Hébergement à la ferme :Associated services

Technical articles - Pleinchamp - Diversification

Tourist reception Farm accommodation

Customers of farm accommodation seek more than the bucolic charm associated with a pretty landscape, the strong but authentic smells of nature, or the sparkling awakening of your barnyard…

Depending on the type of accommodation you offer, and the type of visitors (from romantic couples to large family reunions, including companies wanting to get away or cycling enthusiasts crossing France via the wine route…), you can combine your accommodation offer with a service offer.

Service means paid, so you will need to plan when the service booking takes place (some platforms offer this), who manages registrations and billing.

Finally, whatever the service, be careful not to do work that would make you lose money. Don’t forget to make a forecast balance sheet of the activity, including in the costs your charged time, transport costs (kilometric expenses), etc… This preliminary work will be useful to explain (with pedagogy) to your clients why it costs such and such price.

It’s up to you to decide whether to include the cost of the service in the offer (access to BBQ, bike rental) or make it a paid option – but what is free has no value.

Existing services in various unusual accommodations

Catering

Catering is the primary service provided at the farm, including all its variations: breakfast, picnic basket, aperitif, table d'hôtes, BBQ, catering, farm inn.

Remember that your guests may not have many dining options near your farm and will be happy to have a possibility on site.

If your accommodation has an oven or a stove, you can offer ready-to-heat meals (including BBQ packs, etc.).

Small touches

Small touches are not paid but make a difference in reviews and can have a significant impact on the booking rate. For example, a bottle in the fridge upon arrival, a welcome pack with soap, shampoo, a small basket with some fruit, etc…

Farm experience

Most farm experiences cannot be offered as a paid service, but consider including them because these experiences differentiate your accommodation from a classic one… At minimum, offer a farm tour, but also a tractor ride, participation in milking, petting animals, harvesting if you have a vegetable garden, etc…

Important point: If you have a transmission project for your farm, consider that your visitors could be potential successors – even if they are not from the agricultural world… See the article on how to find a successor

Beds made on arrival, cleaning

These are standard services – to include in your base offer or not depending on your positioning.

Bike, paddleboard, pedal boat, canoe rental…

You can easily offer bikes, canoes, etc. for rent (depending on relevance in the context of your farm). For canoes, the service includes picking up visitors at the end of the route.

Biodiversity workshop

If your farm is suitable, invite your clients to observe biodiversity. Leave in their room a sheet with observable species or a notebook with species observed by previous guests. Give them the link to Merlin Bird ID, PlantNet, Picture Insect... Offer them a beer if they see a Hoopoe or a Little Owl! Contact with nature is part of the experience!

Artistic, wellness, yoga, massage, equestrian, sailing workshops, …

Check in the surrounding municipalities for the existence of these services, and if applicable you can include them in your offer with a margin share.

If you have a website or via social networks, you can also have an affiliate strategy (commission on business brought) with Wecandoo workshops for example, or through affiliate systems like Affilae.

“Educational walk”, “sunrise on the mountain” workshops, …

If your farm is near suitable places, you can also offer educational walks (for example to learn to identify trees or mushrooms in the forest, or different crops – flax, barley, sorghum – play a game with a prize for whoever identifies buckwheat seeds).

Shuttle from train station or airport

This service can be useful for your visitors but beware, transporting people turns an accommodation provider into a travel agency and at that point a license is required, not to mention the taxi license which is also mandatory… It is better not to charge for such services.

Our series of guides on tourist accommodation

• Les différentes formes d’hébergement touristique à la ferme
• La rentabilité d'un hébergement touristique à la ferme
• Hébergement à la ferme : la réglementation et l’urbanisme
• Les contraintes opérationnelles et la gestion du temps de l'hébergement à la ferme
• Hébergement à la ferme : les channel managers, les prestataires de service
• Hébergement à la ferme : le marketing, faire connaître son hébergement, le valoriser, le rendre exclusif
• Hébergement à la ferme : Les services associés

This page was written in partnership with Pleinchamp