Yes, believe it or not, internet-access came before a dishwasher, a terrace and cable TV on the list of must-haves in a holiday rental. Top of the wish-list is a swimming pool, followed by air conditioning and then internet access.
According to the report carried out by Spain-holiday.com and based on holiday rental enquiries for 2013, the ‘Top 12 must-haves’ in a holiday rental are:
- Swimming Pool: because we don’t want to get sand between our toes everyday!
- Air Conditioning: a must for Northern Europeans, although not so important for domestic travellers and visitors from Southern Europe
- Internet Access: to share your holiday memories with family and friends
- Dishwasher: because who wants to wash-up whilst on holiday?
- Terrace: to relax with a glass of Spanish wine and enjoy the view
- Washing machine: because it’s cheaper to travel light
- Parking: for the hire car that will take you to explore the local region
- Pets welcome: and why shouldn’t little bonzo enjoy a holiday too?
- Cable TV: because sometimes it’s just nice to stay in
- Jacuzzi: well everyone deserves a bit of luxury now and then
- Heating: because winter sun can sometimes be winter cool
- Wheelchair access: we wrote an article awhile back on how to adapt your holiday rental for visitors with disabilities
The moral of this story is, if you want to get on the short-list of more renters, make sure you include as many features in your property description as possible and take note: if you don’t already offer internet access in your holiday home, perhaps it’s time you did.
Family and friends travel together
It seems the larger percentage of visitors choosing self-catering accommodation are friends or families travelling in groups of four people plus.
A holiday rental offers freedom, space and is generally the most economic option for larger groups. They have the freedom of a larger space and their own kitchen to cook in; instead of the expenditure of eating out, or notorious hotel buffet queues. Plus they can enjoy a more relaxed or even private pool and garden, with room for the kids to play.
And the majority choose a villa as their accommodation
Which of course makes perfect sense. Guests don’t want to feel over-crowded in a smaller apartment space. A villa is the perfect option, they won't tread on each others toes and end up looking forward to the end of the holiday.
More adventurous travellers, however, are seeking a yacht as their self-catering accommodation. With more yacht searches made in 2013 than bed and breakfast searches!
And they’re looking to experience...
It seems the beach is still the major draw for visitors to Spain. Beach holidays were the most requested ‘theme’ this year, with luxury holiday rentals and then budget holiday rentals following close behind. Don’t forget if you have unreserved weeks coming up, you can add them to our Last Minute Holiday Offers section; so all those budget rentals seekers can find your last minute discounts.
Country and rural holiday homes were the fifth most requested theme, behind family holidays, reinforcing feedback from Spanish tourism sources that more visitors are looking to experience traditional and cultural Spain, rather than just a typical Costa holiday. More visitors searched for country properties than golf properties. So make sure you shout about your wonderful rural property and include as much information on local cultural and outdoor activities, such as hiking, cycling and walking routes.
The infographic below details the survey results in full.
Related articles:
What makes a holiday home-from-home? A renters guide to the little things that make them feel at home in a holiday rental.
What a guest wants, what a guests likes 2014: Delving into enquiries for January to June 2014