As I write this I’m just weeks from heading off to the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas for a much needed break from our winter wonderland.  Of course, we have rented a villa and since we booked it back in March of 2012, we’ve been excited about this vacation.  Being in the business I love seeing it from the other end of the transaction, as a guest rather than an owner, so I’m bringing that perspective to this post.

Unless you have rented a vacation home, you will never know what it feels like to anticipate the experience.  A 2010 study conducted in The Netherlands concluded that people are happiest in the 6 – 8 weeks before their vacation as they anticipate the great time they are going to have.  That happiness can be short-lived if the destination or accommodation doesn’t live up to expectations or causes stress in any way.  In fact, their happiness doesn’t rise any more when they get  there – it either stays at the same level, or can drop markedly if something goes wrong.

From where I see it as a rental guest, the more information an owner can supply, the greater the anticipation happiness that will be generated. It should go without saying that the key to keeping the optimum level of contentment lies in making sure the reality matches the hype generated by a listing or website.  Here are a few questions that are on my mind as we prepare for our Bahamas odyssey:

Will it be as beautiful as the photos?

The pictures look idyllic – the villa seems to meet all our needs, and we just want it to look like the images we’ve seen on the listing, when we get there.  No surprises please. No construction going on next door.  I don’t want to find out that the view of the ocean is in fact only visible with binoculars, and out of the bathroom window!

Where can we shop for food on the first night?

We are flying in late in the afternoon and have no idea when the stores shut, where the nearest one is, and if we will have time to get there before it closes.  I will have to bother the owner again, with that question.

What is there to do if the weather doesn’t cooperate?

We are planning on lots of kayaking, snorkeling and swimming I’m hoping there is a comprehensive Welcome Book and a lot of tourist information to tell us what we can do if the weather is not on our side.

In fact, most of my questions have been answered by the comprehensive pre-arrival package the owners sent to us, along with a lot of prior research we did before choosing the destination. Our experience demonstrates that addressing any questions or concerns a guest has in those 6 – 8 weeks before their vacation, increases the potential of them being happier when they are in the planning stages.

I’ll be posting a report from Eleuthera next month!

I’ve been in this business for nearly 30 years, and during that time have rented countless vacation homes as well as renting out seven of my own cottages.  In addition, my rental agency manages more than 200 properties on behalf of their owners, so I figure I know a bit about vacation rentals.  Every year I address the topic of expectations with our owners because as this business grows, so do the demands of our guests.

Where we were

A decade ago, we were far less demanding and so much more adaptable in terms of what was acceptable in a rental property.  I see it this way.

In the earlier days of vacation rental the demographic being attracted were those who were previously ‘campers’.  They had spent holidays in campgrounds and housekeeping resorts where amenities were basic and accommodations of a more primitive nature.  Self-sufficiency was the key to enjoying a great family vacation – kids bunked in together or slept on the floor in sleeping bags; it was fun making-do with whatever the owner had left in the kitchen, and evening entertainment was playing a game of Monopoly or Clue where nobody cared if there were missing pieces, or if the playing cards were old and dog-eared.  Televisions were rare and were mostly of the ‘rabbit ears’ variety.  Families created their own fun.

Where we are now

Over the years, as our form of vacation accommodation has evolved and been marketed so intensely, the rental demographic has changed.  Rentals have been hotly promoted as an alternative to hotels and higher end resorts, and todays clientele have markedly different expectations than those in the past.  The phrase ‘that is so last century’ really does apply to many vacation homes that have not kept up with the fast pace of change.

I see this in my own expectations.  My family was the camping type, having spent years of family holidays tenting across Europe before transitioning to renting homes in England and Europe.  Now, we vacation with our children and grandchildren in high end rental properties in the US, South America and the Caribbean and have noticeably higher standards.  We choose this variety of accommodation because we like the ability to all be together in one area, to cook and cater for ourselves, and enjoy private amenities.  For the price we pay, we expect high quality amenities, plenty of entertainment options; very comfortable beds and good service from the owners.  We want to feel welcomed as ‘guests’ and not ‘renters’.

What does that mean for 2013?

Most owners I know have clued into this and offer the goods, regardless of the size of the place.  They will be the winners in this emerging market, and will easily beat out their lazier competitors.  The key for 2013 is not only meeting expectations but exceeding them.