Is there a good ROI on adding a heated pool? (South Florida)

[Noelle144]

We are getting ready to list a pool home in Naples, Florida. Do you all think it would be worth it to have the pool heated? It's an upfront expense plus costly to run, but wondering if it would perhaps be a good differentiator or attract more winter guests than an unheated pool. 

[Gillian166]

@Noelle144 
ignoring the many issues with our heated pool this first season just gone, we ended up turning it off in August as it was too hard to keep the temps up.  This is probably less relevant to you in Florida! If not many around you have a heated pool and you have lots of competition then yes, I think it's a good idea to have that point of difference. We still have to pay to keep the pool running during those colder months, why not make the pool work too? At the very least you are adding an upgrade to your property, even if you only break even on it over winter, it's still a win as you've added to the overall value of your home. 

[Noelle144]

Thank you for the reply!

[Lorna170]

@Noelle144   I don't have pools, but I have rented homes with pools.  In every case I have had to pay extra for a heated pool, which I am willing to do.   If you have a good handle on what the additional cost would be and how much to raise your prices while staying competitive, great!

However... your guests will need to know what the maximum temprature is and how long it takes the pool to reach that temperature.   If you turn the heat down (or off) between rentals, that time will become crucial as you do not want to be refunding a whole booking for a cold pool that CS thinks is a missing amenity.   

You will not want guests to have access to the pool controls, so you may have to invest in a system that is controlled remotely, or that is locked and only you or your housekeeper can unlock and turn the heat up or down, on or off.   Do not leave chemicals around either and do not let your guests backwash or otherwise "service" the pool.

You will also want to charge every guest for the pool, even if they do not use it.  I used to have a winter hot tub fee that was optional.  Many guests claimed to not want to use the hot tub and would not pay the fee.  Guess again.  

[Noelle144]

Lots of good tips here. Thank you!

[Sudsrung0]

@Noelle144 

Here in Phuket we need the pools to cool down

[Naomi428]

Hi @Noelle144!

Congrats on your new listing in Naples! I came across this question in the community center and wanted to help out any way I could! I do not know much about your new listing; however, we have 19 properties we host on Airbnb. A little more than half of the properties have pools. With that being said, some pools are heated and some are not. We do receive a few inquiries about the pool prior to bookings with guests asking if the pool is heated; however, this does not happen as often as one would think. Perhaps this is because Florida does not see too many cold days. For the homes that do have heated pools, we have noticed guests may have issues working the pool heater. Although there is a great deal of instructions and pictures there seems to be a learning curve. This of course has never been too much of a hassle and has always proved to be a highlight of the home. We also specialize in luxury homes, which may be another idea to consider. Most guests who are looking to book at a luxury home may want more luxury amenities as well. I hope this feedback helped you in some way. Best of luck with your Airbnb Property! Congrats again!

Naomi 

Tender Hosting LLC
tender hosting . com

[Noelle144]

Thank you! Very helpful.

[Sudsrung0]

@Noelle144 

Have you looked into Solar powered? 

My husbands has said next time a pump breaks down we will replace it with a solar powered one