Inspiration from Travel - Bring it Back to your Vacation Rental
A few years ago, and one month before the world shut down for the pandemic, we were lucky enough to travel to Morocco. It had been on my list for a while, but we knew that in order to make the most of it, we had to save up enough money to really do everything that we wanted to do without compromising. Traveling is one of my all time favorite things to do. I love exploring different cultures, soaking up new traditions and photographing the memories we make. Morocco is unlike anywhere else I’ve been before - the colors are vibrant, warm and eclectic; the streets are filled with handmade treasures; there’s street performers everywhere you look, creating an atmosphere of wonder and liveliness. It’s a little far from Colorado Springs, but you don’t have to go this far to gain inspiration.
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We stayed in elegant riads in Marrakech, took a cooking class that taught us traditional Moroccan food in a beautiful outdoor courtyard, rode Camels through the Sahara, camped under the stars, and haggled for goods in the Souks. The throngs of people in the cities could be overwhelming at times, so returning to a calm riad was the perfect way to relax at the end of a long and eventful day. I loved the decor in all the places we visited and have definitely implemented some of them back home, especially their use of color which is bright and serene at the same time.
If you’re lucky enough to be able to travel, whether it be to far away exotic locations, or just for a weekend staycation in your city, try to pay attention to what’s going on around you. Submerge yourself in the local culture; try new foods; visit local art galleries; take a cooking class; go watch new bands play; look up festivals and farmers markets in the area. You’ll be amazed at how much inspiration you can take from what you see around you, and bring it back to your vacation rental. Think about how the place you’re visiting makes you feel - is it calming? Does it make you feel alive? Do you feel inspired? What colors are around you? Are there new color combinations that you’d never thought about? Have you discovered a new artist that you love?
Think about what you want your guests to feel and try to simulate that feeling in the way you decorate. A vacation rental is not just a quick way to make money - in order to do it well, you have to evoke emotions in your guests. They have to feel connected to your space and have joyful memories there, in order to come back and visit again or tell their friends how amazing it was. A 5 star review that talks about how incredible your vacation rental is and how they were really able to relax and create memories there is more powerful than a 5 star review that talks about how great it was that you had kitchenware. Don’t get me wrong, both are important, but the most successful vacation rentals are the ones that conjure long lasting memories. I’d love to know how you have been inspired by traveling - add a comment below or send me a message here.
If you are interested in where we stayed/things we did in Morocco, here are some (non-sponsored) links:
Cooking Class: Souk Cuisine
Private Guide & Tour through the Atlas Mountains & Sahara Desert: Morocco Countryside Tours
Our favorite Riad: Riad dar Zelda