Comfort is important in the vacation industry. Providing guests with a vacation experience that makes them want to come back again next year requires a comfort conscious strategy.
Typically, vacationers spend about a third of their time (7-8 hours/night) sleeping. What happens if that time is spent uncomfortably? Check out this review left by a man who took his family on vacation to the beach:
Great location, fantastic price
“My family and I had a wonderful stay in this unit. Its not directly located in the center which made it much quieter and less crowded. We loved all the amenities and though we had a small problem with the washer/dryer it was fixed and resolved very quickly. The only thing that could have improved the stay was a mattress pad (stored in the closet) to be used on the pull out bed. My kids did say that it was springy and uncomfortable.”
From that review can we be sure the family is coming back next year? Would it have made a difference if there were comfortable sleeping options for everyone?
Sleep is a big part of our lives whether on vacation or not:
- 8 hours of sleep/night = 29% of time spent sleeping
In light of this, think about grading a week long vacation rental using a scale similar to those used in school. Its not a pretty picture:
- 7 days = 168 hours
- 8 hours of sleep/night = 56 hours spent sleeping or approx. 29% of vacation
If 29% of a guests time is spent in discomfort, even if everything else is perfect, the best grade the rental would receive is a 71%, or a D-F in many grade scales.
The vacation property’s response to the review above brings to light an even bigger problem. Many property owners are not aware that a new comfort standard is evolving and a higher level of comfort is now expected. Guests are demanding comfort for everyone in their group and the basic sleeper sofa is no longer delivering:
Owner Response:
“We appreciate your review and welcome you back anytime. Note to self: get a mattress pad for sleeper sofa so its more comfortable… will do. That surprises me though because that’s a brand new sleeper sofa and pretty good quality one I might add but anything to make it better and we’ll strive to do.”
That sleeper sofa may be brand new…but it’s using the same old technology that guests avoid. There is a simple solution for ensuring that every guest has a comfortable bed at night and an inviting place to sit during the day:
The Cozy Mattress® Real Bed Sleeper System
4moderncomfort.com to watch a short demo video