Hosting a Retreat: TV or no TV?

Emma2077
Level 2
New York, NY

Hosting a Retreat: TV or no TV?

Hello there! 

 

My husband and I just bought a cottage in Port Jefferson in Long Island, NY with harbor views and two sun decks. It's very quiet and surrounded by nature. We have deers coming around and a LOT of birds singing all day. It's a entire white cottage (inside), very peaceful. So we think about it as a retreat.... 

 

The living room is not set up to have a TV. Half of the living room walls are windows, facing the harbor. And for me, that's the TV!! 

 

We want to promote it as a place to retreat, to be peaceful and share quality time with family and friends....enjoy nature, the village and marina (5mn walk), the outdoors...! Not to watch TV. 

 

So my questions is the following: do you think there are potential guests looking for this kind of place/statement: a no tv retreat? or is it a MUST HAVE feature no matter what and I have to make it happen? 

 

Thank you very much for taking the time to read it and for your feedbacks! 

 

Stay safe everyone. 

 

Emma. 

12 Replies 12
Pat271
Level 10
Greenville, SC

I certainly don’t care about a TV when I am vacationing, but my goal as a host is to satisfy as many different types of people as possible, so I provide a TV.  This is a personal decision, though.  If you want to promote a personal brand of simple, peaceful, natural etc. and you can stomach the occasional outlier who might tell you that providing a TV is “basic” (I was told this about providing coffee, even though half of my guests don’t drink coffee and the best coffee on the island is served right next door) then you should stick to your vision. 

 

I think that @Sarah977  doesn’t provide a TV, and if I remember correctly, I think she said she has never had anyone complain, and has even had people applaud it.  So, no TV could be just fine, depending on the rest of the experience.

 

So, it all depends on the total package you are offering, the charm and attention you give to your guests, the reasons guests visit you, and your location (e.g. expectations will be different when guests book a cabin in the Andes vs. a corporate accommodation in Dallas).

 

 A peaceful retreat on Long Island sounds like it should be fine without a T.V.  You can always start out without one and see how it goes.

 

 

Thank you very much @Pat271 for the very useful answer!

 

It's true that on a regular basis, the goal is to satisfy as many different types of people as possible but as you said we are thinking about promoting it as a real simple, peaceful, natural retreat where people can disconnect.

 

So the listing would say that it means no TV! This way the people who cannot live without a TV understand that it's not a listing for them? I believe that there is a place for everyone! 🙂  

 

I totally agree that it depends on the total package that we are offering! Because the house is in a small village of Long Island, on a hill with views, surrounded by trees/birds/deers! Plenty of outdoor activities around, I believe that it is appropriate. 

 

We plan to provide for example good outdoor furniture to relax, book collections, basic yoga equipment,  an extensive list of outdoor activities recommendations....etc. 

 

 

Lawrene0
Level 10
Florence, Canada

There is no TV at my place, @Emma2077 , nor many other things that travellers take for granted elsewhere. I am very, very clear about it in my description, and so far no complaints. 

Be very clear and you should be okay. I suggest you even add something to the first message after they book that says something like, "We are a true nature retreat. You read that there is no TV?"

@Lawrene0 I love your treehouse!! Yes i totally agree and like the idea of saying it again in the welcome first message! Thank you!

Mark116
Level 10
Jersey City, NJ

@Emma2077  You don't have to provide a TV, but A LOT of guests will assume there is one, so you will want to state there is no TV somewhere in the listing and possibly include a sentence that reminds guests there is no TV when they book to avoid any problems.

@Mark116 Yes absolutely right, it has to be repeated! 

@Emma2077  I can appreciate the commercial wisdom in trying to please as many types of people as possible, but the downside of this is that any given property is only going to be naturally pleasing to certain people. Adding extra amenities to expand your market also risks attracting more people who are a poor fit, and creating burdensome expectations  For example, TV people will mark you down on ratings if they can't work the remote or the living room setup isn't comfortable for binge watching shows. 

 

No TV might cost you a chunk of the suburban family market, but based on your description it sounds like you have a pretty clear idea of what types of guests will appreciate your home the most. So I would suggest leaning into your niche, and investing in features that appeal to your real ideal guests rather than the imagined mainstream.

 

People seeking a retreat environment really love having a very well-stocked kitchen, a private outdoor space for warm months, good heating/insulation for the winter, an ample amount of comfortable seating space for relaxing time together. A few thoughtful touches like board games and equipment for outdoor activities go a long way too. And for those that can't do without their screens, a good internet connection should be enough, as people tend to travel with their own devices anyway.

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Pat271  Good memory!  You're quite correct- I have no TV.  But my goal isn't to satisfy as many different types of people as possible- rather the contrary.  I specifically market towards the type of guest who'll be a good fit here- who are adaptable, environmentally aware, don't have a melt-down if they see a spider or a trail of ants, have no complaints about a 20 minute walk to town and the beach, and who are excited and interested to be in a new place and explore all there is to do and see, not sit in front of a screen, which they can do at home. Not only that, I don't have unlimited, high speed internet, either- it's a costly, metered connection (not my choice- just all that's available to me in my area), so there's no Netflix watching or streaming things. But my guests are made aware of this, so sometimes they'll have downloaded some movies to their laptop before they come. One thoughtful guest even put 3 of her favorite TV series on a flash drive and brought it with her, so I could transfer them onto my laptop and watch them at my leisure. I do have a DVD player, a TV screen (which you can't get any TV on) and a cupboard full of good movies, though, so guests are welcome to avail themselves of that. But none have- they prefer to read, write, draw, cook, take long walks and go to the beach.

@Emma2077  Just be really clear in your listing info and also re-iterate to guests when they book that there is no TV. You can spin it as a plus- get away from it all, connect with nature, play board games with the family kind of thing. I have a friend in Canada who also hosts- a private suite in her home. Also no TV. But she provides a bunch of board games, cards, some kid's activities, and a pile of unusual and interesting magazines. Some guests told her they so appreciated that she didn't have  TV, or they likely would have just turned it on out of habit- instead they played crib and said they hadn't played it for 15 years and forgot how much fun it was. 

Kath9
Level 10
Albany, Australia

@Emma2077I don't provide a TV for my guests, and I find that most people that stay here don't care one way or the other. However,  most of my guests are Millenials or Gen Zs, so they really don't care about TV as long as they have WiFi! I have found that the few people who have complained about there being no TV are older Australian couples (who clearly didn't read the listing). Now, when I get a booking from a older Australian couple, I specifically mention in my message that there is no TV.

 

So, you absolutely don't have to provide a TV, but I agree that you should specifically tell people this when they book. As @Anonymous commented, trying to please everybody all the time never works anyway, so create the vibe you want, and you'll attract the guests you want.

@Emma2077 

I have a private room listing and also no TV at home at all. I always reiterate about no TV (and no dishwasher and no oven - which is not uncommon for Korean homes) but emphasize DO have high-speed and limitless wifi..... so I've had no complaints. 

 

Henry and I (briefly) thought about getting a TV for the living room last year and decided against it. We didn't want the possibility of the guest leaving the TV on 24/7 as background noise, and felt it could be seen as an invitation to spend ALL DAY AND NIGHT sprawled on the sofa watching TV in our *shared* living room. 

 

I think it's just a matter of reiterating and managing guest expectations in advance. Also as other hosts mentioned, I agree that this works as a way to attract the type of guests you want to host :-))) 

Stephanie
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

@Emma2077 I can't be the only one that wants to see some pictures of this gorgeous sounding retreat!

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