-Mykonos-Luxury.jpg\")
3. Sell an aspiration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rentalsunited.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/villa-italy-tranquil-garden.jpg\")