How To Get More Bookings With A Pet-friendly Luxury Vacation Rental

By Author: Sarah Sullivan
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There are many places where people go for their vacations that do not allow their guests to bring their pets along with them. For a lot of people, pets are valued members of their families, and they wouldn't dream of taking a vacation without them. This includes the rich and famous, many of whom are very well-known for their love of animals and always traveling with a pet. When these people travel, they are looking for accommodations that will allow them to bring their precious pets with them. If you have a luxury rental property such as a posh Paris pied a terra, a warm and rustic Italian villa or a New York penthouse, making it pet-friendly will help you to get more of these guests booking with you.

Accommodate Pets as Well as People

If you normally allow pets in your vacation rental, make sure that you include photos of them enjoying the home in your advertising, to let potential guests know that you love animals and would love for them to bring theirs with them when they stay at your property.

Here are some tips for making your vacation rental even pet friendlier:

Offer special rooms just for ...
... pets, which include climbing "cat tree" areas for cats, litter box, scratching posts, a comfy dog bed and plenty of great chew toys. Basically, you can turn your rental property into a pet daycare center. This way, your guests can take day trips and know that their pets are safe and being well looked after while they are gone.

Ideally this room will have a clear glass sliding door with an easily moveable curtain so the animal can still feel part of the family, and the room should have adequate ventilation and temperature controls. It's always nice for both vacation home owners and their guests if there is an area where they can isolate their animal should they have guests over and don't wish to be disturbed. A dedicated "pet room" is a great idea if normally they have the animals sleeping in separate areas (or you as owner don't want them in the beds) or if the animal were to become ill for any reason.

Offer a pet "welcome" basket of chews or other treats. When you have booked a pet, find out if the owner's would like, for a fee, to have their favorite animal foods stocked in the home so they don't need to buy it or ship it beforehand, particularly if it is a special brand or blend of animal food.

Meet with and get to know a good variety of trusted and/or certified local animal walkers, pet sitters, and veterinarians. Provide guests with their telephone numbers and emergency contacts such as local animal hospitals that offer emergency services or house calls.

Hedge against pet-related damage to the home by not hesitating to charge extra "pet guest" fees to cover your extra maintenance costs between guests, as well as enforcing a hefty pet deposit policy. Make sure you take pictures of furniture, rugs, and other items before each pet-friendly stay, to ensure you are properly documented for any claims.

Advertise Where the Rich and Famous Pet Lovers Will Find You

If you offer a pet-friendly, luxurious property be sure to list your property at a niche advertising website for luxury holiday homes. Be sure and include the home in the Unique category set aside for "Pet-Friendly Homes." Those seeking these exact types of homes in a search will easily find and book your home. Why not consider advertising your pet-friendly rental to guests who are looking for the finest vacation properties in the world that also cater to precious pets?

By doing just a few small things to mofidy your pet-friendly vacation rental to accommodate pet-loving guests, you can greatly increase the likelihood of your holiday home getting booked. By listing your rental on sites that showcase pet-friendly rentals, you will increase your chances even more of finding both two- and four-legged guests who will appreciate and enjoy their vacation.
About Author:
www.luxuryvillafinder.com is an elegant, uncluttered "vacation rentals by owner" site where an elite group of owners and agents advertise villas, mansions, estates, pied a terre, vessels and yachts, boutique hotels, maison d'hotes, and bed and breakfast inns. Advertise luxury villas as Luxury Villa Finder: where details DO matter