Every bed and breakfast offer the same old ‘comfortable room’ and ‘delicious food’. When potential customers scroll through their app of choice, they’re often inundated by the sheer amount of rentals that all look the same. When this happens, they simply go for the ones with the lowest price.
Well, of course, you don’t want to be one of the bland and boring that customers skip. And neither should you want to drop your prices just to stay competitive. There are other ways of standing out, other ways of being unique, all without compromising your prices. And that’s what this guide will talk about.
Themes Help You Make an Identity and Expand your Clientele
We’ve talked about boring and common many room rentals are. Guests looking for rentals around an area often have a wide number of choices from a pool of very-similarly designed beds and breakfasts, so you have to break this pattern and have an eye-catching piece. You want something that potential clients will immediately notice and be curious about, and creating themes that go beyond the usual “cozy and comfortable” does that best.
But besides being eye-catching and looking interesting, designing your lodging around a central theme will help you generate interest from people of specific interests. Depending on your theme, people who have a preference for it will most likely choose yours over any other place. If your property becomes famous enough, it can even be a local attraction that people will intentionally choose if they’re in the area!
Of course, coming up with a theme on your own is a challenge. You’re not quite sure what works and what doesn’t, as trends often change quite rapidly. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Comic Book-Themed
With the popularity of Marvel and DC movies, comic book fans aren’t afraid to let their geek flag fly high. They like to go to places that also appreciate their hobbies, so if you’re also an avid comic book reader, let it show! Design your rental with comic book and superhero themes in mind. Remember to use flat and vibrant colors, to really give it that old-school comic book aesthetics. It helps if you have posters to put up, and rare or popular comic books to display. Expect comic book fans to flock to your lodging if you ever do something like this.
Go with the 90s
Everyone misses the 90s- even those who didn’t live through the 90s look at it fondly. It’s safe to say that going for a 90s theme is a good choice, as the ones who will appreciate it are among the fastest-growing demographic of bed and breakfast users. It’s relatively easy to design the 90s themed room too: decade-appropriate posters, racks of cassette tapes or even CDs, a wire-frame bed, and to top it all off, a CRT TV to really hammer in that 90s vibes.
Professional and Somber
If you’re in a business area, even that can be a thematic pitch for your rental. A cozy and somber, but professional-looking room can attract business people or even government delegates who want to escape the typical hotel life. Go for flat colors that don’t scream too much, install a modern roller shade so that they can sleep even after pulling an all-nighter with their coworkers. You might be surprised that business people would rather prefer a service that caters specifically to them.
Star Wars-themed
At this point, almost everyone knows about Star Wars. It’s one of the biggest franchises and spans generations that everyone of all ages knows and enjoys it. You might even be a Star Wars fan yourself! If so, take advantage of this! Many Star Wars aficionados go out of their way to enjoy Star Wars-related experiences, and a rental that speaks to their deepest passion is one of them. You can go full-scale, by having custom designs and furniture that evoke the Star Wars universe. Or go with a more realistic and affordable route of putting up Star Wars posters, merchandise, and other related items.
Bohemian Inspired
Everyone likes an Instagrammable location. And a Bohemian-inspired theme might just be the thing. It’s a great way to stand out in bed and breakfast applications, as the mix of eclectic colors, beautiful and whimsical patterns will surely pop out in contrast to typically designed rooms. It’s not a difficult renovation either, simply put up mysticism-influenced bed sheets, hang some dream-catchers and other interesting trinkets, and start designing with patterns. The bohemian design has a laid-back feel that many people like, and they’ll definitely be drawn to a good-looking Bohemian-inspired inn.
