Operational Constraints and Time Management of Farm Hosting

Technical articles - Pleinchamp - Diversification

Farm accommodation is a complementary activity to agricultural work. It requires time and flexibility. Managing this time is an important criterion for the success of the project, beyond profitability.

It is important to anticipate who will be able to free up this time on the farm at critical moments, especially since the tourist season often coincides with the agricultural season.

The different operational tasks

Cleaning

Cleaning is the task that takes the most time in reception. In unusual accommodations, the work is faster but no less tiring: stays are shorter, and the accommodations require transporting equipment each time. Cleaning of sanitary facilities, showers, and common areas must be done very regularly, especially for a “high-end” reception (glamping).

Laundry: this task can be delegated to specialized companies. In accommodations with a high-end positioning, bed linens must be ironed, requiring specific equipment if you do not want to spend all day on it.

Reception

This task can be quick or not, depending on whether you enjoy contact. Reception is a key moment that conditions part of the visitors' perception of the rest of the stay. Increasingly, an expectation of flexibility requires the host to be “at service” at unscheduled times.

If you cannot always welcome your guests, it is possible to set up a key box system, a well-detailed autonomous arrival for travelers, and plan a meeting time later (at the end of the day or the next morning, for example).

Farm visit and discovery

The main difference between farm accommodation and classic accommodation is that one expects to discover the farm world - at minimum a visit, with explanations, the possibility to touch animals, taste local products, etc. It is difficult to charge for this visit and also difficult to avoid it. It must be a source of pride for the farmer, but without neglecting the time this visit can take. In some cases, overalls and boots are lent to make the experience even more intense (don’t forget the photo).

Catering

It is not uncommon for dining options near the farm to be limited. Without being mandatory, offering a catering option on the farm is a big plus, and also a way to increase the profitability of the entire operation. This catering can range from meal trays/baskets to table d’hôte formulas, etc. This activity cannot be improvised and it may be relevant to consider specific training.

If your accommodation has an oven or stove, you can offer dishes to reheat (including barbecue packs, etc.)

More occasional tasks

Maintenance

Accommodations suffer a lot from the passage of different visitors - from a broken flush to a broken electrical outlet, slow wifi, a sticking door handle, or a toaster smelling of plastic, it’s up to you to manage everything. Some visitors will notify you (and you must react quickly), others will say nothing and leave you a negative comment on one platform or another… It’s up to you to be proactive (regularly check the accommodations, sleep in them several times a year, ask visitors if everything went well and if everything works well, etc.).

Services

Many services can complement the accommodation offer (beyond catering). See the article on the subject, knowing that the idea is not for you to become a Club Med entertainer - you can rely on the local resources around you for these services. But do not neglect the time that may be induced by organizing these services.

Detailed article : Farm accommodation: Associated services

Reservation management

Reservation management does not always take much time but requires being responsive - especially if your offer is on several platforms, you will sometimes need juggling skills. You can also use a channel manager (see tools and providers) but this will not completely replace reservation supervision. Also be careful to anticipate your agricultural work and close reservations when accommodation is not possible due to spreading work, dusty harvest, etc.

Marketing and communication

This element does not necessarily require work all year round but must remain a constant concern. The occupancy rate is a key element of accommodation profitability (see detailed article) and if the cottage or unusual accommodation is poorly referenced, visitors will miss your offer (systems like “Un lit au pré” or Parcel manage 100% of the communication aspect).

Detailed article : Farm accommodation: marketing, making your accommodation known, promoting it, making it exclusive

Our series of guides on tourist accommodation

This page was written in partnership with Pleinchamp