6 ways to prep your property for summer

As the weather fines up and temperatures begin to rise, Australians quickly warm up to the idea of a summer getaway, booking everything from short staycations to leisurely sabbaticals. Make sure your hotel is on their radar and giving off summer vibes this season with these hot tips…

*Image credit: The Continental Sorrento*

A summer vacation need not be all spritzes, beaches and balmy evenings by the pool. Hiking adventures in snowless mountains, winery region jaunts and hinterland hideaways still rate highly on Australia’s list of summer season holiday to-do lists.

So, no matter your property’s locale, design and facilities, there are plenty of ways you can put on a summertime show and glow for guests at your property this summer.

Be ready to entice guests to your accommodation with these 6 cost-effective and impactful ways to add summer vibes without committing to any significant product or infrastructural changes.

1. Hydrate with Herbals

See to it that your guests hydrate and chillax in the most refreshing way on a hot summer’s day.

Treat them to a slice of summer by adding cucumber, mint and strawberry to pitchers of filtered water in reception or by the pool or introduce a fresh juice or cheeky cocktail with an edible flower for garnish as an arrival drink. You could also add a few fruity teas and herbal tisanes to your guest room amenities.

T2 offers a great range of fruit tea, green tea and black tea in individual sachets which act as the perfect base for a thirst-quenching iced tea. They also have a selection of cold brewed iced tea bags ready to dunk in cold water for the ultimate iced tea as-is, or a great base for adding a spirit top-up to create a summery cocktail.

2. Spruce Up Your Space

Nothing says summer quite like the heady scent of jasmine flowers and sea spray lingering on the breeze. Adding the scent of summer to your property can be as simple as swapping out your usual bathroom amenities. Freshen up bathrooms with products sporting lighter, brighter packaging and invigorating, vibrant fragrances like citrus or florals.

We love the fresh scent and pop of green of Australian-owned Olive Oil Skincare Co, available in pump dispensers and made with moisturising 100% saponified Extra Virgin Olive Oil enriched with pure essential oils and rich in vitamins A, E and K - perfect for hydrating dry skin. Likewise the botanical The Perfumer’s Garden range speaks summer to us, with a revitalising green tea and ginger scent and beautiful botanist’s etchings gracing the sleek white, clear and gold design of the bottles, available in our new, innovative and sustainable SHAPE pump dispenser system.

For added luxury, the uplifting fragrance of holy lotus and organic white tea of “The Ritual of Karma'' hotel collection by Rituals sets the scene, with hand soap, lotion, shampoo and shower gel in beautiful refillable turquoise blue bottles. For simplicity, we also love the smart white tubes of ELOURA‘s Rejuvenate Haircare Collection made with Australian-inspired essential oils of cedarwood, wild geranium, sweet orange and petitgrain which renews, hydrates and enlivens, perfectly paired with Restore body wash and lotion.

3. Brighten with Blooms

Simple styling can make all the difference to a space, adding personality and colour with a warm and welcoming “lived in” feel. When the new season ticks over, give your property a zhuzh by adding summer florals to communal spaces such as reception, public bathrooms and dining areas. Go tropical with blooms like frangipani, birds of paradise, agapanthus and gardenias, or native with kangaroo paws and bottle brush, or make a bright yellow statement with long-stemmed sunflowers.

To enhance your mini makeover, change up your guest room accessories to favour summer essentials like travel books emblazoned with sunny getaways, a bowl of fresh (or faux) citrus fruits, and cushions and light throws in bright and bold, sorbet or tropical lagoon hues, to instantly add a summer vibe.

4. Jazz Up Your Poolside

Is one of your hotel's drawcards an enviable pool or strip of sand ready for guests to relax and soak up the sunshine? Elevate your poolside or beachside experience with summer must-haves like branded thongs and colourful beach towels - you can’t go wrong with vibrant striped pool towels in blue, sage or beige and white.

To set a more luxurious tone, opt for Australian-owned premium Turkish towels from Knotty Australia. Eco-friendly, lightweight and quick-drying, these 100% cotton towels feature Knotty's signature hand-twisted and knotted ends regularly spotted in homes and on beaches in the most beautiful suburbs here and overseas. Accentuate these with a complimentary fruit platter, a summertime cocktail list by the pool, and maybe even a few inflatable flamingos for those all-important Instagrammable moments, and you have yourself a summer-centric destination guests will love.

5. Turn Up The Tunes

You have the smells, you have the sights… and now you need the sounds. Sunny tunes set the scene for summertime fun and can be incorporated into a guest’s stay in multiple ways. Get the summer vibes going at the outset with a summer-perfect soundtrack playing at reception as a great way to greet guests and set the tone for their stay. Carry this same holiday backing track through to dining areas and by the pool as the ideal accompaniment to tropical beverages and relaxing moments in the sun.

And why not give guests the opportunity to play their favourite trip tunes while in their room? One of our favourite audio systems for hotels is the compact yet powerful RUARK R1mk4 which is enabled with hotel-specific features and offers Bluetooth connectivity and a handy USB charge port which guests love. Beautifully designed, they come in gorgeous cream and ash or espresso and walnut colour combinations and measuring just 17cm high the units fit neatly into small spaces.

6. Fend Off the Frizz

Summer can mean an increase in humidity, and when it comes to hair, more humidity means more frizz. Double this down with a concoction of chlorine, sweat, salt and sand, and your guests will find themselves trying to tame their mane a lot more than usual when the temperatures rise!

Give them one less thing to worry about (and pack) by kitting their room out with a powerful hairdryer and styler. Gift your guests with a salon-like experience and choose from GHD’s range of hair dryers, straighteners or curlers, with various ranges to suit your property style, bathroom interior and budget. Guests will definitely take that dip in the pool knowing they have the ability to bring back their straight and sleek look or beautiful bouncing curls once the daytime summer fun is done. Even happier guests at happy hour? Yes, please.

We created this blog for Swisstrade, the experts in creating and elevating the guest experience at hotels in Australia.