Whistler Resort Property Management Resources

Whistler Property Management Options

Are you wondering what your Whistler property management options are?

Managing your Whistler property rentals yourself through the AlluraDirect.com direct vacation rental management program gives you increased rental revenue and more control, independence and options regarding your Whistler investment. You can also get the same benefits using a more hands-off AlluraDirect.com Whistler property management program.

Learn how over 500 other Whistler homeowners like you have taken control of their Whistler investment to increase their net rental revenue, property enjoyment and peace of mind.

In the meantime, please enjoy this Whistler property owner resources page!

Daily Business Observations & How it Applies to Your Vacation Rental Property Management Business

Check out our company vacation rentals advice blog for daily tips, quips, musings and more!

Free Whistler Property Owner Newsletter

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If you aren't sure whether you'll find it useful, take a look at the recent issue below.

August 23, 2006-Whistler Update & 2006/2007 Booking Tips

Dear Whistler Owners,

We hope that this note finds you well and enjoying a great summer.

Today's newsletter focuses on:

1. Market forces that will impact your 2006/2007 rental business
2. What it means for you
3. What you can do to increase your rental revenue & property values
4. Your web site check-list for this week

Market Forces 2006/2007

Early winter reservation patterns suggest a winter season better than last year.

For the first time in more than 5 years, Whistler has 5 positive forces propelling it forward:

1. Strong snow 2005/2006 snow conditions
2. Unbeatable vacation value in 2005/2006 as result of drastic and resort-wide pricing adjustments.
3. Expanded alpine terrain and new lift access that will further disseminate crowds and lift lines.
4. Slight marketing shifts by Whistler Blackcomb and Tourism Whistler to broaden Whistler's appeal
5. Increased Whistler Blackcomb attention on the family market & consequent infrastructure and program development that favors this customer type.

These factors have increased guest satisfaction and more importantly, have generated positive Whistler buzz that will stimulate interest in the resort.

The stage is set for potential growth this season, despite the following negative pressures:

1. Slowing US Economy (see recent Economist)
2. Deflating real estate markets
3. Increasing interest rates
4. Increased fuel & therefore flight prices
5. Geopolitical instability that increases the terrorist threat
6. Terrorist threats that destabilize oil prices and make travel inconvenient or perceived as being unsafe.
7. Low Whistler prices that cannot be sustained, but that have set guest expectations.Customers returning this season will expect continued rock bottom pricing based on what they heard and what they experienced.
8. Sale of Whistler.com to Tourism Whistler and the RMOW, which means increased marketing of Whistler.com and business redistribution as result of increased competition among dominant lodging providers.
9. Continued Whistler development that increases bed units faster than destination visitor numbers.
10. Increased passport restrictions and cross border hassles for US citizens visiting Canada.

What Does this Mean for You?

Be aware of the following:

1-Price Sensitivity- Potential guests are property rich (many have purchased homes) and cash poor. They will be price-sensitive. More of their income is directed to paying mortgages and increased cost of living expenses associated with fuel prices. Expect lots of negotiating and shopping around.

Whistler's guests are not sheltered from these pressures. The relatively few sheltered lucky elites choose the Four Seasons, the Westin, or other high end, full service properties rather than self-catering properties.

2-More Regional Business- Expect continued slow growth in the fly-in travellor market. They will be replaced by the more price-sensitive, shorter stay regional or drive-in market. Expect price negotiating and shopping around.

3-Extreme Resort-Wide Competition: Continued lodging supply that is far in excess of demand will maintain downward pressure on rates, as providers compete for a relatively smaller customer base.

4-Aggressive Marketing & Pricing: Expect aggressive marketing & pricing strategies by large accommodation providers in response to changes in Whistler's business landscape as as smaller number of larger groups try to capture bigger market share.

Recommended Actions to Increase Your Revenues & Real Estate Values

The regional market will again be extremely important to your business.

Since most of us cannot compete for weekend business due to operations and cleaning costs, our goal will be to attract the 4 night + crowd and families.

To that end, most of the suggestions below focus on increasing your revenues by targetting longer stays to boost occupancy.

Here are some recommended actions:

1-Take a Rates Reality Check

Check www.Whistler.com and www.WhistlerBlackcomb.com to benchmark your rates.

Keep in mind, however, that the best rate is the one that gets you strong quality bookings of 4+ nights.

What you see in the broader market may not be getting your competitors bookings either.

Make sure that you are price-competitive for the ski season for 4 night+ stays, even in the absence of hotel taxes.

We have noticed that many of you are charging higher winter rates per night than what is currently offered on these sites, even for longer stays.

No amount of marketing by AlluraDirect.com can overcome prices that are unrealistic relative to the market.

Remember: consumers expect to pay less when renting from you directly, not more. They book direct to share in the savings benefit you enjoy by renting directly and bypassing middle agents.

I stress again: the optimium rate is the one that starts producing advance winter bookings by mid September. If you are not getting results, incrementally lower your rates until you do.

Conversely, if you are getting lots of bookings early in the season, you may consider raising your rates a little.

2) Strive for Increased Occupancy with Aggressive Rates Associated with Extended Stays

How can you stabilize or increase your annual rental revenue when price increases may not be a winning strategy under present market conditions?

Stabilize or increase your revenue by increasing your occupancy with competitive rates associated with longer stays.

Post & publish your absolute best prices NOW, with a 4-5 night or greater minimum night stay to increase your competitive position and bookings.

What price am I talking about?

It is the price that you tend to secretly offer someone who emails you for a discount for 7 night or longer stay.

Those rates will do you more good published on your web site, rather than in your back pocket.

Why not just publish and post those rates to capture a bigger number of those great bookings now?

Focusing on occupancy through competitive rates and longer stays, rather than rates increases offer the following revenue and real estate value benefits:

a) More Potential Repeat Customers - Enjoy a bigger potential repeat guest and customer list who will refer their colleagues and who may be willing to pay a little more per night on the next visit, once they experience how great you and your property are.

b) Better Guest Filtering - Longer minimum night stays filters out risky guests. Long stays + aggressive rates attracts guests who are less likely to trash your place and who have a higher tendency to become repeat customers.

c) Increased Profit/Reservation - More arrivals with longer stays decreases your cleaning frequency. Your profit/reservation will increase.

d) When You Sell Your Property: Increased Real Estate Buyer Confidence & Value - Perceived demand for your property through stronger occupancy increases its value in the eyes of a purchaser by lowering perceived risk. A property with higher occupany has a stronger potential repeat guest list. It also looks like it is more desirable for guests visiting the resort. Finally, it looks like it can sustain annual rates & revenue increases over time, as result of obvious consumer demand. In contrast, a property with weaker occupancy offers less investor confidence and suggests that rates and revenue will not increase in the short term.

3) Offer Early Booking Incentives to Decrease Your Business Risks & Increase your Bookings

Getting advance bookings decreases your business risks.

How?

They protect you against unforseen events that would otherwise stop people from booking if they did not already have previous travel committments.

Examples include imperfect weather, undesirable travel rules and hassles, geopolitical instability, and events that occur in your potential guests lives that would otherwise prevent them from taking a vacation unless they were already committed.

Here are 3 useful early booking tips:

1-Advertise the Whistler Blackcomb Book by Deal on Your Private and AlluraDirect.com Sites

This is the biggest and easiest no-brainer advance booking tip.

Guests who book their lodging on AlluraDirect.com or your private sites by November 15, 2007 will save 20-35% on ALL 5 or more day lift tickets AND get free adult lessons and kids lift tickets.

You do not have to do any work. Guests who buy lift tickets directly from your web sites automatically get the deals, if they have booked by midnight, Nov. 15. Their instructions for claiming their free lessons will be in their receipts.

They can buy discount lift tickets directly from your private, debranded property sites offered free with your AlluraDirect.com subscription, or your AlluraDirect.com property page.

Great places to advertise this amazing deal are:

• Your Welcome Message
• Your Rates Table
• Your Payment Method Table
• Your other Internet advertisements
• In your General Inquiry Email Responses from all of your marketing sources.

Remember, when you update your AlluraDirect.com site, your private site gets updated too! To learn more about the free private label web site offered as part of your AlluraDirect.com subscription, please contact techsupport@alluradirect.com or view the Owner Help Centre.

2-Supplement the Whistler Blackcomb Book by Deal with your Own Book by Deal

Post lower rates until Nov. 15 in your Rates Table, and make it clear that rates will go up after Nov. 15.

In your Rates Table comments section, state what the rate will be after November 15.

Advertise your special all over your AlluraDirect.com and private site.

3-Contact Previous Guests to Notify them of the Book by Deal & to Touch Base with them Again

The Book By Deal is a great reason to contact previous guests to let them know of your own specials, these important Whistler Blackcomb specials, and to convey any updates to your property.

Sometimes a gentle reminder from you will get you a few great reservations that otherwise may not have occurred.

4-Improve your Web Site Photos & Content

Expand your web site content and improve your photos with high quality images.

In a prospective guest's mind, your web site is a reflection of you, your property and how you treat your guests.

The better your site looks, the better you look, and the more confidence prospects will have in your business.

This will lead to more reservations.

What is AlluraDirect.com Doing?

• Organic Search Engine Rankings-AlluraDirect.com now appears on the first page of Google search results for most important Whistler lodging search phrases.
• Paid Search Listings-You will likely also find us prominently placed in Google Paid search for most Whistler accommodation-related keyword phrases. Look for us coming soon to Yahoo Paid Search!
• Links-AlluraDirect.com advertises extensively on several important ski and snowboard sites.
• Newsletter-AlluraDirect.com's Whistler newsletter now has nearly 9000 subscribers. Our winter issues will start running again next week.
• Print Marketing - AlluraDirect.com does some print marketing, however, over the years, our return on investment has been dwindling. It is becoming increasingly difficult to compete with the 9 page full page spreads done by Whistler Blackcomb and Tourism Whistler.
  

Your Web Site Check-List for This Week

As a wrap-up, here is a list of things to do NOW to help your winter 2007/2008 bookings:

1. Do some market rates research on www.Whistler.com and www.WhistlerBlackcomb.com and update your rates if necessary-especially for longer stays of 4 nights +
2. Consider lowering your rates and boosting your minimum night stay by a night or two.
3. Offer & advertise the Book by Nov. 15 Whistler Blackcomb early booking incentives on all of your Internet advertisements.
4. Contact previous guests to notify them of your site updates and the deals.
5. Update your content and photos.

Try to update your sites by August 30th to take maximum advantage of our first winter newsletter mailing!

Thanks for your business and please let us know how we can assist you further.

At Your Service,

Sue