Orlando had an impressive 74 million visitors in 2022, making it the number-one travel destination in the United States. This makes it an ideal place to invest in vacation rental property.
While the busy travel seasons are plentiful, with travelers looking for vacation bookings, the off-season can get quiet. The key to making your Orlando vacation rental as profitable as possible is to perfect attracting guests in the off-season.
1. Reduce Your Minimum Stay Requirement
You may have a minimum number of required nights for bookings during high travel times. One of the best off-season rental tips is to reduce this number. By actively managing your booking practices, you can keep your rental competitive throughout the year.
If you don't want to abandon your stay minimums completely, consider offering shorter stay options for weeknights. These days are typically harder to fill, so offering shorter weeknight minimums makes them more likely to get booked.
2. Offer Rate Discounts
While it may sound counterintuitive, offering discounts can effectively boost rental income. There is an art to vacation rental pricing, so you must be careful with how great of a rate discount you offer.
Aim to reduce the price enough to increase bookings without cutting the profits too much. The result will be an increase in bookings and profits.
3. Partner With Off-Season Events
Look for events that create an off-season guest attraction for out-of-town travelers. Orlando hosts events throughout the year, making it easy to find suitable events to partner with.
You can offer promotional rates for attendees. Collaborate with the event to provide an event package that includes tickets with their booking. Promote the event on your social media and in your other marketing materials.
4. Offer Repeat Stay Rewards
Having a rewards program encourages repeat bookings from your best guests. When guests have loyalty rewards to use, you are more likely to have year-round property bookings. Since there are only so many available times during the high season, they are more likely to book during the shoulder or off-season when there is more availability.
You could offer a free night after so many paid-for nights. Or a free stay after a certain number of separate stays.
5. Work With a Property Manager
When you hire a property manager, you have a professional working to maximize your bookings. They can offer effective booking strategies and use networked connections for effective marketing. A property manager makes it their job to improve the profitability of their clients' real estate.
Start Attracting Guests in the Off-Season
Owning a vacation rental in Orlando is a prime location with a significant influx of vacationers annually. While the busiest travel seasons will see plentiful bookings, the off-season can be more challenging. These five tips will help you enjoy more off-season bookings.
The PMI Orlando Parks team helps property owners with attracting guests in the off-season. Our experienced team knows the Orlando market well and can create a custom plan for improving year-round bookings.
Request a rental evaluation and let our team show you how to increase off-season vacation bookings with our wealth of local knowledge.
