Up till now we have just had one price for anywhere up to 8 guests maximum . Someone I know has a tiered system -lower-cost for fewer guests. I hesitate doing that because with a lockbox system , I fear people will say they have fewer people than they do to get a lower price.
However , I'm wondering if that is part of the key to her success ; she gets double the number of bookings we do per year.
We went about 135 nights a year.
We have the same cleaning fee , the same minimum night stays, sleeps the same number of people , in the same town . We actually have a river view. They are different in that hers are newer log homes and ours is kind of a classic property.
www.vrbo.com/138908.
Even if guests were to be dishonest about the number that were staying and so paid less , if we could double our nights rented it would be more profitable overall.
Comments?
Should I go to a tiered pricing system?
I do have a tiered pricing system, but I would not even consider it if I were not on site. You will undoubtedly get occasional extra guests, usually with "but they only stayed for one night". Our property is best suited to 6, but can sleep 8 max and most of our bookings are for 6 or less. I've no doubt I would get less bookings if I only priced for 8. However, you need a water tight rental agreement, making it clear that any discounts will be forfeited should any extra guests stay, even if only for 1 night. If any extras stay for one or a few nights they will be charged for the full duration of stay as if they were on the rental agreement in the first place. I would then deduct it from the security deposit, which is essential to have in place if you give under occupancy discounts IMO.
We operate a tiered pricing system, we sleep six but take two or four as well, but we are on site and make sure that before people come they let us know what combination of bedrooms and bathrooms they want (double and ensuite or twin and bathroom) then we lock the other rooms off so they can not be used, we changed the handles on all the doors about three years ago so that we could do this in the hope that it would give us more bookings in the shoulder seasons which has worked.
I don't see any alternative way of handling it.half pint wrote:We operate a tiered pricing system, we sleep six but take two or four as well, but we are on site and make sure that before people come they let us know what combination of bedrooms and bathrooms they want (double and ensuite or twin and bathroom) then we lock the other rooms off so they can not be used, we changed the handles on all the doors about three years ago so that we could do this in the hope that it would give us more bookings in the shoulder seasons which has worked.
We do something similar for two people/one bedroom in our two-bedroom properties (all ensuite so it does make a significant difference to changeover time), and for four people/two bedrooms in our three-bedroom property if they need that one for a specific reason or neither of the two two-bedroom ones are available.
It's not desperately difficult to add a spline key lock to a door; it's not on the same scale as chopping out to take a mortice lock - although not as attractive, or ultimately as secure. Just be certain you're not blocking off a necessary fire escape route.
If you offer a reduced occupancy rate (NOT a "discount"!) there's no problem with reducing the available sleeping space. If two guests are paying full whack for an eight-bedroom property, they're perfectly entitled to sleep in all the beds.