Background
Niceto Flores rents his vacation home Villa Flores in Pedro Barba on the island of La Graciosa. His connection to the eighth Canary island dates back many years. In the 60s, Nicetos grandfather arrived in the abandoned fishing village of Pedro Barba with a group of Canarian businessmen. They decided to remodel this fishing village and set up a fish factory so that people could work and live there. Once they were finished, they agreed that they would each keep one of the houses in the area.
Niceto’s father had rented many vacation homes over the years and began delegating more and more tasks to Niceto as he grew older. This made Niceto realize how much he enjoyed being a vacation rental host. In 2015 he began renting out his grandfather’s house in Pedro Barba as a vacation home.
“I decided to start renting out the house as my family and I were only going there twice a year. The house is in a very private and exclusive area with around only 20 houses on this part of the island. It occurred to me in 2015 to start using it as a vacation rental.”
Niceto first joined Bookiply in 2021. Having already built up a repertoire of regular customers who generally stayed throughout the summer season, he still struggled with bookings for the low season. After searching online for an agency to help him fill the gaps in his vacation rental’s calendar, Niceto found Bookiply. Despite being a challenging year for the tourism industry, Niceto is delighted to have already received multiple bookings via Bookiply.
“I found the Bookiply website, saw what kind of customers it would bring me, and read feedback from other vacation rental owners, and I decided to give it a try. I like that I can block certain dates in my calendar and leave others open to receive Bookiply bookings. Bookiply has been an excellent addition and helps to fill my calendar during the low season.”
An Authentic and Personal Holiday Experience at Villa Flores
Having been passed down to his father and then to him, Villa Flores is of great sentimental value to Niceto, and it is important to him to preserve the meaning of the house. Being somewhere that he and his family have vacationed for many years, Niceto has many fond memories of his time spent in Villa Flores. Niceto wants his guests to experience this homely atmosphere while staying in his vacation rental. With its exclusive location, beautiful interior, and Niceto’s attentive nature, Villa Flores succeeds in attracting many families and quiet groups every year.
“My guests are mainly families that want to enjoy a few relaxing and tranquil days with the children. When it is not families, then it is usually groups of people looking for a peaceful holiday. The house is perfect for two families or groups of friends gathering together for a quiet holiday by the beach.”
The vacation rental itself is something unique and oozes Canarian charm, while the area in which Villa Flores is located is also something truly special. With only 19 neighboring houses and the next town six kilometers away, Niceto’s guests appreciate the exclusivity and tranquility of vacationing in his beach house and being able to switch off and enjoy the sound of the waves. Niceto is proud that he can offer his guests an authentic, Canarian experience and let them discover the charm and history of the eighth Canary island.
“This isn’t easy to find nowadays as other areas are being built up more and more, whether here it is still very authentic. There are no paved roads, it is still an unknown island, but at the same time, I think that is what makes it special.”
As an airline pilot, Niceto has always loved traveling and connecting with people from all over the world. And for this very reason, he also enjoys the work of being a vacation rental host. Niceto likes having personal contact with his guests and getting to know them. He is always happy to support them in any way he can, whether it is helping them rent out bikes on the island, organizing a taxi for them, or letting them know where they can do their shopping. Niceto doesn’t live on the island and can’t be personally present for the guests. However, he still wants to offer them this personal treatment and has gone that extra mile and organized a friend on the island to be available to his guests from Monday to Friday to help them with anything they may need.
“I always send my guests concise and concrete information and offer my support in any way I can. I have a board inside the house with information about restaurants, emergency numbers, and cleaning information in case they want to book an additional cleaning.”
Niceto always makes sure to answer his messages from guests quickly and says this is the key to keeping his vacation rental business organized. He even has his phone set to notify him when he gets a new message so that he can answer within minutes. This makes the whole process more efficient and is something that his guests also greatly value. Niceto appreciates how simple it is to work with the Bookiply tool and finds that this makes communicating with his guests even quicker and easier.
“The Bookiply tool is laid out very well, is neat and intuitive, and the app is easy to use. This reduces the time I need to manage everything and the time spent on my phone. It only takes me a few minutes to manage a booking from the moment it comes in until it is confirmed with the guest.”
As a vacation rental owner who really enjoys having personal contact with his guests, Niceto also appreciates the personal touch of Bookiply. A big plus for him is that he can reach out to the team at any time with any problems or questions. The fact that Bookiply has a physical office in the Canary Islands also gives him peace of mind as he knows that he and his property are in safe hands.
“I don’t like talking to machines or doing everything online. So it’s always great to be able to reach out to my personal account manager with any problems. Your questions are never left unanswered, and every time I have dealt with the team, they have treated me excellently.”
The island of La Graciosa boasts one of the best beaches in Europe, Playa de las Conchas, and is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Spain where travelers can switch off and relax. Niceto’s efforts as a vacation rental owner to give his guests an authentic and unique experience aren’t in vain, and these are reflected in his positive guest reviews. His returning guests and recommendations are also proof that his vacation rental and the island of La Graciosa are truly something special.
“I appreciate that guests recognize the work I put into running my vacation rental by leaving positive reviews. Word of mouth seems to work the best, and happy guests recommend my property to others. For example, I had a guest who has two brothers. He recommended me to one brother, and then that brother recommended me to the other.”
