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Today in Vacay: New Vacation Rental Trends and Ideas

We created the Today in Vacay series to keep readers up-to-date on rapidly changing vacation rental trends and updates.

Spring is upon us! You have probably been busily preparing for the change in travel season for some time. Meanwhile, the vacation rental world has been changing and evolving at its usual breakneck pace, with new vacation rental trends you will want to hear about.

Here’s what’s happening today in vacay:

Smart home technology for vacation rentals

It had to happen sometime. Amazon Echo and similar products are making their way into our industry, according to VRMintel. That means vacation homes are becoming smart homes, giving guests the power to make their stay as home-away-from-home-like as possible.

As VRMintel puts it, “the Amazon Echo line of products is a versatile amenity that offers guests the ability to order groceries, set a wake-up call or kitchen timer, receive practical information such as news, traffic and local weather, receive local restaurant recommendations,” and more.

The good news is that guests can now significantly improve their experience on their own, which could lead to better reviews! However, that might also pose some challenges. Suppose guests decide to order their own cleaning service and then charge the property manager. If you plan to install an Echo, be sure to leave your guests a note letting them know the services you will provide. Keep those services running like clockwork with Kigo Operations Manager.

Vacation rental success on Instagram

Are you using Instagram to promote your properties? If not, you might be missing an opportunity. 800 million people use Instagram and share more than 95 million photos and videos daily. A recent National Geographic article shared that The New Zealand Tourism Board took advantage of those stats and invested in an Instagram marketing campaign that produced a 14 percent increase in tourism—the fastest growth the country had ever seen.

So, how do you get noticed in an ocean of visual delights? Check out a new article from Evolve Vacation Rentals for stats, tips and tricks to make you an Instagram success. There is great advice on how to make your photos look their best, which you can use on your vacation rental website to make properties stand out even more.

Helping working guests relax

Many guests check back with the office during their vacations and are not relaxing when they should. When restful, the health benefits of vacations can be significant and continue long after a guest’s stay. While you don’t want to stop guests from working, you still want them to have a great vacation experience.

An article from VacationRentalTravels.com shares tips on how to help “work-ationers” kick back a bit. You can even send them one tip a day with your Kigo Mobile Guest App. They will appreciate your effort to make their stay more relaxing—and that gratitude can lead to better reviews and more repeat bookings.

Stay tuned for more vacation rental trends and updates from Today in Vacay! And don't miss the wealth of industry inspiration and knowledge that will be shared at KigoWorld April 25-27 in Barcelona.

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