How to write a vacation rental description: Tips and examples
Knowing how to write an amazing vacation rental description is essential if you want to make your vacation rental listings stand out on sales channels like Booking.com, Airbnb and Vrbo, and to quickly get the guest’s attention among hundreds of other listings. A good description should highlight the uniqueness of your vacation rentals, project a picture that matches with guests’ travel imaginations, and as a result, secure you more bookings.
A good description is a core component of a good listing. In addition to a good description, however, a good listing also requires inspiring photos, supportive reviews, attractive amenities and more.
To write a great vacation rental description means two things here – a title (the headline guests see on search results pages) and a description (the detailed text) of a vacation rental.
- Title – usually around 10-15 words. It should be eye-catching and highlight the unique selling points of your vacation rental. The character length may vary between sales channels, for example:
- Airbnb: max 50 characters;
- Vrbo: max 70 characters.
- Description – ideally 700-1000 characters. It covers the major selling points that can arouse the interest of your target audience, address their needs, and motivate them to book.
- Airbnb: enables hosts to have both short descriptions with max 500 characters and detailed descriptions with no character limit;
- Vrbo: recommends 700-1000 characters.
- Title – usually around 10-15 words. It should be eye-catching and highlight the unique selling points of your vacation rental. The character length may vary between sales channels, for example:
It is worth noting that Booking.com uses Smart Description. That means Booking.com uses AI to write a property description based on the facilities and amenities data you provide, as well as other information that is known by the machine — where it is, what’s nearby and so on.
Find the selling points for your Vacation Rental Description
To start with, you have to understand who you want to target – families with kids, travellers with pets, business travellers or a young couple hoping to enjoy some romantic nights. Different customers have very different needs. For example, a family with small kids would care more about whether there is a playroom, toys for kids, kitchen with utensils and laundry facilities. As for a young couple, a fireplace and jacuzzi would be more attractive to them. Conversely, business travellers will be more interested in high-speed Wi-fi, workspaces in the accommodation or business hotspots in the area. This is why your listing description should be adapted to attract your target guests. Read more about the different types of vacation rental guests here.
Take it as a sales pitch. Highlight your unique selling points. You need to write a convincing vacation rental description to show why your beachfront house is better than the other holiday homes in the same area, or why your ski chalet is the best one for a winter holiday!
According to Airbnb and our hosts and property managers’ experience, the selling points and amenities that matter most to guests include:
- Air conditioning
- Internet/wifi
- Pools
- Hot tub or jacuzzi
- Free parking
- Pet-friendliness
- Balcony
- A view of [popular sightseeing place, e.g. Eiffel Tower]
- [xx minutes] from beach/sightseeing place/supermarket/shopping center.
This is also supported by a survey by Booking.com and Transparent where over 50,000 travellers to participated to give their opinion on what are the most important amenities in a vacation rental and, therefore, what makes them tick. You can read more about which are the 5 facilities that guests value most when looking for vacation rentals (and 2 to avoid) here.
There are also some things that guests are more concerned about during/post the Coronavirus period:
- Kitchen appliances and accessories: people may like to cook all their meals during their stay. It is a good idea to list, for example, dish wash, pots and pans and other utensils in your description.
- Outdoor spaces where people can have fun while keeping the social distancing, e.g. a hiking trail.
- A barbecue grill
- Any outdoor game or entertainment
- Workspace with super-fast WiFi for business travellers
- Cleaning supplies: even if you have arranged a professional cleaning agent to clean your vacation rentals, many guests still prefer to clean the high-touch surfaces by themselves. As such, cleaning supplies including the following should be on hand:
- Disposable paper towels
- Disposable gloves
- Multi-surface cleaner
- Disinfectant wipes or spray
- Antibacterial hand sanitizer
- Extra hand soap
Now that you have an idea of what to highlight, it’s time we take a look at how to write the best title and description of your holiday homes!
How to write an engaging Title for your Vacation Rentals
Writing an inspiring and engaging title is fundamental as it is the first thing your potential guests see. A great title will get them to click on your vacation rental listing to read more about your holiday home. Here are some tips:
- Use as many characters as the channels allow. The sales channels appear to favour listings with longer titles.
- Leverage the combination of these:
- Property type (e.g. cabin, apartment, cottage, house)
- Location (e.g. beach, tourist spot, shopping center, etc.)
- Special amenities (e.g. hot tub, fireplace, wifi)
- Suitability for certain groups of travelers (e.g. family-friendly, pet-friendly)
- Avoid using generic adjectives – good, great, nice. Use descriptive adjectives and paint the picture for your guests. For example, use “2 min walk” to Eiffel Tower instead of “near”; “Admire sea views from a stunning apartment” instead of “seaview apartment”.
- Avoid all capital letters.
Some good examples:
- Family-Friendly and Cozy Cottage in Los Feliz
- The Rockaway House – Family Friendly with Garage Parking
- Loft style apartment a few steps from Las Ramblas
- Terrace 2 Bedroom Apartment with WiFi – 50% OFF
- Olympic Park, 1 min walk from Underground, Zone 2
How to write a perfect Description of your Vacation Rental
Once you’ve gotten your potential guests to click on your holiday home listing thanks to your well-crafted title, it is time to write a compelling vacation rental description that will capture the interest of your target guests and convince them to book a stay with you. Words can do an amazing job of selling properties, so this is your opportunity to use them to your advantage. Here are some some tips of what you should and shouldn’t include in your vacation home description:
1. Front-load the most attractive selling points and what sets you apart from the competition.
According to Booking.com, guests spend less than 2 minutes on a property page, and only read 18% of property descriptions. Therefore, you should put the most attractive and important selling points on top. Include what makes you different. What sets your place apart from the competition? A sea view, wood burner, Jacuzzi and garden are all worth mentioning. Remember to craft your description to appeal to your target audience. For example, if you’ve got a 6 bedroom villa that’s perfect for families, talk about how good your place is for families and why.
2. Write one paragraph per key selling point. Use short sentences. Be concise.
Remember not all amenities and offers share the same value and importance in the guests’ mind. Only mention the key ones that would appeal to your target guests. Other details could be covered in the amenities list.
3. Write about the location and the type of experience you’re offering.
Your potential guests may have picked the area of your vacation rental for a reason, or they may be doing a more general research. Whichever the case, you should spend a few words on your location and why they should choose your vacation home. If you’ve got beautiful beaches nearby, mention them. Attractions such as theme parks, museums and restaurants are also worth including. Think about what your target guest would be looking for regarding the location and mention activities and attractions that would appeal to them. In addition, focus on the type of holiday you’re offering. For example, if you’ve got a ski apartment in the Alps, make sure your description mentions some of the skiing facilities.
4. Pick your keywords and use them a couple of times in the description.
OTAs and sales channels use search engines to help guests find what they’re looking for. That means that the SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) technique applies – you want to use keywords that guests are searching for to help your listing rise to the top of the list.
For example, if keywords used for a Marbella vacation rental are:
- Holiday house in Marbella, Spain
- Holiday house with sea views
- Golf course
- Pet friendly
Then the description would be like this:
Beautiful holiday house in Marbella, Spain, 180m2 with four bedrooms – two double, one twin and one single. Large and bright living room with sofa bed with access to terrace, fully equipped kitchen, two bathrooms and garage.
This holiday house with sea view from the terrace is perfect for any family with a four-leg furry family member as it is pet friendly.
It is only a five-minute walk from the beach and ten-minute drive to the nearest golf course.
It is located in a fantastic urbanization area in Marbella with communal gardens and a swimming pool. At just 5 minutes distance you’ll find supermarkets and shops, as well as the promenade. The holiday house is located near bus stops, and it is easy to commute between the province of Malaga and the airport.
If you want a great family holiday in Marbella this holiday home with sea view will be perfect for you.
It is fully equipped:
- 2 double beds
- 3 single beds
- 1 sofa bed
- Bathroom towels
- Garage for one car
- Terrace with table for 10 people and with a sea view.
- Kitchen equipped with oven and all the equipment necessary
- Central air-condition
- Shared garden and pool
- Close to golf course
- Pet friendly
5. Don’t overstate.
Be honest of what your vacation rental has to offer. Your words should echo the photos of your vacation home. Any misleading information will just result in bad reviews and impact on your ranking.
6. Update with highlights of big conventions, concerts, sporting events and etc.
If there will be big events coming up in the area, it is smart to update your listing description to get higher on search results and ultimately get more bookings.
7. Use a friendly tone and show your personality.
To write a vacation rental description does not mean to participate in a writing contest. It’s not about how beautifully you write, but whether your vacation home sounds compelling in front of your target customers. Do your research, check out how other vacation rentals in your neighbourhood promote themselves, use your own words to give your rental a character and highlight the selling points. Remember that the reason why people prefer a vacation rental to a hotel room is the presence of a personal touch.
8. Check your spelling and grammar.
Spelling and grammar are a mirror of attention. If travellers can see that you’ve taken good care of this, they’ll be more confident that you’ll take good care of their holiday too.
9. Write a description containing COVID measures.
It’s particularly helpful for guests if you highlight what cleaning measures you have taken for your vacation rental. Do not use the term “COVID Free” in the title or description as this is misleading. Check out “Cleaning Guidelines for Vacation Rentals during COVID-19” for more details.
It is also worth mentioning if you have contactless check-in and provide sanitizer, hand wash and masks.
Some good examples:
Rustic hilltop cabin overlooking Lake Hodges. Queen bed & small sleeping loft. Views from front & side deck, inside cabin, & outside shower. Urban amenities just a few miles away, but this small private cabin is surrounded by open canyons. A short walk to lake with boating, fishing & miles of hiking/mountain biking trails. Property offers swimming pool, fire bowl, shaded arbor and, by arrangement, yoga & massage. SD Zoo Safari Park, Stone Brewing, & ocean beaches all within easy reach.
The Space
Unique, cozy cabin in oasis-like setting. Perfect for a romantic get away or a chance to relax, recharge, and commune with nature. Enjoy stunning panoramic views of the lake, mountains, and canyons from the outdoor shower, explore the extensive cactus and succulent garden, and visit Cinnamon and Frost, our friendly Nigerian dwarf goats.
Guest access
Guests get the cabin, tiny bathroom building, outdoor shower, and shaded arbor with table and chairs and picnic table all to themselves as well as an outdoor gas grill and small outdoor food storage & preparation area by the pool. They share with us permanent residents the salt-water pool, patio, and seating around the fire bowl.
Other things to note
Getting to the cabin does require following a winding path past our main house, two koi ponds, the pool, the arbor, and to the cabin. This is about 180 paces, and there are five little flights of stairs along the path.
The bathroom is a little building behind the cabin, with a cold-water sink, a mirror, and a easy, odor-free composting toilet. There is also outdoor shower and sink, both with warm water.
There is a coffee maker (BYOC), mini fridges, sink, grill with side burner, counter, and cabinet for guests to use for food preparation and storage. All are on the patio by the pool.
It’s more than just a vacation rental description…
An inspiring but detailed title is key to stand out among hundreds of vacation rentals and to pique your potential guests’ curiosity. After all, the goal of a good title is to get people to click on your vacation rental listing and find out more. Once you’ve caught their attention, it is time for your description to shine! A detailed and encouraging description enables you to tell your story and have a bigger chance to secure those bookings.
As mentioned above, however, you will also need high quality photos that help your guests visualize themselves staying at your holiday home, plus good reviews to help build their trust. An interesting, well-crafted title and description will help you rank higher in the rental sites’ search results.
Check out below articles to create compelling listings!
The simplest way to create a great vacation rental listing
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Nice post. I am glad to read this informative post. Thanks for sharing.