5 Inspiring Concierge Services for Vacation Rentals

If you feel like your guests lately have higher expectations than ever before, you’re not alone. More vacation rental managers are sharing about how visitors are bringing more than luggage with them these days. They are bringing expectations of getting hotel-like amenities with their stay – from an on-call concierge to mid-stay cleaning.

Today travelers are now choosing between staying in a hotel or a vacation rental. As they weigh these options, available add-on services will influence their decision. Here are a handful of vacation rental managers offering unique local services to enhance the guest experience with their brand.

1. Breakfast Tacos & Bloody Mary Bar

Walker Luxury Vacation Rentals offers Breakfast Tacos and a Bloody Mary Bar. If that doesn’t wrap up your visit to Austin, TX in an unforgettable way, I don’t know what would. By choosing a meal popular in that destination, and adding a local spin on a well-known staple cocktail, they’ve packaged a unique offering.

Guests don’t drive hundreds of miles for a chain restaurant experience. They want local flavor. In some vacation rental destinations, the restaurants don’t take reservations, which is a huge pain for those traveling with small children.

How great would it be if a professional chef would prepare a meal in the home! That way everyone could focus on being together, catching up or celebrating a special occasion without needing to worry about finding a table in a packed restaurant that fits their party’s size.

In-rental cuisine experiences don’t need to be fancy either. A craft cocktail bar or dessert spread would be eventful enough to enhance a group’s stay. The point is that you’re bringing the unique flavors from your area to your guests in a convenient way that they will enjoy, photograph and share!

2. Low Country Boil

Seafood boils are a great way to feed a large number of people using only one pot. There are variations originating from Louisiana to New England, but they all center around seafood and celebrations.

The Lowcountry boil started out as “Frogmore Stew” named after a plantation located in a town dating back to 1820. The estate’s name changed and so did the name of the dish, but the ingredients have remained the same ever since.

Have a steaming pot full of local seafood, corn, and potatoes ready for your entire party right there in your rental in a genius idea. This is perfect for the first day of arrival so no one has to coordinate dinner plans after traveling all day. Or it can be a great solution for a Monday night when most restaurants are closed.

Being able to self-serve a warm plate of shrimp, clams or crab meat while in the comfort of your vacation home is fun, family tradition celebrated year after year. Island Realty offers this add on service to its guests about two weeks prior to arrival. They send out a confirmation letter with featured vendors, which also includes beach chairs and umbrella services. 

3. Chauffeured Winery Tours

This can be a reliable and attractive service for vacation rental guests in wine country locations. Especially when you also own the service. At least that’s what Stay Charlottesville is offering. Guests can be picked up at their rental in Mercedes Sprinter Vans and taken to one (or many) wineries in the area.

Charlottesville, Virginia is home to a thriving wine industry, and there are many wineries in the area that offer tours and tastings. Some of the top wineries to visit for a tour include Blenheim Vineyards, King Family Vineyards, and Veritas Vineyard and Winery.

Planning these trips in advance can take a load of stress off the shoulders of guests who might be unfamiliar with all the area has to offer. The drivers are entertaining and knowledgeable, which allows the guests to simply enjoy the ride.

4. Pre-Stocked Groceries / Bar

Flights are getting delayed or canceled at an alarming rate these days. Arriving late and starving will ruin a memory. Having to head back out into town for food or a cocktail after finally arriving from a long journey doesn't sound like fun either. ELP Luxury Vacations (formerly known as Echelon Luxury Properties) has figured out how to do this well. Not only do they personally greet each guest in person, but they offer guided tours of the homes to explain its unique features and functions. If something like a well-stocked bar cart is needed, or a private chef, or even a pre-prepared catered meal waiting in the fridge, that can be arranged prior to arrival or mid-stay. 

Working with a grocery delivery service, or an errand-running service, for an additional fee to the guest is one way to offer a pre-stocked pantry before the guest arrives. Grocery delivery became popular during the pandemic, especially in urban markets. Having it available for a vacation rental experience, especially for those traveling with young children, would certainly be helpful.

Local delivery services like Instacart, DoorDash, Amazon Prime Pantry and Shipt that work with local stores to shop and deliver items right to your door. These services typically offer a wide selection of groceries, including fresh produce, meat and seafood, dairy products, and household essentials. Some may also offer same-day or next-day delivery.

(I’d be loyal for life if someone put Publix bakery and deli items in my rental before I arrived.)

5. Customized Celebrations

When celebrating a birthday or anniversary during a vacation rental stay, Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals brings their concierge services to the rescue. They have local partners who can source a cake, and even candles at the last minute. Local vendors can even supply balloons, flowers or a tablecloth with plates and napkins. 

Guests having a more intimate celebration can request a “Cabin Romance” package complete with a dozen roses (in a vase), chocolate-covered strawberries, and a bottle of champagne or non-alcoholic sparkling cider. Talk about hotel-like amenities! The fact that these services are being packaged and made available in a destination like the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia proves that resourcefulness can definitely level up the game in almost any location.

Creative Guest Services Make Great Memories

These vacation rental companies are setting the gold standard for add on services being made available to guests during their stay. Working with local, reliable vendors is a key component of making this achievement possible and we love the creativity and local flavor!