Gîtes de France : the label
We have all seen this label somewhere. But what does it mean and what does it represent? We tell you everything about the label Gîtes de France, here we go !
1. What is Gîtes de France ?
First of all, Gîtes de France is :
- A label
- A brand
- A network … of accommodation in private homes in France and in Europe.
In 1955, the National Federation of Gîtes de France (FNGF) was created in the Lower Alps. The goal ? To develop tourist accommodation at home in France. Why did this happen ? To fight against the desertification of the countryside. Here, the logic is simple: if we abandon the countryside for the big cities, we run the risk of ruin. However, living in the city, we want to come back to the country at the weekend, and therefore we must be able to welcome city dwellers. So we created gites to welcome them!
How do they work ? They are managed by department with a national federation. The labels granted (ecogîtes and gîtes panda) and the classification are given by each department.
They have their own classification, here we don’t speak of stars but of “épis” (1 to 5).
2. Values and accommodations
Gîtes de France has 4 core values :
- Sharing : stays in the best conditions of welcome and comfort
- Authenticity : meeting the requirements of tourists looking for authenticity, conviviality and experience
- Responsibility : to promote our heritage and develop “sustainable” tourism
- Commitment : contributing to local employment and the attractiveness of the region
Concerning the accommodations, more than 56 000, you will find gites or guest houses. For some time now, you can also choose to leave according to a theme : unusual, prestige, gourmet… You will definitely find your next vacation destination!
Now that the Gîtes de France label has no more secrets for you, why not go on a micro-adventure in one of them ?
Chèque France Num : a precious help from the state!
The France Num voucher will open the doors to digitization and help you digitize your accommodation. Don’t waste any time and find out quickly if you are eligible!
Chèque France Num what is it ?
Let’s start with its definition: the France Num voucher is a lump-sum voucher of 500 euros to cover all or part of the expenses for digitization incurred by certain companies with less than eleven employees that have administratively closed during the November 2020 lockdown or that are hotels.
It is therefore a welcome aid at this time! Indeed, thanks to it you will be able to make some improvements for your rental and go digital more easily. For example, you can get a StyQR booklet with this help!
1. Who is eligible?
A few conditions are required to be eligible:
1/ To be a company that is administratively closed during the second containment
2/ To be a hotel or restaurant professional
3/ Finally, to have less than 11 employees and an annual turnover of less than 2 million euros excluding tax
2. What types of expenses are taken into account?
There are two types of eligible expenses:
First, the purchase of or subscription to digital solutions from a digital services company established in France or in a member state of the European Union. It is not necessary for this company to be listed on this teleservice. The expense can include a part of accompaniment, the solution must fall under one of the themes below:
Sales, promotion – E-commerce or promotional site; content; online payment; marketplace; internet visibility
Management – Reservation solution, appointment scheduling; inventory management, orders, deliveries
Management – Hosting, data storage, domain name management, cybersecurity tools; Cash register software
Customer relations – Bulk email management tool, newsletter management; Customer management
Or, the accompaniment to digitalization (diagnosis to start its digital transformation) by a private consultant referenced on this teleservice.
Check if your support provider is referenced.
4. What are the supporting documents?
Promised, to benefit from it, you won’t need many supporting documents: first of all, you need an identity document, and one or more billing dated between October 30, 2020 and June 30, 2021 for a minimum total amount of 450 euros including tax.
So, you still have time to make your digital transition!
5. How to benefit from it?
Thus, if you meet all the necessary conditions, you can send your application ici. Be careful, however, there are dates that must be respected depending on the date of your billings. So, be sure to check them before submitting your application.
The payment of this aid will begin on February 26, 2021.
Please note: only one application per SIREN is accepted for eligible companies, so the application must be made in one go.
And you, did you know the existence of this check? Did you benefit from it?
Luko and Airbnb: the new partnership that hits the spot!
This is the news of the month! Luko and Airbnb are partnering to offer anyone who puts their home on Airbnb up to 1 year of insurance (150 euros). Want to know more about it?
Comment en bénéficier ?
To benefit from it, you must meet a few criteria:
1/ Be insured with Luko
2/ Be an Airbnb host for the first time, i.e. never have created a listing on the site.
3/ Host at least one traveler before August 31, 2021.
4/ Finally, the amount of the reservation (including Airbnb service fees) must be at least 100 euros.
2. What are the conditions of Luko and Airbnb?
To benefit from this offer, here are the conditions stated by Airbnb:
First of all: the amount of 150 euros is paid by Airbnb
This 150 euros corresponds to an average of one year of home insurance taken out with Luko
This amount will be deducted from the monthly payments of Luko policyholders renting out their home on Airbnb in France for the first time.
Finally: the offer is limited to one property per person and is valid for listings created from the personalized link received by email.
What do you think? Are you eligible for this offer? If not, but you’re looking for a way to save some money, the chèque France Num might be of interest to you!
Equip your rental for more bookings: tips
With the current crisis, some equipment that was not popular a few months ago, has become essential. So how to equip your rental? Here is a non-exhaustive list of some of the equipment you need to increase your bookings and make your guests’ stay more enjoyable.
1- Furnish your bedroom
A room is cosy, it’s the place where you rest after a good day of work or activity. It is the place where you put your suitcases when you arrive in a rental. Make sure it has everything you need: sheets, pillows and an extra comforter.
Some people (we know some!) can’t sleep without 2 pillows. It’s always good to have some extra. To buy them, take advantage of sales. Leave the comforter and pillows in their protections obtained at the time of purchase and store them in a visible place.
2- The bathroom
One of the first things you do after you’ve packed your bags is to freshen up, take a good shower and relax.
In order to facilitate the life and the arrival of your guests, do not hesitate to prepare them a toilet kit (toothbrush, shampoo, soaps…) and clean towels.
The little extra? The hair dryer at your disposal!
3-The living room
The most important thing? Especially in the current context, it is a good wifi connection.
The little extras : a television with access to streaming services, some books, magazines…
If you rent in winter: a warm plaid and a few extra pillows for a “cocooning” spirit.
4- The kitchen
We won’t teach you anything here: a fridge, a microwave, dishes is the minimum if you can.
For even more small attentions you can add: a coffee machine, tea and a kettle, some frying pans to cook…
The attention that makes the difference? A recipe card with a typical dish from your region or a bottle of wine.
Do you have everything? That’s great! If not, don’t hesitate to invest a little. Put yourself in the guests’ shoes, “if I was going somewhere, what would I like to find? If you have any other equipment to suggest, we’d love to hear from you!
To know how to buy all this for less, it is here.
Negative comment: what to do?
The dread of every renter: receiving an unjustified negative comment. After all the trouble you went through to welcome your guests and offer them a nice stay, it is always hurtful. In addition, apart from the personal attack, it lowers your overall rating and scares off future customers. We give you here the keys to respond and react to a negative comment.
1. Make contact with the person
First rule: do not delete the comment. This is a common mistake but it should be avoided.
First, try to understand what happened. Contact the person who left the comment and try to find a common ground.
You usually have their contact information: email, text, call, you can try everything. Be courteous and really try to listen and apologize. Discussion is often the key.
2. Reply to negative comment
Then, even if the person does not respond to your requests, answer the comment.
Explain the reasons for the comment if the rental also went badly, or on the contrary, show surprise if you think the comment is not justified.
Responding to negative comments is very important because it shows that you are listening to your customers.
3. Contact the platform
If your requests to get in touch do not yield anything, and the comment you left remains unanswered, you can contact the platform.
In this case, look for the customer service number and explain the situation in detail. Some platforms like Airbnb have pages dedicated to solving this type of problem. They put the renter and the host in direct contact.
4. Call on your other hosts
You have tried everything: contact, the platform, the comment… and the negative comment is still active, don’t panic.
Future customers will see that you have responded by saying that you do not understand and that “despite numerous reminders your host does not give any sign of life”. This can reassure them that it is an isolated comment.
But to be on the safe side, you can always contact your former hosts. Those for whom you remember that everything went well and who did not leave any comments. Explain the situation to them and see if they are willing to help you raise your rating by adding a good one.
5. Work on it beforehand
Often, a negative comment is due to a misunderstanding or an unresolved bad experience.
So, to prevent this type of comment, you can contact your guests during their stay. Without being intrusive, don’t hesitate to ask them if the stay is going well, if they need help or even better, if they were able to try the restaurant you mentioned, etc… It’s a nice way to get in touch and show that you are there for them.
And you, have you ever had this type of problem? How did you solve it?