How to attract Workationers and Long Term Stays

The coronavirus pandemic has created a new “working-from-home economy,” which is predicted to continue long past the coronavirus.

With more people working remotely, renting vacation homes or holiday homes to guests who book accommodation where they can work has become a trend known as “workation” (sometimes also falsely as staycation).

What workationers are looking for depends on their motivation. Some rent a vacation home or holiday home for a change of scenery, some are looking for more space and a quiet environment for themselves and their family, others want to work part of the day in a vacation atmosphere and enjoy themselves the rest of the day.

Along with remote working, the combination of work and vacation will increase significantly, opening a huge opportunity for accommodation providers. According to Airbnb, the volume of reviews by U.S. guests mentioning “remote working” or “work remotely” has nearly tripled since the start of the pandemic compared to the same period last year.

Market to remote workers

People who look for a place where they can work and relax have specific needs. This is how you make space attractive for workationers:

Adjust facilities and amenities
A table or desk suitable for work, good chairs and good lighting are essentials. Many workationers prefer places where they can prepare meals. Think about what changes and additions to indoor and outdoor spaces will make your guests more comfortable.

Invest in a strong and reliable internet connection
Good internet is key to working remotely. If your internet connection is shaky look into upgrading.

Allow long stays and offer long-stay discounts
Workationers often stay for a month or more at a time. Therefore they are more likely to book accommodation which offer attractive rates.

Update your listings
Use photos and descriptions which appeal to guests searching for a place where they can relax and work at the same time.

Advertise on the right platforms

Many OTAs allow hosts to promote listings to remote workers to make it easier for guests to quickly and easily find accommodation that meet their working needs. To be included, your listing will need to meet certain criteria:

Airbnbs “Long Term Stays” Tab

Airbnb provides a special collection of properties which are suitable for guests looking for longer term accommodation. to To be featured your listing needs to

have Wifi & Kitchen enabled as amenities
offer a monthly discount of at least 10%
have no maximum length of stay restriction

Being ” laptop-friendly” is not essential to be part of this collection but something “workationers” will be looking for.

Booking.coms “Work Friendly” Programme

To qualify as ‘Work-friendly’ your listing needs to

be a home-type accommodation (apartments, aparthotels, B&Bs, guesthouses, holiday homes, etc.)
be able to issue invoices to guests on request
be able to process credit card payments, or is part of Payments by Booking
have a minimum of 3 existing guest reviews with a Review score of 8 or more
have a cleanliness score of 8 or more
offer free and reliable WiFi
have a dedicated desk or table that can be used for work
have at least 1 flexible rate plan activated
have a private bathroom
have all the following readily available: fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide detectors and offer all the following hospitality essentials: towels, pillows, bed sheets, toilet paper, soap, toiletries (such as shampoo and shower gel)

Conclusion

Under normal circumstances discounted long-term stays might not be overly attractive. Right now this opens the chance for needed extra business. In the long run the combination of work and travel might become the new-normal.