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[00:00:00] Sarah: Hello. Welcome back for another great episode. My name is Sarah Karakaian.

[00:00:04] Annette: I am Annette Grant. And together we are–

[00:00:06] Both Annette & Sarah: Thanks for Visiting.

[00:00:07] Sarah: And this is the–

[00:00:08] Both Annette & Sarah: Hosting Hotline.

[00:00:10] Sarah: That was paused.

[00:00:12] Annette: It’s okay. Sometimes you got to do it.

[00:00:12] Sarah: We’re going to get into it today. We have a question from Elaine.

[00:00:15] Question: Hi, Annette and Sarah. This is Elaine with Rustic Pines Retreat. First of all, I want to thank you both for your podcast, your YouTube videos, all the stuff that y’all do. I have over 120 5-star reviews, and I give that credit to you. I had submitted a question earlier, and I forgot to ask.

[00:00:33] We have the Gazebo Cottage. It’s a little romantic cottage for two. And we have an outdoor tub, but we do not have a hot tub. And we’ve been getting some feedback about wishing that we had a hot tub. I know that y’all are looking for one right now with the renovation that y’all are doing on the little cabin on your new property. Congratulations, by the way. I, of course, would love to know a great brand, but also the upkeep and also insurance. Is that a concern? Do you have to change the water every day? I’m just not sure if it’s more hassle, or do you think it would just bring in a lot more bookings? I would love your feedback on hot tub issues or pros and cons. Also looking for one possibly for our Barn-do that sleeps six. So would love your feedback. Thank you again for everything that you do. And I look forward to hearing from you.

[00:01:28] Sarah: Let’s dig in to hot tubs.

[00:01:32] My understanding is you need to have one, especially if you are more of a retreat, a getaway, especially if you cater to couples. If you don’t have one, it’s like, you don’t have a comfy bed. It’s something that you need. Now, I can just hear Kenny Bedwell from STR Insights telling us we have to look at the data.

[00:01:51] So Elaine, you do have some data, and that is the feedback from your guests. If they are disappointed or if they’re asking for it and it’s not there, or they’re just letting you know that would have made it extra special, that is data for you. And there is data that you can pull from– I would personally go to PriceLabs and look at the competition, look at their average daily rate, look at their occupancy, and you can see who has hot tubs, who doesn’t. And do some math there in terms of what that would do for you and your guests and your average daily rate and your occupancy.

[00:02:23] Annette: it is going to be more work. It’s going to be an investment. It’s going to be more work. You are obviously going to need to talk to your insurance company. What is the liability there? Do you have somebody in your area that can maintain it? Who are you purchasing it from? What’s the warranty? 

[00:02:39] So there are a lot of different things to think about, the longevity of it, and then also the compound revenue from having it there. So we’re not going to sugarcoat it like, just get it installed tomorrow. Your bookings are going to go up, and your revenue is going to be there.

[00:02:57] And it’ll be smooth sailing from there. But if your guests are saying it, I’m wondering with the tub that you have, is there a way to maybe uplevel that? Is there another experience that you could give them that would be super special to differentiate yourself from your competition?

[00:03:22] Sarah: I am not going to pretend to be an expert, but I do have experience with hot tubs, Elaine. Let me give you my feedback. A guest is going to be very upset if it’s not working upon their arrival. So in your rental agreement, make sure you have a clause about what happens if the hot tub is not working.

[00:03:39] You’re the business owner. You can decide what that is, but I can tell you that a lot of the professional vacation rental management companies will give them back a certain amount per day that it’s down. I can also tell you that people are going to go into that thing after they shower, so they’re going to have soap on their bodies, even when you tell them not to, and that is when you will have to make sure that you change the water.

[00:04:00] There is a certain look the water has to have for the next guest and obviously has to be chemically balanced, and there’s a way to do that. Again, I don’t want to get into maintenance because that’s not my area of expertise, but I do know if it’s super sudsy, that’s not good. If people have self-tanners and they get into the hot tub, you’re going to have to drain it that way.

[00:04:16] And so having a draining procedure is really helpful. So right now, Elaine, thank you so much for mentioning our new project, and that is something that we are thinking about, is how can we drain it fast, and how can we fill it up quickly too. So we want to have a tankless water heater that is dedicated to helping us get that tub filled up fast with hot water, because if you fill it up with colder water, it’s going to take time for it to heat back up.

[00:04:42] And that is just going to prolong your guests being able to enjoy it and that whole thing. So I also recommend, I had a client who bought a used hot tub, got a great deal on it. But every time it broke down, I had to find a guy, not a company, because it’s not covered by warranty by anyone.

[00:04:59] So I believe, and I’m sure there’s probably someone out there who disagrees with me, but I believe it’s best to buy the hot tub brand new so that you have a solid warranty so you have someone to call and count on, hopefully a reputable company who’s been around for a while. When something goes down, they can send someone out and help you get it fixed fast.

[00:05:17] Annette: And you mentioned that the more of the couple’s retreat was mentioning it and you’re maybe then going to do one at the barn dominium. I would say maybe start with the smaller one, less of an investment, work out the kinks. See if it’s bringing in the revenue you want, if you’ve got your team in place to help you with it. And then you can also duplicate it on the barn dominium.

[00:05:40] Sarah: And we have to mention safety, Elaine. You sound like you’re a listener of our podcast, and so maybe you’ve heard Justin Ford from Breezeway, our international safety expert, come on and talk about how important safety is. While you’re targeting adults and couples, make sure you have, what is it called, a lid?

[00:05:59] Annette: A lid and a lock.

[00:06:00] Sarah: A lid and a lock so that a kiddo couldn’t open up and crawl in somehow and get stuck inside. You also want to make sure you have the proper signage on your property for how to be safe around hot tubs. You want to make sure that you’ve got all the licensed contractors necessary for any electrical work and the hooking it up to the water and get that inspected at least every six months to a year. Whatever your insurance company, whatever the manufacturer suggests for your hot tub, you want to make sure safety is in place.

[00:06:27] Annette: And check out your competition. Go stay. See what their hot tub’s like.

[00:06:30] Sarah: Ooh, that’s a good idea.

[00:06:31] Annette: Or look at your competition in the area, if they do have a hot tub, and see if a lot of the reviews say anything about their particular hot tub.

[00:06:40] Sarah: Elaine, keep us posted. With that, I am Sarah Karakaian.

[00:06:44] Annette: I am Annette Grant. And together we are–

[00:06:46] Both Annette & Sarah: Thanks for Visiting.

[00:06:47] Sarah: Talk to you next time.