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  Amenities & Furnishings , 10 Fun Amenities Which Could Make Travelers Choose Your Property  
 
     
10 Fun Amenities Which Could Make Travelers Choose Your Property

Unique extras that could be the deciding factor between your home and the next
 
When searching for a vacation home to rent, properties tend to run together and it's hard to distinguish one beachfront condo from the next. Make your property stand out by including fun and unique amenities.

Here are just a few fun amenities you might consider:

1) A ping pong table. Great for basements, garages, and screened-in porches. Ping pong tables are cheaper than their billiard counterparts ($100-$300 vs. $300+) and have fewer pieces for your guests to lose. 

2) A soft serve ice cream maker. Ideal for summer destinations.

3) An espresso machine. Coffee connoisseurs will love having a tasty cup in the morning without having to leave the house.

4) A horseshoe set. Inexpensive to buy and easy to set up.

Soft serve ice cream makers are ideal for summer destinations.
Pamper your guests with terrycloth bathrobes.

5) Terrycloth bathrobes. Make your guests feel like they're staying at the Ritz.

6) A Belgian waffle maker. Guests love playing with kitchen gadgets that they don't have at home.

7) A Bocce Ball set. An easy game that your guests can play in the yard or at the beach.

8) A margarita machine. Get one of these for your beach property and watch the inquiries roll in.

9) A karaoke machine. Kids and adults alike enjoy channeling their inner Cher.

10) A dart board. Looking for an amenity to add to your 400 sq. ft. studio home? All you need to set up a dart board is a little bit of wall space.

Margarita machines boost inquiries.

This is by no means an all-encompassing list of the amenities you can add to your property to make it more memorable. Just think about what fun items you'd like to have at your disposal when you're on vacation. Owning a vacation rental property is your excuse to buy some of the impractical toys you've always wanted. You're not being imprudent…you're making your property more marketable.

What is a fun amenity you have in your vacation rental?

"I keep a Welcome Packet in the kitchen drawer with maps of the hiking trails, menus, tourists attractions, tv guide, etc. All kinds of info I think they might like about the area." Dee, Oregon Coast (VRBO #217014)

"I have a countertop snow cone maker." Teresa M., Orlando, FL

"We have a farm-shaped waffle iron - that makes cows, pigs, and rooster waffles at our Ranch House." Colleen, Carmel Valley, CA (VRBO #189381

"I have a number of victorian paper masks that transform faces. Lots of laughs are had by all." Lisa, Vermont (VRBO)

"Poker felt and chip set gets a lot of use but don't expect them to put the chips back in the right order." Nick

"One thing I do that seems to be unique is my cabin photo album. I leave a camera out so the guests can take pictures to put in the albums. It took a little while for it to really catch on but after doing this for eleven years folks now compete with some fun photo shoots. For a long time I put the disposable cameras out but 3 or 4 disappeared. They have taken good care of the nicer camera and I get much better photos." Dennis S., Oneida, TN  (HomeAway #171328)

"We have a mini market umbrella, two canvas and teak sand chairs, sand castle molds, pails,shovels and a polka dot carry bag for picnic stuff. Our cottage is on the beach in Baja, and our guests love the beach toys." Susan, La Paz, Mexico (HomeAway #193419, VacationRentals.com #40013)

"You mentioned Smores, so I thought I'd add a unique Smore making recipe. 1. Roast marshmellow. 2. Push an individual Teddy Graham treat into the melted marshmellow. 3. Push one square from a chocolate bar ino the melted marshmellow. Fr a twist, use a square of a Caramilk bar. 4. Shove the whole thing in your mouth. Yummy, and your hands stay clean! As for a fun amenity, we have a large DVD library, plenty of family games, and a variety of books (both fiction, and guidebooks for the local area)." Rockies Rentals, Canmore, AB (HomeAway #207710, VRBO #164905, VacationRentals.com #33783)

"Family DVDs." P, Lincoln City (HomeAway)

"I have a toy closet where I keep various puzzles, games, books, kites and sand toys. We are on the beach so we also keep foam noodles and beach chairs for the adults. Toy closet goes over real well." Donna, Cocoa Beach (HomeAway #152783, VRBO #25055, VacationRentals.com #11652)

"We supply 8 bikes of all sizes.We also have 4 out door sitting areas. Outdoor play set,picnic table,canoes kayaks." George, Sunriver, OR (HomeAway #182868)

"Sleds! We have seven sleds for our guests to borrow during the wintertime (3 saucers, 2 wooden sleds, and 2 Zipfys). Everyone wants to use a sled in the snow, and all our guests appreciate using ours. Of course we also included our favorite sledding areas in our cabin binder too." Michelle, Tahoe Donner (HomeAway #228142, VRBO #158357)

"Pool, surfboards, kayak, block from the beach, bicycles (fourteen of them to choose from!)" Steven, Ponce Inlet, FL (VRBO #235681)

"I put popcicles in the freezer and a note on the Fridge that says 'Open up a SURPRISE inside!' Adults(big kids) love it too and it keeps the kids happy while the big kids unpack the car!" -Cherryl, Needles, CA, VacationRentals.com

"Mountain bikes." Ryan, Arizona (VacationsRentals.com #53759)

"I'd be paranoid to leave anything that people could hurt themselves with and sue me, like sleds and bikes. I think the margarita machine is a much better idea." JF, New Hampshire (HomeAway)

"We advertise that we're family friendly, so we have some children's toys, games and books. We also have a play house in our yard that my kids are happy to share with our guests. Best of all, we have my kids who love to play with our guests, even when they're much younger and/or don't speak English." Melissa, Santa Monica, CA (HomeAway #168653, VRBO #141664, VacationRentals.com #29343)

"I collect menus from all the restaurants I like and have a wide selection at my rental house for my guests to pick from as well as maps and dress code so they can choose where they would like to dine." Cherie, Ormond Beach (HomeAway #164018, VRBO #91183)

“We download free podcasts and burn them to cd's for our guest to play on our portable CD. Stories for the kids, old time radio shows, and comedies make great choices.” Diane, Weaverville, NC (HomeAway #7012387)

“Our cabin rental is located on the beautiful Coosawattee River in Ellijay Georgia. We have river tubes for the guests to use and they have a great time with them riding the rapids.” –Mary

“Xbox 360, distinctive seating, pirate bunk beds...” –Kellie, Davenport, Florida (HomeAway #200763)

“Our property is a 13 minute walk to Moody Beach so in addition to beach chairs, umbrellas, blanket, toys and games, we provide two beach carts to carry all the stuff!” - Tom & Kate, Wells, ME (HomeAway #154101)

“I provide a loaf of homemade bread and either muffins or coffeecake for each set of arriving guests. Coffee and tea, basics such as sugar, salt, pepper, etc. are also provided. I receive a lot of appreciative comments in the guest journals about the baked goods.” - Peggy, NW Pennsylvania (HomeAway #202262)




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10 Fun Amenities Which Could Make Travelers Choose Your Property   
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