[Matt Landau]

IDEA: Any vacation rental property can be made more “limited edition” with the introduction of a landmark feature: a structural, decorative, or recreational aspect of the home’s offering that is unique (in your competitive set), photogenic (for promotional purposes), and perhaps most importantly enjoyable for new and repeat guests.

ACTION: Ask yourself any of the following questions...

Are there any homes in your area with a “landmark feature” — something that seems to command traveler's attention? The waterfall in the backyard, the game room in the basement, the hot tub overlooking the valley? Is there a natural place for you to piggyback on that popularity and invest in one too?

What aspect of your vacation rental do guests like most? If it’s the pool, maybe Pinterest has ideas for a feature landmark waterslide? If it’s the deck, perhaps you can wow guests with a professional telescope to view the stars?

Have you ever traveled somewhere with a landmark feature in the world? Would a riff on that feature work in your home? Here are a few I've come across: The living wall in Hotel Tantalo Panama, the "insta-worthy" murals in Nashville, or the swing in the middle of the ocean in Exuma.

Finding the right landmark feature can be a fun investment that can increase your property asset value, generate natural PR, and justify increasing your nightly rate (thus paying for the upgrade in the process!)

Do you have a landmark feature already? Or an idea for one that you'd like to share?

 

[RichardC]

Great thread. As we own condos and are a little restricted to be able to do anything outside our front doors as condo rules apply. Unfortunately no bar in the hallway or an all night buffet! We are always looking to do something to set us apart from our competition , but what works for one guest as a treat may not for anther. We have a welcome package, which isn't to shabby and all maintenance is conducted when needed, not scheduled for weeks after items are lost or broken. Although we do have a persona, we still seem to get families, groups of friends and couples on their own so the idea would have to be cross generational. Our condos are themed, which is a little different for our building, but nothing standout. As we are located in the Canadian Rockies there is a lot to explore on the doorstep and we always provide pre-booking information, to help guests plan their visit.

Bright ideas welcome.

 

[Mark]

Matt Landau - Great post. I couldn't agree more on the value a landmark feature can bring to differentiating 'Limited Edition' from 'the rest'. I'd like to contribute my own example...

I can't take credit for creating this particular landmark feature (the original owner of my property conceived it), but I recognized its value right away. It's a wonderful bell arch at the front entrance. It's so unique that I chose to use it in naming the property.

A bell arch is classic Southwest, but not something you generally see in residential settings. With a dense trumpet vine dripping with blooms, a sturdy oil-rubbed bronze bell, and black iron gate, the arch provides great 'wow-factor' and an awesome first impression.

Back in the old west, I picture that locals would have known of the place, not by an address, but by the landmark - the 'Bell House'. Of course that's just in my mind's eye. The house is only about 14 years old, but has a timeless, classic Southwest vibe thanks to the architecture, setting, and especially... the bell arch.

Given the local use of Spanish in naming roads, towns, businesses, etc..., I chose "Casa Campana" ('Bell House' in Spanish) as the property name. It's not exciting, but it would have been wrong to not incorporate the bell arch. It's a defining characteristic.

Guests definitely know when they've arrived! No one has ever said, "Oh, I thought it was the 'other' bell house"!

Since it's a working bell, we ring it occasionally when the work day is over and we're ready for the neighbors to come down for a margarita. So besides being beautiful, it has a practical use too!! Anyone can send a text message, but it's so much more fun to go out and ring the bell! Fortunately I don't think many guests realize it actually works!!

Here's a small watercolor-ized photo (Waterlogue app) I've turned into a logo, a custom postcard featuring the arch (I leave a stack for guests), and a photo of the vine in bloom just for fun...

 

[Matt Landau]

"Oh, I thought it was the 'other' bell house"!

Hahah! Such a cool landmark feature, Mark. I want to visit one day!!!

 

[JStevens]

Ok Mark all of those images are beautiful!!!! Especially the image with the mass of trumpet vine in bloom!!!

I recall that Netflix Vacation rental series talking about a spot to have an Instagram photo. I am thinking our new Pennsylvania blue stone cliffside patio with the water view in the background might be a good spot. Will have to test out the photo angles.

How do you get the ball rolling with the photos?

 

[DeborahL]

Hi everyone.
I started to do this some time ago for the Have You Got instagram account, to highlight features of properties on Have You Got. It's the theme for the account - managers and owners have to complete the sentence "Have you got a .... (special feature......). We do!"
I have a house with totem poles out the front, one with a yoga room, another with a jacuzzi with views over the Isle of Mull, another with a pool with views of the Andalusia Mountains, and one set in an avocado orchard by a small lake. Love sharing this kind of stuff with guests! Take a look at have.you.got on insta.

 

[RuthM]

Love these ideas! Mark those photos make me want to plan a vacation. They are beautiful. We have a PORTHOLE in our seafront vacation home in Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy...but our best feature are the terraces over the Mediterranean Sea. We are so fortunate that my mother-in-law had the foresight to buy these properties so long ago.

 

[Mark]

I am thinking our new Pennsylvania blue stone cliffside patio with the water view in the background might be a good spot.

JStevens - wow, what an awesome spot you’ve created! I love the blue stone!! It looks like the perfect spot to relax, meditate, do yoga, renew vows, ... I see lots of potential!!

 

[Mark]

our best feature are the terraces over the Mediterranean Sea

Thanks RuthM! It doesn’t get more ‘Landmark’ than a Cinque Terre terrace over the Med. I’ve admired those views on-line for a long time. I’ll get to see them in person in September as my wife and I make our first trip to the Tuscany region. We can hardly wait!!

 

[Mark]

Hahah! Such a cool landmark feature, Mark. I want to visit one day!!!

It would by my pleasure Matt Landau , anytime!

 

[CCapalbo]

My villa is located in an historic community ( It's the very spot where the final Battle between the British and Spanish took place. Hence, Jamaica is an english speaking country). However, there are other villas in the area, which can capitalized on the historic nature of our location.


The villa boast beautiful views of the Caribbean Sea,from terrace, window and master bedroom

What set us apart from these other villas"

New feature to help us stand out is our newly built family game room, it's dedicated to family fun with Air hockey table, Foosball, Wii, Xbox, PS4, And a Movie Theater Style Antique popcorn machine.

The family game room will be fully decorated & furnished in a few days. I will attached photos once the room is completed.

Plus a dedicated game room / bar for adults with pool table, dart, ect.

I've just added pillow menu selections to my list of amenities ( Hypoallergenic pillows and sheet sets, puredown Natural Goose Down Pillows

Our yoga and fitness room, will be ready in the Fall.

 

[CCapalbo]

Matt Landau - Great post. I couldn't agree more on the value a landmark feature can bring to differentiating 'Limited Edition' from 'the rest'. I'd like to contribute my own example...

I can't take credit for creating this particular landmark feature (the original owner of my property conceived it), but I recognized its value right away. It's a wonderful bell arch at the front entrance. It's so unique that I chose to use it in naming the property.

A bell arch is classic Southwest, but not something you generally see in residential settings. With a dense trumpet vine dripping with blooms, a sturdy oil-rubbed bronze bell, and black iron gate, the arch provides great 'wow-factor' and an awesome first impression.

Back in the old west, I picture that locals would have known of the place, not by an address, but by the landmark - the 'Bell House'. Of course that's just in my mind's eye. The house is only about 14 years old, but has a timeless, classic Southwest vibe thanks to the architecture, setting, and especially... the bell arch.

Given the local use of Spanish in naming roads, towns, businesses, etc..., I chose "Casa Campana" ('Bell House' in Spanish) as the property name. It's not exciting, but it would have been wrong to not incorporate the bell arch. It's a defining characteristic.

Guests definitely know when they've arrived! No one has ever said, "Oh, I thought it was the 'other' bell house"!

Since it's a working bell, we ring it occasionally when the work day is over and we're ready for the neighbors to come down for a margarita. So besides being beautiful, it has a practical use too!! Anyone can send a text message, but it's so much more fun to go out and ring the bell! Fortunately I don't think many guests realize it actually works!!

Here's a small watercolor-ized photo (Waterlogue app) I've turned into a logo, a custom postcard featuring the arch (I leave a stack for guests), and a photo of the vine in bloom just for fun...

View attachment 2996


View attachment 2999


View attachment 3000

Mark beautiful spot.

 

[JPrugh]

The attached "landmark feature" was sent to USA Today for their "coolest Airbnbs" online feature - something I shared previously. My newest property features carved stone lintels featuring Bible verses in old Swedish. Maybe we could offer "stone rubbing," providing paper and rendering materials (charcoal, graphite, etc.) under supervision, of course.

Yesterday's WSJ featured "The Most Luxe Vacation is Unplugged." which features not only the lack of connectivity, but also the locations that are landmark features themselves. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-ul...re-11564447825?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1

 

[Matt Landau]

The attached "landmark feature" was sent to USA Today for their "coolest Airbnbs" online feature - something I shared previously. My newest property features carved stone lintels featuring Bible verses in old Swedish. Maybe we could offer "stone rubbing," providing paper and rendering materials (charcoal, graphite, etc.) under supervision, of course.

Yesterday's WSJ featured "The Most Luxe Vacation is Unplugged." which features not only the lack of connectivity, but also the locations that are landmark features themselves. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-ul...re-11564447825?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=1

So JPrugh maybe rural tourism isn’t just a new kind of luxury. Maybe it is the ULTIMATE?!

 

[RuthM]

Thanks RuthM! It doesn’t get more ‘Landmark’ than a Cinque Terre terrace over the Med. I’ve admired those views on-line for a long time. I’ll get to see them in person in September as my wife and I make our first trip to the Tuscany region. We can hardly wait!!

If you plan to travel over to Liguria, get in touch! I would be happy to give you tips!

 

[CCapalbo]

My villa is located in an historic community ( It's the very spot where the final Battle between the British and Spanish took place. Hence, Jamaica is an english speaking country). However, there are other villas in the area, which can capitalized on the historic nature of our location.


The villa boast beautiful views of the Caribbean Sea,from terrace, window and master bedroom

What set us apart from these other villas"

New feature to help us stand out is our newly built family game room, it's dedicated to family fun with Air hockey table, Foosball, Wii, Xbox, PS4, And a Movie Theater Style Antique popcorn machine.

The family game room will be fully decorated & furnished in a few days. I will attached photos once the room is completed.

Plus a dedicated game room / bar for adults with pool table, dart, ect.

I've just added pillow menu selections to my list of amenities ( Hypoallergenic pillows and sheet sets, puredown Natural Goose Down Pillows

Our yoga and fitness room, will be ready in the Fall.

As promise here is a sample video of my features:

 

[Matt Landau]

As promise here is a sample video of my features:

Cavel, it's showing video unavailable.

 

[CCapalbo]

Cavel, it's showing video unavailable.

I just checked it showing up now.

 

[Mary Owlhaven]

We have a wood carving guy in our area who does bears and other kind of rustic chainsaw carvings out of big tree stumps, and we've been talking for awhile about having him commission us a big owl, something that people could take their pictures next to....maybe set it in the back yard along with a wooden bench... This thread is making me think we need to get a bid and see how much he would charge us for that.

 

[Matt Landau]

We have a wood carving guy in our area who does bears and other kind of rustic chainsaw carvings out of big tree stumps, and we've been talking for awhile about having him commission us a big owl, something that people could take their pictures next to....maybe set it in the back yard along with a wooden bench... This thread is making me think we need to get a bid and see how much he would charge us for that.

Reminds me of TeenaNH and her totem poles https://www.vrmb.com/podcast/ep04-infusing-personality-totem-poles-vacation-rental-teena-kulakowski/

 

[MichelleR]

Ok Mark all of those images are beautiful!!!! Especially the image with the mass of trumpet vine in bloom!!!

I recall that Netflix Vacation rental series talking about a spot to have an Instagram photo. I am thinking our new Pennsylvania blue stone cliffside patio with the water view in the background might be a good spot. Will have to test out the photo angles.

How do you get the ball rolling with the photos?

View attachment 3002

Gorgeous patio!!! I would suggest creating an instagram hashtag that you ask people to use while posting....

 

[TeenaNH]

Reminds me of TeenaNH and her totem poles

Do some research on any wood carvings. I had no idea how much upkeep they take! They get mildew and look like crap if you are not treating them twice a year. Ugh.

 

[ToonTownRob]

I have no idea why this thread showed up in the recent posts lists for me, but I absolutely love this idea/concept!

What this really is all about to me is the creation of a specific type of Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Your USP is something special and unique about your property that you use and feature in order to sell it. It is something special that you offer to your guests that they can't get anywhere else, that helps define you and your property, what you offer to guests, and makes you stand out amongst a sea of competition, and ultimately be successful.

Ideally, your property, like our first one, has a built in USP, and you bought it for that very reason, as we did. When purchasing a home for use as a vacation rental, one wants it to have a special feature; a view, location, or something about it not easily replicated, that prospective guests will easily recognize and instantly be attracted to.

If your home doesn't have a built in USP, it is quite possible to create one in many instances, and this is what may be necessary for many vacation rental owners to do if their property is to be successful and it doesn't really have anything special to offer amongst its competitors.

This was the situation with our second vacation home. There was absolutely nothing special about it when we bought it! The only thing that it had going for it was its price. It has the distinction of being the lowest price a home has EVER sold for in the history of our subdivision. But it started a surprising journey that will ultimately end up having taken us some place I never expected in the beginning.

A landmark feature is not necessarily a USP, but it certainly can be. A landmark feature of a property, in the right hands, can be a defining part of a vacation rental's brand. When a feature of a property can be both a landmark feature and a USP, it multiplies its power from a marketing point of view.

This thread has struck me so strongly (And thank you all for sharing, and your wonderful inspirational photos! They are SO appreciated!) because it gives a name to an idea that I've had in the back of my mind for such a long time... I have had everything about it resolved in my head, but never put the right label on it!

The USP for my second property will ultimately be a Landmark Feature!

You know... sometimes it can take years to create one.

We have two vacation rentals, and even though our second is slightly larger than the other, and nicer in just about every single way, it doesn't rent as well as the first. There are a number of reasons for this, but one is because the first one has a 'non-landmark feature' in the form of the incredible privacy of its pool area.

If you know anything about Orlando Vacation Rentals, which are mostly purpose built homes, tightly packed right on top of each other in dense subdivisions, the typical private pool area of one of them isn't private at all. In fact, many guests liken it to being 'in the fishbowl' because the pools are covered with screen enclosures, so you are sort of inside a transparent container and on display to everyone else in their pool area, and they to you in yours.

The privacy of our pool area, because we have no rear neighbors, but also practically no side neighbors either, makes the house quite unique amongst Orlando area VRs. Plus we have landscaped the rear yard to create an environment that is really pleasant, enjoyable and tropical feeling, which I believe most people want when they envision themselves in Florida. It has been described as a 'mini-resort' by our neighbor's friends, and I love that.

It took us about five years of work to realize that vision, and we continue to work on and develop it. So the vista from our pool area, with nothing but a nicely landscaped yard, and forest/jungle beyond is the landmark feature of that property, except it isn't a landmark at all. That big feature is define by absence... which is why I call it a non-landmark. But hot-damn, is it a great USP!

But solving the issue of what do to with our second property, to make it book just as well as the first, gnawed away at my brain for years. It simply doesn't have the isolation and privacy of our first property, and has side neighbors as well. So we went to work to landscape what was a completely open yard, and create a sense of enclosure and privacy from our neighbors. But there are limits to what you can do with that.

As I pondered this issue, I realized that I needed to come up with something similar to our first home... A unique feature with punch, that would help distinguish the second property; a great USP. And as I sat outside on the pool deck one day, and pondered the entirety of the situation, I realized what I really wanted and needed to do. So I designed an increase in the size of our pool enclosure, and an extension of our pool deck on both sides, that would result in doubling the entire width of the deck to 65' wide, making it the widest in the entire subdivision. The larger pool enclosure would allow guests to suntan on the deck, out of the shade of the house, because now there would be sunshine (assuming no clouds) somewhere on the deck, every day of the year, and every hour of the day.

Once the work was done, which cost a good chunk of money, we ordered four pool loungers, imported from Italy, that are very comfortable, but feature a bright electric blue color. I lined them up on the newly expanded deck with the pool in the background, placed a super colorful large fluffy beach towel folded up on the foot of each one, and shot a promo photo of it (well about 40 to get the right single one). And that image kind of became the landmark feature of that expanded deck, but it is really only temporary. Four great loungers, no matter how nice, do not a landmark feature make. And it is too easily replicated in other situations.

What I have planned, however, is for the other extension of the deck on the other side of the pool, and outside the pool enclosure. I never realized it at the time, but what I was building in my mind, and will now do in reality, is something that I described to Matt as an 'Architectural Digest' back yard feature; an outdoor fireplace, constructed in rustic brick, with a covered pavilion roof on an old-style post and beam frame, with a conversation area, trellised side for additional privacy, a spot for our BBQ and outdoor kitchen. (We already have a covered dining area on our lanai off the interior of the pool enclosure.) The new covered area and fireplace will overlook the open part of our rear yard and natural forest beyond.

The simple truth is, that when this thing is finished, it will be incredibly unique amongst most Orlando vacation homes (except the biggest, most luxurious ones that rent for thousands per night). As I've researched the construction of it and worked on my plans, I've discovered why they're so rare in the Orlando area. Most people can't build such structures in their yards, because the building codes require foundations for such roofs that anchor them in such a way that they won't blow away in a hurricane! I viewed forums where lots of people lamented wanting to have such things in their yards, but can't get them and build them, because the foundation for them becomes too challenging or cost prohibitive for them to do. Building codes won't allow for it.

But what did I do?

Without even having my plans for this special feature started in my mind (or maybe I did but they were all subconscious) I decided to extend my deck, and once I had drawn the plans, submitted them to a locally licensed engineer to produce engineered drawings – both for the concrete foundation of the deck, and the aluminum structure of the enclosure expansion. My concrete deck (it's really a patio I suppose, with textured latex non-slip coating on it typically found around Florida pools) has excessive rebar in it, and is twice the thickness it needs to be, and I have stamped engineered drawings outlining its construction, which will allow me to build just about anything I want on it, and anchor it into the concrete in a manner suitable to meet the Central Florida building codes. Yay!

Just doing things right in the first place, has opened up my options, and allows now for the creation of what I have ultimately come up with for that space; a glorious, unique and wonderful Landmark Feature!

And a USP that will be absolutely killer! Pictures of it will stick out like a wonderful, beautiful sore thumb amongst thousands of competitive listings.

In total, it will probably be a six or seven year journey from initial sparks to having this entire vision made real. But it will so worth it!

I always knew what I wanted for this property and this space... I just didn't have a name for it, but now I do; a landmark feature! It is really strange how happy having this label for what I'm doing has made me! So thank you!

(I'm sorry I can't post pics of any of this. Maybe some day. But for the moment we just have to suffer through my description!)

 

[Toby]

I have added many features to my rentals over the years. The overriding goal is always the same, create an experience difficult to recreate elsewhere and continue to drive repeat business through satisfaction (hopefully enthusiastic) Some of my more popular upgrades and features have been: premium mattresses, high end bedding, video game systems with a large library of desirable games, and of course hot tubs. I am always looking for the next upgrade that has escaped me. We all have our blind spots. The obvious one I overlooked forever was decor. What upgrades that are not so obvious have you added that has gotten enthusiastic responses from your guests?

 

[Matt Landau]

Came across this Airbnb with a big swing front and center: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/281059...share_id=3d6a85a3-81ac-4d55-bdc6-213307c09a2b



Wonderful example of a Landmark Feature.