Building Long-Term Relationships: The Benefits of Repeat Guests

If you want to increase occupancy in your Smoky Mountains cabin rental, encourage guests to return. Repeat visits help keep your property full for more nights each year. Take a look at the benefits of repeat guests and our tips on how to encourage repeat stays. 

Improved Occupancy

Repeat guests boost occupancy. If they feel a long-term connection with your cabin, they’ll reliably return to book more nights. That means more revenue.  

Simple Marketing

Say someone likes your mountain cabin or in-town condo so much that they book it a second time. That guest knows exactly what to expect. The cabin or condo basically marketed itself, so you have less work to do to attract these guests a third time! 

Low Risk

Return visitors are a known quantity. If there were no issues during their previous stay, the chances of problems in additional visits are low. You know them already and can trust them. They know your cabin already and can feel confident they’ll have a great stay–just like last time.

Word of Mouth

Return visitors are a potential source of good reviews and word-of-mouth bookings. These are guests likely to mention your cabin rental to friends. People value recommendations from those with first-hand knowledge about accommodations. 

How to Encourage Repeat Stays 

Inspire guests to return by ensuring a top-notch experience on their first visit, then following up to make them feel special when they return. Some ideas include: 

• Keep in contact with guests after their stay. Here’s where working with a professional property manager like Colonial Properties can help! Let Colonial do the work for you, keeping up with guests and suggesting return visits. 
• Give guests information about all there is to see and do–so much to do that they’ll want to come back. Provide brochures for attractions, restaurant menus, guides to kid-friendly or senior-friendly activities, and discount coupons for attraction admissions or show tickets. 
• Offer financial incentives. Give a discount for a return visit. Offer a discounted stay to former guests who recommend your cabin to friends. 
• Delight guests with extra touches. They’ll remember finding a basket of snacks or cookies, a bottle of wine, complimentary toiletries or other extras. Include a note welcoming them and saying you hope they’ll come back. 

Talk with Colonial Properties today about how we court first-time guests to turn them into repeat visitors.