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Alternative Revenue

Bookings aren’t the only way to make money at your short-term rental.  Build equity and offset costs by building alternative revenue streams that utilize your property investment. If you are a forward-thinking vacation property owner, take note! Some alternative revenue ideas we touch on this ... READ the POST

Wholesale Linens

Save money and streamline your vacation rental’s linen program! The Distinguished Guest’s Guide to Wholesaling Linens presents a clear roadmap for wholesaling done right, from what to look for in a wholesale supplier, to what the heck to do with the pallet on which your bulk linens are delivered. ... READ the POST

Hospitality Survey

Back in 2012, I started The Distinguished Guest with a crazy idea: To standardize hospitality best practices for the alternative accommodation industry, starting with my own rental in Princeville, Hawaii. After immersing myself in the industry, I quickly realized it can feel like "every rental is ... READ the POST

InnStyle

Once upon a time, InnStyle was one of my competitors.  Now, a few years later—after TDG’s pivot from merchandiser to education hub—I’m happy to be able to whole-heartedly recommend their excellent hospitality products without any conflict of interest!  InnStyle is owned and operated by a ... READ the POST

Down Etc

    Want to give your guests a sleep experience that rivals a swanky boutique hotel?  Try Down Etc! Whether you need sheets, pillows, or towels (or all of the above), Down Etc is the bed, bath, and amenity provider that boutique and high-end hotels have trusted for twenty ... READ the POST

Venus Group

  Finding a reputable linen vendor for your small accommodations business can be a challenge… trust me, I know! I am continually searching for high-quality providers for our industry—specifically seeking out those who have a long-standing reputation in hospitality.  My philosophy: ... READ the POST

9 Things To Consider When Investing In A STR

Are you considering investing in a short-term rental (STR for short)? Our formerly small, fringe business—which started a few decades ago with classified ads and word-of-mouth referrals—has met mainstream investing in a big way.  Thanks to unicorn startups like Airbnb (now a household name), ... READ the POST

Proper Insurance

Five years ago, I gave my current insurance provider (a large and popular residential insurance provider) a call to make sure my property in Kauai wasn’t missing any of the essentials. Did I need a fire extinguisher? A dead bolt? I figured the safest thing to do was to ask my current insurance ... READ the POST

5 Things You Need To Know Before Listing On Airbnb

Listing on Airbnb: short-term rental “athletes” know that owning and operating a rental is a marathon, not a sprint. Along the way, many roadblocks will pop up (understatement of the year!)…and successful, agile rentalists find ways to change course. As a whole house owner back in 2015, I was ... READ the POST

Waivo

The dreaded security deposit. It’s a pain point for managers, hosts, owners, and guests. There are other damage insurance programs available, but many are far too labor intensive and take both the control and revenue away from the managers. Hence, the birth of Waivo™, vacation rental damage ... READ the POST

COVID-19 Cleaning

The Ultimate Covid-19 Cleaning Resource It is still hard for me to believe that just a few short months ago, I was set to have the most profitable summer on record at my Kauai vacation rental property. Now? Well... It’s a familiar story for almost everyone in the short-term rental ... READ the POST

How to Organize Vacation Rental Finances

I’m a numbers person. I worked in commercial real estate for 20 years before starting my vacation rental business, and my days were full of them. Luckily, because of this experience, I had a solid understanding of how I wanted to run and account for my vacation rental finances from the ... READ the POST

Vacation Rental Tax Tips

In the vacation rental industry, the connections we make with other vacation home pros are one of our most valuable assets. Case in point: the lovely Holly Webb. Holly and I both won makeovers for our vacation rental websites over on Matt Landau’s Vacation Rental Marketing Blog, and I was lucky ... READ the POST

Instagram

(Photography by the talented, Tyann Marcink) I’d venture to guess that many (if not most?) TDG readers have a Facebook account for their vacation rental business. After all, Facebook has entered its teen years—it’s 13!—and over two billion people actively use the platform every single ... READ the POST

The #bookdirect Movement

  If you are in the short-term rental industry, you’ve likely heard that developing your own website to collect bookings is a smart move. When it’s your book direct platform, you control the booking, the communication, the terms, the marketing, the cancellation policy (*ahem*)…  But do ... READ the POST

Vacation Rental Photos: Invest in a Professional

Way back when, fuzzy point-and-shoot vacation rental photos with awkward angles and bad perspectives were the norm for vacation rental marketing. In those days, anyone who sprang for crisp, professional photography automatically rocketed themselves above the local competition. That time is ... READ the POST

Double Booking Damage Control

You think it will never happen to you… until it does. The dreaded Double Booking. I pride myself on being detail-oriented. After all, my passion for “the details” is the whole reason I started The Distinguished Guest in the first place! But, like all vacation rental owners (and humans) I made ... READ the POST

Holiday Tipping Guide

Holiday tipping: as you take stock of what’s important to you during the holiday season, don’t forget your trusted vacation rental staff and crew. After all, if you’re running a successful vacation rental, you’re likely not doing it alone. Your housekeepers, property managers, maintenance team, ... READ the POST

Hospitality Survey Results

The Hospitality Survey Results are Here! We asked—you answered. A huge thank you to the almost 700 folks—691 to be exact!—who completed The Distinguished Guest’s Hospitality Survey. Our survey was the first of its kind in the vacation rental and home-sharing industry, with a goal of gathering ... READ the POST

How to Create a Hotel Bed

Hotels set a pretty high bar for your guests’ expectations. Get ahead of the curve by creating the perfect, hotel-style bed that maximizes guest comfort. Watch my video to see the process in action! I’ve also written the steps below. Step 1:  Build the Foundation Place a feather bed on ... READ the POST

# 1 Time Waster

Years ago, my good friend Matt Landau started a heated Airbnb cleaning debate on his Vacation Rental Marketing Blog: Just how much responsibility do vacation rental guests have for cleaning/property maintenance at checkout? The post is over three years old and I still remember it. Both because of ... READ the POST

Hotel Linen Secrets Revealed

So, it's time to buy comforter sets, sheets, towels and other linens for your vacation rental or Airbnb property. You might be tempted to just head to your nearest big box store, plop a random bedding set in your cart and call it a day. Resist the urge, friends! If you want to compete with ... READ the POST

Vacation Rental Bedding

At The Distinguished Guest, I'm constantly seeking the best vacation rental bedding for my clients, who represent a variety of nightly rates—from budget to luxury.  To offer the best products, I've spent the last several years collecting sheet set, bedding set, and comforter set samples, testing ... READ the POST

StayFi

If you are a short-term rental owner trying to market your own property outside of the big listing sites/OTAs, you know the struggle is real. The listing sites are large, well-funded marketing machines and they still—even now—have a huge slice of the pie.  It can be tempting to just turn all your ... READ the POST

Guest Hook

Great copy can make or break your business! I am not a writer. And the writing experience I do have has been “strictly business”—straightforward and to the point. No flowery expressions or threading a yarn to tell my story. I am not known for nailing every comma or apostrophe.   Thankfully, I ... READ the POST

Towels

BEST BATH TOWELS, HAND TOWELS & WASH CLOTHS Though The Distinguished Guest is known as a "maven of the well-made bed" for vacation rentals, I have also counseled quite a few hospitality-minded folks about how to choose the best luxury bath towel for their vacation rentals. A plush bath towel ... READ the POST

Toiletries

Back in 2012, I set out my very first travel-size toiletry kit for guests arriving at my Tahoe vacation rental.  At the time, small touches like that definitely weren’t common in short-term rentals. I was excited to offer a variety of vacation rental toiletries, but I wasn’t sure if my guests would ... READ the POST

Hospitality Cleaning Supplies: The Essentials

It's the age-old question for the hospitality industry, especially vacation rentals and Airbnbs: How much cleaning should you expect guests to do for themselves when they stay at your property? Should you ask them to do the dishwashing? Empty the trash? Start a load of towels in the wash? Or ... READ the POST

Vacation Rental Sheet Maintenance

One of the missions at The Distinguished Guest is to share the beauty of a well-made bed for vacation rentals. After all, guests spend hours and hours in your beds—sleeping longer (and hopefully better!) than they do at home. Your vacation rental sheets are key! And you can’t have a well-made, ... READ the POST

Client Love

Alanna has been my go-to person as I've navigated the learning curves of running my vacation rental businesses.  She helped...

Cathy Scott

Vacation Rental & Boutique Hotel Supplies
5
2016-05-03T18:24:44-07:00

Cathy Scott

Alanna has been my go-to person as I've navigated the learning curves of running my vacation rental businesses.  She helped me re-brand my properties, market them effectively, and connect with other valuable industry resources.
Alanna at The Distinguished Guest has been an invaluable resource while setting up my first vacation rental.  I recently bought...

Robert Howell

Vacation Rental & Boutique Hotel Supplies
5
2020-11-01T08:47:41-08:00

Robert Howell

Alanna at The Distinguished Guest has been an invaluable resource while setting up my first vacation rental.  I recently bought a house in Hilton Head Island and knew nothing about what it takes to be a successful vacation rental.  Alanna has always been willing to lend a helping hand and responds quickly to all of my many questions!  If you're looking to set up a new vacation rental or refresh an existing rental, I would highly recommend contacting Alanna to help out.  She provides a 5 star experience!
Regardless if you are new to the industry or have more than a decade of being a vacation rental host,...

Celine Girard

Vacation Rental & Boutique Hotel Supplies
5
2021-08-30T08:38:31-07:00

Celine Girard

Regardless if you are new to the industry or have more than a decade of being a vacation rental host, this course is for you! The course covers a lot of information, delivered in easy to follow modules with a clear, logical and effective structure. Equipped with downloadable workbooks, checklists and resources; I am now confident and ready to be the best host possible for my guests.
Alanna Schroeder’s common sense approach, level headed ideas, and years of practical experience all come together in her excellent course on STR...

David Boe

Vacation Rental & Boutique Hotel Supplies
5
2021-09-03T08:09:53-07:00

David Boe

Alanna Schroeder’s common sense approach, level headed ideas, and years of practical experience all come together in her excellent course on STR hosting. Every page yields valuable insights, which are thoughtfully presented with clarity and purpose. A terrific resource.
Alanna's online, self-directed short term vacation rental course is THE one you want to take if you are serious about...

CL Reed

Vacation Rental & Boutique Hotel Supplies
5
2021-09-07T09:59:48-07:00

CL Reed

Alanna's online, self-directed short term vacation rental course is THE one you want to take if you are serious about getting into the short term vacation rental game!  This course will take you step-by-step from the initial thought of why you should get involved in short term vacation renting to every possible aspect of operating, maintaining and protecting your investment.  Additionally, you will learn some of Hospitality's Best Business Practices along the way. I highly recommend this course for Beginners and Intermediates to learn much information in one succinct setting.  If you have been operating short term vacation rentals for some time and consider yourself to be at the Expert level, you should take this as a refresher/stay relevant course, as there are many gold nuggets to support you in enhancing your method of operation.
5
5
Vacation Rental & Boutique Hotel Supplies