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Destination Creation – with Wil Slickers
Description
Travel is back in a big way, and people are hungry for unique experiences. And Wil Slickers contends that you can differentiate your short-term rental brand and attract guests through destination creation. But how do you take an average apartment or single family home and transform it into a destination?
Wil is the Hospitality Expert and Destinationaire behind Slick Talk: The Hospitality Podcast, a show dedicated to all things hotels, hospitality and business. He is also the Cofounder of Recreation Rentals, a new boutique STR management company based in Seattle and a member of our elite Legends X short-term rental business accelerator.
On this episode of Get Paid for Your Pad, Wil joins me to explain what he means by destination creation, discussing what he does to make a property so special that the guest doesn’t have to leave. He offers advice on turning a regular apartment or home into a destination, challenging you to tap into your local community and build amenities around your ideal guest. Listen in for Wil’s insight on designing themed STR units learn how to build a thriving vacation rental management business by making your property a destination.
Topics Covered
Wil’s background in hospitality and vacation rental management
- Fell in love with hospitality working for Marriott
- Shift to boutique hotel, became youngest GM in area
- Quit day job in 2019 for vacation rental management
What Wil means by the term ‘destination creation’
- Make property so special guest doesn’t have to leave
- Hone into uniqueness of property and/or brand
How to turn a regular apartment or home into a destination
- Tap into community, support small businesses in area
- Tell story with amenities made locally
How to turn your space into a destination for your ideal guest
- Cater listing to type of traveler you want to attract
- Think about guest needs (e.g.: standing desk, Wi-Fi)
Wil’s insight on designing themed units for your STR guests
- Can be expensive to create up front
- Incredible ROI, earn up to 3X that of competitors
Wil’s top lessons learned from hosting a hospitality podcast
- Guests became most valuable resource
- Stay in contact and build community
Wil’s top advice for aspiring STR business owners
1. It’s not just about making money
2. Be willing to learn technology
3. Tap into your local community
Connect with Wil
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