SXSW Minimum Stays / Avoiding Schedule Holes

[Taryn4]

Hi Fellow Austinites!

We're already getting booking requests for our whole house listing during SXSW (didn't even realize I had our listing open that far out- prices were way too low!) 

Since SX has so many ebbs and flows how do you typically prefer to handle your min days / avoid holes in schedules? 

This will be our first SXSW hosting so we appreciate you sharing your experience! 

Taryn

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/13468074?preview

[Dawn33]

I just followed your thread, Taryn, since I am in San Marcos. I don't know if I will see SXSW action, but you never know!

[Taryn4]

 Thanks @Dawn33! You have an awesome place we'd love to get away to during the hustle and bustle of SXSW/ACL, but alas we travel with canine. I'm sure you'll find some other local folks who need a home almost away from home too. You're place is so cute! 

[Dawn33]

Thank you, @Taryn0.

I will be curious if other Austinites pipe in on your SXSW query.

Have a great weekend!

[Cammie-And-Jason0]

Hi Dawn,

We are in Brenham area and not even listed yet.  I would love to talk to you about country permits, taxes and rental opportunities if you would be willing.  I'll wait to hear.

[Dede0]

@Taryn4 and @Dawn33 Our listing normally opens up only 3 months in advance, but for things like SXSW, ACL, and Formula-1, we open specific periods 6 months ahead. So, we're about to open up the SXSW dates next March. Not sure what we'll set our rates to, but probably 2X+ our normal rates. Also not sure about minimum stays. We'll probably set them to 5 days to start, then drop them (if necessary) to 4, then 3 after a few months.

@Dawn33 Even though you're in San Marcos, I bet you can expect increased interest during SXSW. Every available rental/hotel in Austin gets filled well in advance, with people booking as far out as Georgetown, Bastrop, and New Braunfels. Up your rates at least a little bit. And be aware that the full SXSW schedule runs from March 2 through March 19. The (earlier) tech portion is almost as busy as the music portion.

[Dawn33]

Thank you, @Dede0, for this information.

[Taryn4]

@Dede0 So helpful!

I know that SXSW tix went on sale August 1st. I've already had two inquiries but with less people (1 person per room instead of 2). They seemed like ideal guests (profession tech/production co's) but we just had production co in our place and they used it 24/7- so lots of electricity, without the extra $ per person it made it a bad deal for us. I sent the two inquires slightly higher special offers and they have not booked or re-inquired. Oh well. 

I think hotels are might be more competitive this year, based on what I've been reading. SX is offering packaged deals to those who purchase badges. @Dede0 Do you typically see SXSW bookings only a month away from the event? Only during music portion or the film/tech part too? 

Here's some interesting fact I found surrounding the hotel hospitality industry in Austin: 

-Hotel VanZandt, Fairmont, JW Marriot and Westin all added about 3k rooms this year. 

-72.9% of hotel rooms are occupied as of last year. 

-Downtown, the room supply could grow by more than 55 percent in the next few years, the ABJ reported, from about 8,600 rooms to more than 13,000

I think that these hotels still don't offer the same experience/quality/freedom as staying in one of our lovely homes. I just think it's facninating to follow. 

Upping my price and nightly min. now! Thanks again for the advice. 

[Julianna3]

Interesting stats, Taryn - thx for posting! Do you have a link or remember where you got those stats? I'd like to read more about that!

[Dede0]

@Taryn4, @Dawn33, Getting back to this months-old conversation... We finally opened up March 2017 about a month ago (in early November), and priced all the SXSW dates at roughly 2.25 X our usual rates. Some friends go with an even higher multiple (2.5 or even 3X), but that felt kinda weird and a bit risky. Anyway, within a week, a single guy from SF booked the *entire* 10-day stretch, even with our temporary change to the Strict cancellation policy. He didn't ask for a discount or anything like that.

We've set the dates around SXSW slightly higher than our usual, on the theory that some people "in the biz" might need to come in earlier or stay a bit past the end. So far, though, no uptake for any of those dates.

How have you handled your listings for SXSW?

[Dawn33]

I need to raise mine, @Dede0, to make it worth giving up my home on my spring break.

Thank you for tagging me back into the convo.