Five Strategies for Naming Your Vacation Rental

Written By: Conrad
Last Updated: September 8, 2023

What can help your word-of-mouth reputation, convey your key selling points in split seconds, and make your property more memorable when it comes time for guests to book?

A name—or, more specifically—a great name. Here are five strategies we recommend for creating one that does your property justice and convinces guests to commit.

vacation rental treehouse

Highlight a unique feature.

Does your property have a unique architectural or design feature that makes it memorable? A view that guests won’t soon forget? Is it in an offbeat location?

You don’t need to special in every way. If you can find one truly interesting aspect about your rental, you can use it to create a name that stands out in guests’ minds.

Take a look at Talus Conexus, a rental tucked between the Columbia River and tall basalt cliffs. Made up of two smaller apartments, Talus Major and Talus Minor, this home is named after a geological term for the rocky slopes at the base of cliffs. It invokes curiosity and nods to the landscape to appeal to outdoor enthusiasts.

outdoor picnic among friends

Embrace an attitude.

The design of your rentals, the culture of your location, the community you’re surrounded by—all of these together form an attitude. Use it to create a name that gives your guests a gut feeling.

For an example of rentals that distill an attitude down into easy-to-remember names, look no further than The Shack and The Flunky. Flip, playful, and a touch nostalgic, the names of these cheery vintage-style beach cottages on Florida’s Treasure Island are spot-on.

As a bonus, The Shack’s name harkens back to its history—it’s had the same name since at least the 1940s—which leads us to our next tip…

vacation rental stories

Tell a story.

Good storytelling is at the core of the vacation rentals. After all, it’s an industry that focuses on providing authentic experiences and accommodations. Dig deep and find out what story your rental has to tell.

If you have an older property, you can research its history to see if you uncover facts or tidbits worth working into your name. But take note: your property doesn’t have to be a century old to have a story to tell. Maybe its story lies in the reason you (or its owners, if you’re a property manager) bought it, or a memory made there.

One property that packs a big story into a brief name is Kipling’s Carriage House. Once the stable where famed author Rudyard Kipling parked his horse-drawn carriage, the name of this property uses three words to tell potential guests that they can expect a country setting and rare historical ambiance.

evening on the lake

Build a community.

While vacation is often a time to disconnect from the world, many guests still crave a community to call their own. If you own or manage several properties, you can create that sense of belonging—and build a cohesive brand—with your naming strategy.

Athermigo Estate, a 250-year-old oil press turned vacation rental, does this by harkening to its unique setting. The name of the villa itself comes from the pure olive oil once produced there, but its individual suites are named after the trees that can be found at their entrances: Elia (olive tree), Rodia (pomegranate tree), and Karydia (walnut tree).

WFH desk

Nod to your destination.

The destination is a major reason—and sometimes the reason—why guests are choosing your rental. Show them they’ll enjoy the spirit of the area at home by creating a name that embraces your destination.

Here’s the catch: you can’t slap a destination-focused name on a rental and call it a day. If you’re using this approach, you need to be sure that your property lives up to the claim its name makes.

Check out Elsa’s Enchanted Escape. This rental’s name tells potential guests they’ll be able to bask in the Disney magic long after they’ve left the park. And the home itself delivers: you’ll find character-themed bedrooms and Mickey-shaped kiddie pools, among other Disney-centric surprises, throughout the property.

Want to chat more about what to call your property? You’re in luck — contact us to see how we can help you brand your property.

Take The Next Step

  1. Download our free Vacation Rental Marketing Blueprint and watch our FREE training on how to build an actionable, advanced marketing plan for your rental properties.
  2. If you want to learn more about how to generate more bookings, visit our blog and read our articles. 
  3. To get started working with us, visit our contact page, complete the form and schedule a call.
  4. If you’ve found this article helpful, please share it with your friends, team or other vacation rental owners/hosts!

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