How to Stand Out from the Competition and Get More Bookings for Your Pensacola Beach Rental

As Pensacola Beach property managers, we are keenly aware of the increasingly crowded market we operate in. We understand that the only way to maintain a steady influx of high-quality bookings is to remain competitive and feature unique amenities in your rental.

That's why we advise homeowners who partner with us that enhancing their beach rentals, particularly through improved interior design and distinctive amenities, is an excellent strategy. Investing in exceptional features that guests won't find in other properties in the same area can make their rentals stand out.

To delve into practical strategies for standing out from the competition and attracting more bookings for your Pensacola Beach Rental, we've examined some of our top-performing properties. We'll highlight what they are doing right to capture the attention of guests. 

Let's dive right in!

Stella Maris, Navarre Beach

Photographing your rental during the golden hour of sunset is a fantastic idea to establish an emotional connection with potential guests.

Stella Maris is truly a standout property! The high-quality images of the rental enhance its allure and showcase its great amenities. The main image, captured during sunset, is particularly captivating. The dreamy dusk sky creates an emotional connection with potential guests — a compelling way to grab attention while they browse for properties online.

Furthermore, the picture excels in showcasing the beautiful facade of the house against the quintessential Florida landscape. Viewers can immediately discern that the property is situated near the water, offering breathtaking views. The presence of the pier in the photo suggests great spots for guests to spend some time, just a stone's throw away.

The living room at Stella Maris boasts amazing decor featuring colors and materials that resonate with its beach surroundings, along with a well-curated mix of furniture.

Here's one of the most crucial tips for making a beach rental stand out: update your decor and infuse it with a theme that captures the essence and atmosphere of the area.

Stella Maris follows this rule very well. Its living room showcases a fantastic selection of modern furniture and elements that seamlessly connect with the beach atmosphere, such as straw baskets and a well-thought-out color palette.

Notably, the choice of patterns and textures in the carpet and cushions is on-point. The expansive carpet covering all the furniture creates a sense of spaciousness, while the velvet-like cushions add a touch of luxury and sophistication to the decor.

Pro tip: Ensuring your place looks well-maintained and contemporary is crucial. Opting for newer style furniture is a worthwhile investment, as it not only enhances the overall aesthetic but also contributes to positive reviews. Keep in mind that updating your rental's furnishings every few years can make a substantial difference in the perception of your space, ensuring it stays fresh and inviting for your guests.

The bathroom at Stella Maris features a spa-like ambiance with a spacious bathtub and breathtaking views of the sea. We cannot emphasize enough how beach views are a design highlight in almost every room.

Speaking of standing out, Stella Maris excels in creating a spa-like bathroom featuring a spacious bathtub with stunning views of the sea. When it comes to unique amenities, this example sets a high standard, adding significant value and a sense of luxury to the property.

The photo capturing the bathtub and the ocean view is a total attention-grabber; potential guests can easily envision themselves enjoying this exclusive amenity. This highlights the power of having high-quality pictures in showcasing the distinctive features of a property.

A well-equipped kitchen is crucial for the success of a beach rental, and once again, Stella Maris excels in creating a top-notch, modern-looking kitchen.

Another crucial amenity that will make your Pensacola Beach property stand out is a modern and well-equipped kitchen. Kitchens play a pivotal role in our market, being a significant factor in why people opt for short-term rentals over hotels. Guests love donning their chef's hats and creating memorable moments with the entire family.

Stella Maris' kitchen earns a perfect 10. The space boasts an on-point design with modern cabinetry and tile walls, featuring top-notch appliances such as a coffee machine, a toaster, and other helpful tools, as seen in the pictures.

The kitchen sets the perfect stage for cooking with the entire family. Moreover, the high chairs are elegantly sculptured, enhancing and elevating the overall decor. The choice of material for the countertop and the ceiling lamps adds further elegance to the ambiance.

This is really the 101 on how you create a 5-star amenity!

This bird's-eye shot of Stella Maris offers a sneak peek into the rental's surroundings and its proximity to the beach.

If your rental is situated in a beautiful location, as is the case with most rentals in Pensacola Beach, including a bird's-eye view shot in your album is incredibly eye-catching. This type of image provides potential guests with a clear view of the surroundings. This shot above of Stella Maris vividly demonstrates the proximity of the property to the beach — and who knows, perhaps this is the image that will prompt guests to hit that 'click' button.

Blue Skye, Navarre Beach

The charming facade of Blue Skye features an amazing background with the turquoise waters of the sea.

Blue Skye in Navarre Beach also excels in showing an inviting hero image. The picture shows the charming facade of the house and a dreamy background —  the vibrant blue hues of the Florida sea. What else do you need for a perfect holiday?

Blue Skye's balcony maximizes its breathtaking panoramic sea views, creating a space adorned with carefully chosen furniture.

The balcony at Blue Skye serves as a great space, showcasing not only panoramic views of the sea but also a carefully curated selection of furnishings. The wooden table provides a perfect setting for guests to enjoy meals or engage in games. Additionally, the lounge-like area offers a versatile space for entertaining activities or simply unwinding while taking in the sea views and feeling the refreshing salty breeze.

The office at Blue Skye offers a tranquil and cozy space for guests needing to catch up on work during the holidays. The space seamlessly combines business with pleasure. Working with such views isn't so bad after all, is it?

A simple yet distinctive feature of Blue Skye is its office. Not many rental owners in Pensacola think about creating a space for work, assuming guests primarily rent beach properties for holidays. However, you never know if guests might need an hour or two to catch up on some work during their vacation. In this case, having a private and cozy space for that purpose is a great idea. Blue Skye's office seamlessly blends business with pleasure, as the space opens up to the outside through large windows and offers stunning vistas of the beach.

Moreover, providing workspaces with a comfortable table and chair makes your rental attractive to another segment of guests, such as those who work remotely. This opens up the opportunity to appeal to a broader audience.

A pristine white sand beach with crystal-clear waters and an expansive pier close to Blue Skye — another captivating feature of the surrounding area that adds to the allure of your beach rental, making it even more appealing to potential guests.

Extra tip: incorporating pictures of places close to your short-term rental in your album is a fantastic idea. This enables guests to preview what they'll find nearby and gain a sense of the area's atmosphere. It's an effective way to enhance the appeal of your Pensacola Beach property.

Toes in the Sand, Navarre Beach

How can one not be amazed by the pool of Toes In the Sand that's literally surrounded by beach sand? A great and original idea that makes the rental steal the spotlight.

Toes in The Sand is another excellent example to follow when it comes to standing out with your Pensacola Beach vacation rental. The striking pool photo certainly stands out among other properties, showcasing a beautiful pool surrounded by sand — perfectly reflecting the name of the rental and adding an Instagrammable element to the property.

Toes In The Sand boasts a spacious and stylish living room adorned with photogenic elements, seamlessly integrated with the balcony for a harmonious and inviting atmosphere.

The cozy living room at Toes in The Sand features photogenic elements, such as the Navarre Beach wooden sign and a playful, colorful armchair. The space is characterized by elegant flooring, a pleasing color palette, and a well-curated mix of fabric patterns and textures.

A noteworthy aspect is the skillful interplay of natural and artificial light in the photograph, adding a professional touch when capturing images of beach rentals. The chosen angle effectively showcases the seamless integration of the living space with the balcony.

Pro tip: Toes in The Sand's living room appears impeccably clean in the pictures. Ensuring that guests find your rental property exactly as depicted in photos upon their arrival is essential. Meeting these expectations is key to garnering 5-star reviews and outshining the fierce competition in the market.

A well-equipped kitchen is one of the most crucial features of a short-term rental property. Toes In The Sand has taken it a step further by crafting a spot-on decor that seamlessly blends beach colors with Instagrammable elements.

Toes in The Sand's kitchen stands out with modern cabinetry, top-notch appliances, and an open-space concept. In the pictures, guests can easily assess the seating capacity at the dinner table and by the countertop, ensuring they know if the space can accommodate their entire family.

The decor is once again spot-on, featuring beach colors through chairs, stools, and cushions, along with a touch of greenery and other Instagrammable decorative elements scattered throughout.

Toes In the Sand's pool brings a bit of the beach to the rental with a sandy area and comfy loungers. The fairy lights also create a great atmosphere, inviting guests to stay outside and enjoy warm Florida nights.

The cherry on top, though, is the rental's amazing pool, surrounded by loungers and beach sand—a nice touch that brings the beach vibe inside the property. The fairy lights along the wooden fence are another lovely detail, creating a fantastic atmosphere at night. All these alluring elements will undoubtedly prompt guests to press the 'book' button.

You, Me, and The Sea, Gulf Breeze

The pool at You, Me, and The Sea is the ultimate amenity that will grab the attention of potential guests. 

The property's name says it all — You, Me, and The Sea. You don't need more than that for an unforgettable vacation. However, they do go the extra mile to ensure a memorable experience for guests.

The first picture of You, Me, and the Sea in Gulf Breeze shows the beautiful pool surrounded by lush greenery, immediately creating interest among potential guests. Needless to say, private pools or pool access in general are very desirable in our market.

The sunroom at You, Me, and The Sea is well integrated with the pool area and the greenery outside. Elegant furniture and a cozy ambience allow guests to relax inside while still feeling like they are outside.

This rental's sunroom is truly amazing. Through large glass windows, the integration with the pool area and the greenery is seamless. Elegant furniture and beach-related patterns enhance the allure of the space. If guests don't want to get wet and stay under the sun, they can still enjoy the outdoors while being indoors. 

One more pic of the pool at You, Me, and The Sea. Just look at the amazing manicured lawn!

Besides pools, especially with townhouses and homes, consider establishing a dedicated hang-out area in the garage equipped with kids' games such as ping pong and ladder balls. This provides a shaded play space during the heat of the day that everyone cherishes. 

For more cutting-edge family entertainment, we recommend integrating Roku Smart TVs. The Roku TV features a convenient guest login feature, eliminating the need for personal logins, and offers access to a complimentary Roku entertainment channel.

At Pensacola Beach Properties, our staff ensures Roku remotes are readily available on the trucks if needed!

Want to make your Pensacola Beach rental truly exceptional? Read more of our property management tips in our blog and learn from our insider's perspective on the vacation rental market.