The tone of hospitality: how to make your guests feel warm & fuzzy in the digital age

There are all different sorts of vacation rental hosts, from the distant and hands-off to the ever present host in residence type, but most of us share a desire to provide a level of hospitality that goes far and above a generic hotel experience. The challenge is that many of your guests will actually not want you to be physically present, therefore much of your conversation will be through text.  

It’s much easier for your guests to enjoy a keyless and self-guided entrance to your home than have to coordinate schedules with the host to retrieve a key and go through the awkward exchange of travel-weary pleasantries. That said, how do you give guests the sense that you are personally invested in their enjoyment of your place?  

It’s all about your tone! Be sure you go almost overboard with the excitement in your written voice. Think about the fact that your business won’t survive without their patronage. Think about what it’s like to be in their shoes after a long day of traveling and speak to them in a way that shows empathy. You may not be an excitable person, but exclamation points in your text will greatly emphasize the warmth of your tone. We all know how it feels to receive a reply of “Ok.” versus “Ok!” It’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed or inconvenienced by your guest’s questions or conversation over text, but it is critically important to the enjoyment of their stay that you remain graceful and positive. You never know what someone may be going through. Everyone has a story, and if someone is difficult to deal with there’s usually a reason for that. It’s incredible the change you can take part in by simply responding in a way that is the opposite of what you feel they deserve. This is paramount in showing true hospitality.