We talk to Ed Maughan from GroupAccommodation.com about optimising your large rental property. Discover how you can prime your guests to have a wonderful time.
Thanks for joining the conversation
Thanks for sending in your questions for our AMA: “How to get the most out of large group bookings with GroupAccommodation.com”
Here’s a recording of our chat with Ed. We’ve also picked out the AMA highlights and their timings below.
I think communication is that it’s the biggest challenge, making sure that everyone’s on the same page, making sure that the property is suitable for 10 plus people” – Ed
When you’re taking on potentially difficult groups, such as stag and hen dos, I think it’s all about communication. So picking up the phone and having a chat, trying to understand a little bit more about what they’re looking to do. If they’re looking to do a walking tour or something like that, then you might be looking at a better experience than someone who’s maybe booked a sound system, which might suggest a rave about to happen on your properties. It’s definitely about having those conversations upfront.” – Ed
The more pictures the merrier to be honest. It kind of goes back to that point about the person organizing the holiday having quite a lot of pressure on them to make sure everyone’s happy. Especially with those multi-generational groups, you might want to make sure the room’s accessible for granny or it’s suitable for the kids. So, I think if you can have a picture of every room in there, or even a floor plan, it really helps people to understand what the property is going to be like and make sure there’s a suitable room for everyone.” – Ed
We see a lot of families, celebrations, groups like hen dos love cocktail making classes or wine tasting. Stag groups like things like archery and those kinds of more adventure-based activities. Another big one missing is the cork and canvas idea, where someone comes and does a wine tasting and then you’d also do an art class at the same time. […] It’s all about what you can do in a big house, isn’t it? I mean, there’s actually more potential. If you’re paying a fair bit of money to stay in a big house for a weekend, you really would quite like to stay on site and soak up the environment and have people come to you” – Ed
AMA highlights:
- 00:14 – An intro to Group Accommodation
- 01:29 – The importance of communication when hosting large groups
- 02:55 – Ed’s tips for managing potentially difficult groups
- 04:39 – Tactics for filling midweek availability
- 06:00 – Is hiring a private chef worth it?
- 06:48 – Welcoming beloved pets whilst encouraging owners to respect your property
- 08:25 – Ideas for upselling to large groups
- 10:40 – The key amenities that guests expect at a large property
- 11:50 – Should you charge guests to use the hot tub?
- 13:01 – The right number of photos to include in your listing
- 14:00 – Creative marketing techniques for large properties
- 15:37 – Getting into your guests’ heads