The summer months are here and your holiday Serviced Accommodation (SA) should be ready with all the family-friendly amenities you can shake a Disney Princess wand at, right? No worries if not! We’ve got you covered with ideas ranging from super simple to ones you can save for the next holiday season.
Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy - this super simple idea
I say this to my clients a lot (not the Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy bit, this…) First impressions count!
Imagine this - you’ve just travelled a long way (even a 20-minute journey feels like an odyssey with kids, right?). They’re tired, you’re tired, but excitement levels are through the roof.
That’s where a well-prepared welcome pack can make all the difference.
Not your average bottle of fizz and loaf of bread though (although those are lovely too!). We’re talking about a kid-friendly welcome pack customised with:
1. Colouring books
2. Pens
3. Sticker books
4. Bubbles (for the garden, of course)
5. Snacks
…and whatever else keeps them happily occupied while the adults:
a. familiarise themselves with your holiday home
b. unpack
c. sit down with a glass of something nice (my fave of course)
I’ve never been to an SA where this service was given but people must be doing it out there right? If you’ve been somewhere like this, I’d love to know!
Make your SA stand out from the crowd. Kids have long memories - they’ll be telling everyone about this for years to come.
Small but Mighty
For those rainy days or cosy evenings (because holidays should be fun rain or shine), consider setting up a mini-movie theatre experience. You’ve got Wi-Fi and Disney+ sorted, right? Perfect. Now, elevate it with blackout curtains to create that cinema vibe.
This idea’s not big on cost, but it certainly is mighty on entertainment value.
1. Make sure the room has curtains (preferably blackout lined) to recreate that auditorium feel.
2. Label a large box or basket ‘Movie Night’ and fill it with:
• Cosy blankets
• Inexpensive cushions
• A self-inflating camping mattress or two (kids love lounging around on the floor and it stops them from climbing all over sofas)
• A laminated card with ‘Movie Night’ instructions including details of your streaming services and where to find the other exciting treats that make up Movie Night (see below).
3. Don’t forget a popcorn maker and brown paper bags to fill with said popcorn.
4. Why not invest in reusable snack trays with sections for different tasty treats?
5. Enjoy a Guest Book? Encourage your younger guests to write in a ‘Guest Movie Review Book’ for future guests to be inspired by.
Who’s up for Movie Night? We’re in!
Hoorainy Day!
Picture this…You’re on holiday. It’s raining. So what?! You’re on holiday, it’s raining and it’s fun to explore new places in the rain. Day #3 it’s raining again. Your sunny optimistic outlook is fading and you need some help. We’ve all been there, right?
So how amazing would it be to eliminate the guesswork for your guests by creating a comprehensive guidebook of rainy day activities suitable for kids of all ages?
We know what you’re thinking! ‘I leave pamphlets and leaflets and we have a guest book where people can recommend places of interest.’ And yes, that’s great, but that’s not aimed at kids, is it? What we’re talking about is a great big book packed full of colourful, inspirational ideas that your younger guests can pour over and get excited by.
Why not get a young teenager (with neat handwriting!) to compile the book so it’s written by kids, for kids.
This isn’t something that you can just pull together overnight but it’ll be a book so vibrant that just soaking up all its info will be a rainy day activity in itself.
Think;
As far afield as is reasonably possible to travel in a day.
Simple often works (where are the best muddy puddles for jumping in?)
And think food; keep baking utensils and a family-friendly baking book to inspire sticky little fingers!
So to sum up...
By giving it some thought you'll make staying at your place really special for the kids and the parents will love you for it. This means they'll book again and again, and they will definitely tell their friends too - hoorah for word-of-mouth marketing!
We hope these ideas have sparked your creativity! If you decide to try any out, we’d love to hear how they go down with your guests. Here’s to making your Serviced Accommodation a favourite destination for families everywhere!