Bleisure or Bust: The newest Millenial travel trend of 2019

What Is Bleisure?

Bleisure refers to the blending of business and leisure travel and is a rapidly growing phenomenon in the business tripping world. In fact, more than half of business trips taken in the last year qualify as bleisure.

Who’s bleisuring?

Not surprisingly, the bulk of the passengers aboard the bleisure train are millennials, who see turning short business trips into mini-vacations as a way to quench their thirst for adventure without breaking their budgets.

They are also likely solo travelers, with only 36% having family or friends to visit at their business destinations.

The technology sector is home to the greatest concentration of bleisure travelers, most of whom embark on two to three night business trips around six times a year.

Where are they bleisuring?

According to data collected by Expedia Media Solutions, the typical bleisure trip takes place in a destination far from the traveler’s home.

Business trips are most likely to include a bit of leisure when they occur in exciting locations that offer a lot of attractions and are easy to navigate. Respondents described the ideal bleisure backdrop as a city with great food, beaches, sightseeing opportunities, good weather, historical significance, museums, art and culture.

That said, the most popular bleisure destinations are much the same as the most popular travel destinations in general, with cities like New York, London, Paris and Tokyo topping the list.

If you find that the locations of your rentals meet the criteria for inviting bleisure travel, it’s time to read up on how to make the most of this rising trend.

Tapping Into the Bleisure Market

Research shows that people don’t spend nearly as much time planning their bleisure trips as they do vacations purely for leisure. In fact, the typical bleisure traveler spends an average of only one to two hours planning the non-business aspects of their journeys.

So if you want to grab them, you have to make sure that a brief glance at your listing profile is all they need to confirm your rental can meet both their business and leisure needs.

“Quiet neighborhood, 5 minute drive from town center,” is a great example of a description that demonstrates that your property is a place where one could get work done, but also go out and explore.

Since conferences are the number one purpose for business trips (accounting for 67% of them), you should put in the effort to stay up-to-date on any conferences occurring near your rentals. You can then incorporate the name of the conference or the city that’s hosting it into your listing title to draw in any travelers searching specifically for accommodations nearby.

You’ll also, of course, want to be sure to have eye-catching photographs 

Upsell away

Since bleisure travelers don’t invest a great deal of time in planning their itineraries, you might be able to step in and help them make the most of their stay. Build partnerships with vendors around your rentals, such as restaurants, spas, car services and tour guides, and recommend their services to guests who may not have all their days filled in.

Accommodate diverse needs

Generally we suggest knowing your guest’s purpose of travel prior to their arrival so you can cater the experience to them. The bleisure trend makes it a little more difficult to determine what business travelers might expect, since some are still strictly business, while others want some excitement on the side.

Find out in your pre-stay correspondence what the purpose of their travel is and if it’s business, ask if they would also be interested in enjoying some local experiences in their spare time.

Offer all the amenities you would to business travelers, like reliable WiFi and comfortable working spaces, but don’t refrain from adding some fun to the mix in the form of a list of “must-sees” and some travel guides.

Capitalize and collect

If you see that your guest fits the description of a likely bleisure candidate, aka a millennial traveling for a business conference, then pitch the idea of extending their stay, either before or during their visit.

Let guests know that other business travelers have chosen to remain at your rentals for an extra night to enjoy the many attractions and activities nearby. You can even offer an extra night at a discount exclusive to business travelers if you feel it will benefit your business.

As business travelers often return to the same destinations on subsequent trips, you should take measures to encourage your guests to stay with you the next time they’re in town on business. Ask them what they’d still like to see and enjoy locally and promise to help arrange it on their next visit.

Direct them to your personal booking site, where they can perhaps find coupons that specifically cater to guests who wish to mix business with pleasure. 

And, of course, save their contact information so you can reach out to them when a big conference is coming to your area that might pertain to their business, or when any exciting local events are coming up on the calendar.

Stay Ahead of the Game

Smart short-term property managers know that the job entails a whole lot more than waiting around for guests to decide to vacation at their rentals. If you want to be truly successful and optimize your revenue, you have to stay on top of growing industry trends so you’ll be one step ahead of the game and ready to ride each wave to new business heights.

Now that you’ve done your due diligence and learned about bleisure travel, you can make sure that when business meets leisure, it’ll be at your rentals.

Off Season Upgrade: Guest-friendly home improvements for your Airbnb

Airbnb hosts have a little more to think about when considering home improvement projects. Investing time and money into your space may increase your property value, and also better serve your guests—hopefully boosting your ratings too.

So how do you plan home improvements with hosting in mind? We’ve gathered a few tips and stories from hosts about which projects they’re planning and why. 

Get personalized

Home improvement doesn’t always have to involve knocking down walls or tearing up flooring. Consider starting small with painting projects, reupholstering, or simple decor changes. Guests come to Airbnb looking for something unique and home-like, so don’t be afraid to add some personal flair to your space, such as displaying objects from your travels, stocking books you recommend, or painting an accent wall in your absolute favorite color. 

Adding personality to a space can be tricky, (What is my personality? Am I exciting enough?) so don’t overthink it. Go with what you like and incorporate elements from across your life, such as your work, hobbies, family history, or anything at all.  

There is always painting to do (of furniture as well as walls) but I am also planning on going wallpaper crazy. I LOVE statement wallpapers and because of the set designing I do as part of my job, I have a stack of lovely ones sitting around.

–Huma

Be your own guest

Experiencing your space as a guest can help you identify worthwhile areas of improvement. Sleep in your guest beds, take a shower and try out the bathroom towels. If a space is dedicated exclusively to guests, try cooking a meal in the kitchen to make sure everything works and that you have all the right tools. Taking your space for a trial run, or having a friend or family member do it for you, can help you find potential fixes you might not otherwise see as a host. 

Guest feedback is also a great source of info. Your guests may have stayed in a lot of other listings and can provide objective feedback to help identify needed repairs or worthwhile investments. 

What I would like to do this year, taking into consideration also some of my guests feedback, is to spend some time and money redesigning and remaking the bathrooms of my Acropolis house. Since it is a neoclassical property (it’s been there since the ‘20s) I will need to get a special permit from the Ministry of Culture, but it is certainly worth it.

– Panos & Mary,

When considering fix-it projects for your space, keep these guest-focused principles in mind:

• Are practical items conveniently placed? For example, are towel racks within easy reach of the shower? Is the showerhead high enough for tall guests? Do you have an area near the front door to leave things like keys, handbags, or jackets?
  

• Are basic resources accessible, such as power outlets for charging mobile devices? (Without having to crawl under a table or heave aside a couch, for example?) Are light switches easily found?
  

• Are standard features like doors and windows functional and easy to use? Quirks like having to jiggle a door key for the lock to work or having to use a nearby object to prop open a window can diminish a guest’s experience, and it can knock a star off your host review.
  

Use hosting as leverage for home improvement

For some hosts, the potential income can be a strong motivator for planning improvements. Been dreaming about building a backyard gazebo but can’t quite justify the effort yet? Or maybe you know you need to upgrade your plumbing but want to save up money first. Hosting on Airbnb may help fund your next home improvement effort. 

I would really like to do a soundproofing and design project to convert my detached garage to a music room/studio to house my guitars and drum set. As it is, I hate to play my instruments in the house for fear of disturbing my guests so it will provide a nice getaway room for me without disturbing others!

–Valerie,

Aside from practical considerations of cost and time, any projects you take on should improve the way you feel about your own space. If it’s making your dreams come true, it’s probably worth it. If you do embark on a home improvement project, don’t forget to take pictures and update your listing!

Now get those off-season projects done, the busy season is coming!

Headwaters Hosting