Every new guest is a gamble. You invest time and money into getting them to book, but you can’t even be sure how they’ll treat your property.
That’s why repeat bookings are one of the most reliable ways to scale a vacation rental business. You know past guests enjoyed their stay, and you spend less effort getting them to come back. Better yet, you know exactly what to expect from their visit.
Still not convinced? In this guide, we’ll show you why repeat guests matter, how to contact them, and strategies to get them to book again.
Why repeat guests are valuable for vacation rentals
Every repeat booking fills your calendar while simplifying operations. For example, you don’t have to worry as much about guiding them to the property or answering their questions. They already know what they’re getting, which reduces the pressure of meeting unknown expectations.
Plus, experts agree that as property management companies scale, returning guests become increasingly important to growth.
“With the increase in competition and the potential for demand to slow, it’s no longer an option to sit back and let the OTAs do it all,” says Heather Bayer, Training Director at Vacation Rental Formula, “A proactive strategy to build a brand, develop content, and communicate effectively with potential and booked guests will be necessary to create a better guest experience and drive repeat bookings.”
The biggest bonus is that return guests tend to drive more direct bookings through your website. This saves you OTA fees and gives you more control over how you interact with guests and set rules.
Which past guests to contact
“All previous guests should be put into your email marketing campaigns,” says vacation rental coach and founder of Welcoming Wow, Suzanne Hacker, “Unless they were problematic.” You should exclude anyone who:
- Left negative reviews
- Sent you multiple complaints
- Treated your property poorly
- Disturbed the neighbors
- Failed to follow house rules
- Spoke to your team rudely
- Demanded or tried to extort a discount
Focusing on happy, engaged guests means your outreach is more likely to result in repeat bookings. They already enjoyed your property the first time, so they’re likely to be open to returning.
Plus, eliminating problematic guests reduces the amount you have to deal with issues. While managing disputes and disturbances are all part of running a vacation rental business, you don’t have to welcome trouble to your business.
Communication methods for past guests
Once you know who to reach out to, the next step is deciding how to stay in touch. Choose the communication method that fits your goal and guarantees you’ll reach your guests.
- Email campaigns: While many industries send emails weekly or monthly, this doesn’t suit the short-term rental market. Your “customers” only buy from you once or twice a year, so aim for a similar cadence. Hacker emphasizes that “you can also reach out to guests when you want to run a special or have openings in your booking calendar.”
- Newsletters: A newsletter might work if you regularly accept guests or base your business around a specific hobby or interest. For example, nature enthusiasts may be happy to hear from you more regularly if you give them updates on wildlife from your cabin deep in the woods, surrounded by rare species.
- Social media: Share updates and promotions publicly on all your social media channels. Instagram is ideal as it lets you share a lot of photos and get past visitors inspired.
- Phone and SMS messaging: Only use phones to contact guests to manage stays and provide essential information, for example, if someone’s left their passport behind. Cold calling has a 97.7% failure rate, and it might even deter people from booking again.
What updates to share
When you reach out to guests or publish social media posts, here are some of the updates you can share to pique their interest:
- Property updates and renovations: Installing a hot tub or creating a game room gives you the perfect excuse to get in touch. Be sure to include pictures that grab their attention.
- Local events: Are there any festivals, sporting events, or special occasions happening in your area? Reach out to guests a month or two beforehand to let them know.
- Special discounts: Offer last-minute discounts to fill your booking calendar. You need to make these more generous than usual to justify getting in touch and increase the chance of getting a response.
8 strategies to attract repeat bookings
Beyond communication, you’ll need systems and experiences that make returning easy and appealing for guests.
1. Capture guest contact information from the first stay
Without emails or phone numbers, you can’t follow up or promote direct booking offers. Capturing guest information during the first stay gives you control and sets the foundation for repeat business.
Create a custom pre-arrival form through a property management system (PMS) like Hostfully. You can request guest details like their phone number and email. Just make sure to get permission before you add guests to your email list if required by local privacy laws.
Another way to grab details is by creating a Splash Page for online services you provide. For example, Hostfully offers this feature with its digital guidebook and through its integration with StayFi.
2. Develop targeted email campaigns
Guests are more likely to respond to personalized campaigns than generic messages. That’s where an email marketing integration like Mailchimp comes in handy. You can store guest details, develop segments, and create content for different groups.
Mailchimp also automates follow-ups based on real data. For example, the software can see who’s recently booked and made requests and send the relevant template messages. Triggers and fields allow it to complete the emails with your guest’s name and reservation details for the ultimate personal touch.
Additionally, a customer relationship management (CRM) solution for vacation rentals like Hostfully can keep track of details. By storing all your guests’ information in one convenient place, it’s easier to set up message automations in the PMS and make marketing a simple, scalable part of your operations.
3. Incentivize rebookings with discounts
64% of vacation rental operators use special offers to incentivize guests to return and book directly, according to Hostfully’s 2024 Hospitality report. This tactic keeps occupancy rates high and saves you money on OTA fees.
Automate discounts with a PMS like Hostfully. You can create a custom promo code for your direct booking website, set the amount, and give an expiration date. If you like, you can also tick the box to say it’s a one-time offer, so guests can’t use the same code repeatedly.
4. Offer privileges for repeat guests
Giving returnees special privileges can make them feel valued and strengthen the bond with your vacation rental property. Consider offering some of the following:
- First choice of dates
- Early access to new properties
- Early check-in or late check-out
- Waived fees
- Free upgrades
The bonus is that many of these privileges cost nothing to offer. They’re particularly effective if you’re a small business on a tight budget and are only just starting to scale. Although you can’t give repeat customers extravagant rewards, you can still incentivize them to stay.
5. Encourage referrals
Referrals both attract new guests and deepen loyalty among past visitors. When someone recommends your property, they’re reliving their positive experience and sharing it with others. You can encourage word-of-mouth by offering a small reward like a discount or a thank-you gift.
To get a little extra publicity, ask satisfied guests to recommend you on social media. They could comment on your posts or share their own photos and tag you. If the referral program becomes popular, you could even create your own hashtag.
6. Build a guest community
Some guests return because they feel part of something bigger. You can reinforce this feeling by working to create a sense of community among all your customers.
Building a thriving vacation rental community encompasses many of your marketing efforts. On social media, you need to encourage returning guests to speak to each other on your accounts by asking questions and participating in the discussion yourself. And in your emails, you can share stories about what’s happening in your local area and what visitors have done.
7. Make guests feel welcome in the area
Guests feel more attached to an area when they get to know it well. Share all your insights about hidden gems and local hangouts to help them integrate.
Deliver these insights via a digital guidebook such as Hostfully’s. You can add a map of the local area and pin areas of interest. To help guests make the most of each local attraction, add some tips and details.
Do you live in an area with many tourist traps, for example? Tell guests where the authentic restaurants are and what to order. You can even arrange discounts with businesses and add them to your guidebook with Hostfully.
8. Introduce a loyalty program
If you already get frequent repeat visitors, a loyalty program can give structure to your efforts. You can create a system instead of ad-hoc discounts. This could mean flexible checkout times, free nights, or even an entire holiday.
Establish clear rules to make sure guests know what they’re getting for their activities and points. They’re likely to react badly if they think they’ve won a big discount but only end up with an hour extra at your vacation home.
How to measure repeat guest success
Tracking performance helps you understand whether your marketing efforts are paying off and attracting return guests. You can use data analytics in a PMS like Hostfully and integrations like Mailchimp to see:
- Number of direct bookings
- Number of return guests
- Ratio of first-time guests to new ones
- Overall guest satisfaction
- Occupancy rates
You can also track your financial data over time to measure the impact. If you are attracting more guests, your OTA fees should drop and your RevPAR should increase. As a result, your revenue and profits should increase.
Guest reviews provide another layer of insight. Read feedback from loyal guests to find details that numbers miss about why they enjoyed their stay. You can double down on these features and highlight them on your website and listings to attract more first-time visitors.
Build guest loyalty and boost repeat bookings with Hostfully PMS
Repeat guests give you reliable income, fewer OTA fees, and more control over your business. But turning a one-time visitor into a loyal customer takes the right systems and consistent follow-up.
That’s where Hostfully PMS helps.
- Create a professional-looking no-code website where you can accept direct bookings
- Capture guest details through Splash Pages to establish contact
- Automate marketing campaigns based on meaningful data collected through your PMS, channels, and integrations
- Offer discount codes through automated emails for specific guests, properties, and periods
- Make everyone feel welcome in the area with local insights and special offers in your digital guidebook
By combining these tools with the strategies in this guide, you’ll make loyalty part of your operations and turn past visitors into repeat guests who return year after year.
FAQs
What percentage of vacation rental bookings should come from repeat guests?
The percentage of repeat bookings you should aim for depends on your context. Rentals in high-demand cities are likely to get a lot of new customers without significant effort, so their percentage will be lower. Those in popular locations for families, like coastal areas or nature reserves, may see the same guests return every year and need to aim higher.
How can I encourage guests to book direct instead of through OTAs?
You can make direct bookings more attractive to avoid guests defaulting to OTAs like Airbnb and Vrbo. You can offer discounts and perks that are only available on your website. For example, you can reward guests with flexible check-in times or waived cleaning fees.
What are the best tools for managing repeat guest marketing?
The best tools for repeat guest marketing are PMS as they let you capture guest data and automate outreach. For example, Hostfully PMS lets you send everyone a pre-arrival form to collect contact information and preferences. Integrating with Mailchimp or similar email platforms helps you use this data to run personalized, scalable campaigns that drive repeat bookings.
