At Live the Gulf Coast we are continuously striving to bring only the best quality experience to our guests. In this effort, we are proud to announce that we now offer a professional linen service for all of our vacation rental properties. This luxury amenity can now be enjoyed in all our properties. It provides the guest with freshly laundered, high-quality linens that are in place and ready for use upon arrival. These high-quality linens are washed in a commercial setting using the latest and best technology.
This new service should eliminate the need to bring any personal sheets, towels, or other linens for your stay. Rest easy knowing that the highest quality bedding, bath towels, washcloths, and kitchen amenities will be in place upon arrival. Eliminate worry, free up luggage space, and relax knowing that everything is already taken care of for you. End your stay with the same confidence—nothing to wash, dry, fold or pack into your car or suitcase to carry home. We’ve got you covered!
A study was conducted by VRMA(Vacation Rental Managers Association) regarding linen quality and guests overwhelmingly (72%) said that a vacation rental’s linens and their cleanliness are the single most important detail that determines the quality of their stay. Improper handling of linens can make a property seem dirty and unsanitary. Residential washers and dryers, and over the counter laundry soaps are not the proper way to care for transient accommodations linens. The State of Florida has laws governed by the Health Department that have strict rules regarding water temperature, soaps, and sanitization needed for proper laundering of linens used in transient accommodations.
That is why all linens, upon check-out, are sent to Live the Gulf Coast’s laundry facility for proper laundering and care. All linens go through thorough inspection (5 Quality Control Checks) and are washed, dried, sanitized, folded, and returned to inventory. This helps ensure that any stained or damaged linens are not returned to inventory or a property for future use.
Your guests deserve the best! So naturally, quality is first and foremost at Live the Gulf Coast. We obsess over finding the perfect linens. That means they must meet our lofty standards for softness, durability, and comfort. And most importantly, they must provide that special wow-factor that comes with slipping into a perfectly clean and well-made bed!
As most of you know, maintaining a high-level, consistent housekeeping team is one of the toughest things we deal with in the Vacation Rental Industry. For that reason, any peripheral tasks or duties lined out for our housekeepers distract them from the most important job of getting the home back to check-in ready status in less than 6 hours.
Some of our homes are 8+ bedrooms, over 4,000 Sq. Ft., and sleep 20+ guests during each stay! Can you imagine what a home looks like after a 7 day reservation with 25 guests, kids, and even pets? Our housekeeping teams are our unsung heroes that keep our operation running smoothly even in the most challenging of situations.
One of the most time-consuming aspects of cleaning a vacation rental is washing/drying all household linens and terry after each stay. With most of our homes having only one washing machine and one dryer, this might mean that one housekeeper is stuck doing laundry most of their time at a home instead of actually cleaning! We’ve learned that eliminating this from the housekeeper’s to-do list guarantees they can give the most attention to cleaning the home. Covid highlighted the importance of taking this process out of the home to increase time spent cleaning.
We now have a 7-step process to ensure cleanliness, freshness, and cost-benefit efficiency for both the homeowner and guests.
5 Quality Control inspections would sound to some like overkill, but I find there is peace of mind for my team in knowing we have provided the top level of service for both our homeowners and guests.
All of this time we spend on the details while some companies think it’s okay to wash their linens inside of their rentals. We set ourselves apart at Live the Gulf Coast and this is just one way we show it!
There are 100s of ways linens can be lost, damaged, or misplaced by guests, housekeepers, and vendors. Let us be the ones that worry about these issues!
Linens that cannot be used over and over again are referred to as “shrinkage,” and these numbers are getting worse every year. Take a look at a few ways shrinkage can occur in a vacation rental setting:
With us handling each guest interaction, we can work with the guest to find out what happened that led to the loss and figure out next steps. Do we charge them and risk a 5-star review turning into a 1-star? More examples in the Extra Notes**
One of the constant complaints we received from owners when we laundered linens inside of their properties was the constant repairs to washers and dryers. These undercover costs associated with wear-and-tear on the appliances plus the additional water/electrical costs aren’t immediately noticeable, but do add up over time.
Using a property’s washer and dryer in a vacation rental for all linens can eat up $500-$2000+ per year in additional repair, electrical, and water costs. This stems not only from the actual increased usage of the appliance, but also the additional A/C needed to cool the unit after running the dryer for 6 hours straight.
Add in the 5-7 years knocked off of the useful life of those appliances and your long-term costs could eat you alive in unknown expenses. Our program ensures your appliances longevity, while keeping those unexpected costs to a minimum. Saving you 100s and possibly 1000s every year.
Our exclusive discounts with top Luxury Linen providers guarantee we not only can save you money on the repurchase of linens, but you never have to lift a finger to ensure clean, soft, amazing linens while working with Live the Gulf Coast.
As some of our owners know, we charge a small markup on each of our Guest paid cleaning fees to offset the yearly linen restocking fee we charge each owner. This is a small fee(between $50-$75) each stay that keeps your out of pocket to a minimum!
Live the Gulf Coast spends just over $850/bedroom per year(Over $150k total!) on our linen program. That includes purchasing, restocking, wash, dry, sanitize, fold, quality control checks, inventory, stain treatment, and delivery.
Owners are only required to contribute $150/bedroom per year as a restocking fee so we can continue our 5-star service and unbeatable quality control!
We understand this is a large expense and you’re entrusting us to be good stewards of your money. If you’ve known Davis for any amount of time, you know saving owners money is one of his top priorities and this budget is no different. Live the Gulf Coast knows when to go above and beyond and in the 21st century, having quality linens can make or break your rental’s future!
Some owners have asked for examples of ways linens are lost, damaged or stolen:
In most of these instances, we will catch the shortage and report it to our reservations team…but then comes the question of how to remedy.
Do you charge the guest if one towel is missing? What about 2 Towels?
These questions led us to create our Luxury Linen Program which ensures efficient purchasing, cleaning, and presentation for every guest at Live the Gulf Coast!
We have learned there is a fine line between sacrificing a potential repeat renter or 5-star review in order to make sure we have our inventory in check at all times. As we grow, we continue to find nuanced ways to streamline these processes and in turn, pass those savings on to our loyal homeowners.
These are the different reasons that led us to create our Luxury Linen Program which ensures efficient cleaning, strategic replacement, extensive quality control, and unmatched service for both our homeowners and guests alike. If you have questions or would like more info on how to add additional linens to your home, reach out to Davis or your dedicated property manager today.
There is plenty to do in Florida and so much of it offers warm, sunny skies during the Winter months! Vacationing has never been easier with vacation rentals, hotels, new resorts popping up on almost every corner for most of the Florida Coast. It’s even worth noting that Airlines flights are relatively inexpensive nowadays. Many traveling sites and traveling services offer apps where you can track flight prices and book at the exact time when you see a price you like. Talk about convenient! The holidays are right around the corner and if you’re looking to escape the cold weather and get your family into some sunshine there is no better place to look than Florida. Check out our 7 picks for Christmas or Holiday getaways below.
Located along a 26-mile stretch of Northwest Florida’s famed Emerald Coast, Santa Rosa Beach is one of the 16 distinct beach neighborhoods in South Walton County, each with its own traditions, charm and visual style.
The community of Santa Rosa Beach offers luxury beach houses, upscale dining, and the unique artist colony known as Gulf Place.
Santa Rosa Beach provides several entrances to Point Washington State Forest, a 15,000-acre preserve with more than 10 natural communities.
In fact, all of South Walton is renowned for natural scenic beauty, turquoise waters and sugar sand beaches, including one of Travel + Leisure magazine’s “Best Beaches on Earth” for families. Click here to browse Vacation Rentals and more!
Destin sits on the Florida Panhandle on the Gulf of Mexico and is home to stunning white sandy beaches, emerald green water, and often referred to as the “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village”.
This beach town is known for its plentiful fishing, challenging golf courses, mouth-watering seafood restaurants, and incredible Gulf views. Destin Florida offers a wide variety of activities including parasailing, watersports, dolphin cruises, aquariums, theme parks, and more.
Explore all this beautiful area has to offer. DestinFlorida.com has everything you need to book your next vacation. Browse vacation rentals and condos, view our list of world renowned restaurants, and book any adventure or activity to create the perfect visit to Destin.
Pensacola Beach is a place that you, your family and friends can experience all the Florida Gulf Coast has to offer. Pensacola Beach is world famous for its sugar-white sand beaches and emerald-green waters.
Here you’ll find endless opportunities for fun and relaxation. Savor fresh gulf seafood or sip a Bushwacker at our many restaurants and hangouts, take a walk or catch a fish on the Pensacola Beach Pier, or simply relax in the sun and watch your worries float away.
Be sure to check out our Footprints in the Sand Eco Trail where you can learn the secrets of our beautiful white sand, the dangerous journey of sea turtles, learn to identify mysterious sea shells and so much more. Browse Vacation rentals and more!
Settle into a Panhandle Christmas in Pensacola. Elves dance merrily in falling snow at the Pensacola Winterfest, a massive, month-long festival. Take your little ones on a bright red trolley, climb into Santa’s sleigh, check out the Polar Express train, and don’t miss the hilarious Elf Parade. At the Pensacola Christmas Parade, look up to see an aerial show by the Blue Angels. The Pensacola Children’s Chorus sing traditional Christmas songs at Christmas on the Coast, and at Santa Drop, you can see Santa parachute out of a plane. For an only-in-Florida experience, watch costumed surfers ride the waves at the Surfing Santa Parade. Browse Vacation Rentals and More! Source: Facebook/Winterfest Pensacola
In Sarasota, you can have the best of both worlds: a sunny vacation and classic snowy Christmas activities. At Lakewood Ranch’s Snow Fest Sarasota, your little ones can play in the snow, tube down huge snow slides, and step into a giant snow globe. When you’ve had your fill of the white stuff, check out the Candy Cane Hula Hoopers, ride ponies, and visit with Santa. Historic Spanish Point hosts Holly Days and Mangrove Lights, where you can walk through twinkling forests, explore festively decorated homestead buildings, and enjoy outdoor caroling. Put bells on your shoes for the Annual Jingle and Jog, attend the Sarasota tree lighting, and head to Main Street to watch for Santa in the annual Holiday Parade. Source: Facebook/Visit Sarasota County
The medieval city of St. Augustine turns up the charm during the holidays. As part of the Nights of Lights festival, the historic buildings glow with millions of tiny lights, turning every evening walk into a dream. Use the free park and ride the shuttle to streamline travel from your local vacation rental. The fun continues with the St. Augustine Christmas Parade, which runs through downtown and ends with a meet-and-greet with Santa in the Plaza de la Constitucion. On Luminary Night, explore the St. Augustine Lighthouse in the glow of thousands of luminaries, and check out the Victorian Christmas decorations. For a beachy holiday event, head to Surf Illumination at St. Augustine Beach, to visit Santa and see the pier light up for Christmas. Source: Facebook/St. Augustine, Florida Image source
Put a tropical spin on your Christmas in Captiva Island. Get into the festive spirit at the Captiva Holiday Village, where you can watch a tree lighting and experience a fireworks show with a view of the ocean. Opera singers serenade the crowd during Sunset Arias, and the South Seas Island Resort Holiday Stroll features Christmas lights and family-friendly activities such as ornament-making stations. Don’t miss the awe-inspiring Luminary Festival, the Christmas Carol Sing at the Chapel By the Sea or the lighted boat parade. For the full island experience, watch the charming Captiva Golf Cart Parade, where residents turn tiny carts into over-the-top Christmas masterpieces. Source: Facebook/Captiva Golf Cart Parade
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