If you own an apartment in the heart of the business district or a condo near the airport, you might be wondering how to capture those business travelers. Even if your property doesn't strike you as a business traveler destination, you might be surprised at its marketability for corporate trips.

Appeal to business travelers in your listing and booking process:

• Remove weekly minimums from your listing and feature nightly rates.
• List area conferences and conference centers in your ad to capture renters searching for those keywords.
• Include a phrase like “Corporate Travelers Welcome” in your headline and description.
• Accept credit cards to make bookings quick and simple for corporate card users.
• Provide invoices so business travelers can easily submit expense reports.

Cater to business travelers at your property:

• Offer daily housekeeping service. • Offer a concierge service whereby business travelers can find dry cleaners and tailors or even a grocery delivery service. • Supply take-out and delivery menus for local restaurants. • Provide an iron, ironing board and shoe-shining kit • Include extra toiletries in the bathroom.

Catering to business travelers works well for smaller homes, but even if your home is larger, you might be able to attract large groups attending a local conference. Either way, if business travelers are going to choose a vacation rental over a hotel, the owner should offer some extras to create a more hotel-like experience since they may be accustomed to those types of amenities.

Business travelers provide vacation rental owners with another means for increasing bookings and possibly extending their rental season. Follow these tips for greater marketability to a different segment of travelers.

Learn more about the possibilities of catering to the business traveler segment:

	Why Business Travelers Might Seek Out Vacation Rentals Don't rule out an important group of renters for your vacation property.
	Creating an Office at Your Vacation Rental Follow these tips to create a functional workspace for business and leisure travelers alike.
	Advertising Your Vacation Home to Special Event Travelers When updating the listing for your vacation rental property, don't forget to reach out to special event travelers.

"I noticed your article about attracting business travelers to a vacation rental. We've had a great bit of luck in that way. A contract engineer at Boeing is renting our beach house for 6-8 months, carrying us through the off-season and the start of this recession. He's paying us enough to cover our costs (mortgage, taxes, insurance, plus we pay the utilities). His children will visit over the holidays, but otherwise he'll be in the house alone, so there's little wear and tear on the house. He's able to work off-site most of the time, just needing to drive into Boeing every six weeks (a two hour drive). He's from Denver and was tickled by the idea of living on the ocean. I had been thinking of furnishing one of my in-city long-term rentals to make it available for the corporate/short-term market. I've contacted some landlords in Seattle and Olympia who are having great success in this way: they get 50% higher rent and experience little vacancy. However, I hadn't thought of remote Pacific Beach for this market." - Bob K., Pacific Beach, WA.  "List on the corporate housing network www.tchnetwork.com. Tried listing on corporate housing by owner: www.chbo.com. Network within local chamber of commerce and tourism counsel." -Melinda, VRBO #60821, VacationRentals.com #4110)

 

Advertising Your Vacation Home to Special Event Travelers    When updating the listing for your vacation rental property, don't forget to reach out to special event travelers.

How to Market Your Vacation Home to 30-Day Renters    Market to this niche group to satisfy local minimum stay regulations or to simply your increase bookings.

Creative Ways to Keep a Large Home Booked in the Slower Season    Pointers for keeping your large vacation rental home full during the off season.

Off-Season Marketing: 12 Ways to Prep for the Off-Season    A creative guide to attracting new travelers and filling your availability calendar during the slower season.

Offering a Grocery Service at Your Vacation Home    Stand out from the competition by providing groceries to your renters.