The little things add up for a 9,000 square foot rental
#268 in the Purple Goldfish Project was submitted by Nic Nelson. Nic introduces Fjeldheim, a luxury rental in Lake Tahoe. Fjeldheim is Norwegian for ‘mountain house’. In his words:
“There are a lot of vacation homes in the Lake Tahoe area. Some of them are as big as we are, some are as luxurious as we are, but none match us in both categories. This is actually a problem. How many groups of 20+ people are looking for a fully-appointed luxury chalet? (most settle for big cheap “tourist sheds”) How many high-end families actually want 9000sf and 9 bedrooms? (most high-dollar customers come in groups of less than 7, even when an extended family or two families are traveling together)
We try to close the deal, and we win repeat customers, largely because of the “lagniappe” we offer: little things like free handmade custom-glazed Fjeldheim coffee mugs, or a gift basket of wine, chocolates, cheese and crackers to the person who made the groups reservation, and sometimes big things like event shuttle service (allowing guests to park at the free casino parking at the bottom of the mountain, and shuttling them up to Fjeldheim) or even setting up a Christmas tree for them so that it was ready and lit when they walked in the door.”
Today’s Lagniappe (little something extra) – A funny video set to the song ‘I Love Lake Tahoe’ by A
Where is the lagniappe in your marketing? What’s Your Purple Goldfish?
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Nordic swag!
Tourist Sheds? Most vacation renters would be better off sleeping in the forest!
Sorry, let me explain: “tourist shed” is a derogatory term for “large plain residential structure built to house a maximum number of persons for minimum cost.” A comfortable single-family home can be converted to a tourist shed by vicious remodeling into as many small bedrooms as possible, all with multiple beds or bunk beds, plus a large “great room” that handles meals, movies, meetings, and doubles as a game room too. Or a tourist shed can be built on purpose, with more or less evidence of creativity on the part of the architect (if there was one) or the decorator (if there was one). But to qualify as a tourist shed, it must boast room for “large groups” and be built at or below mass-market construction standards.
Now, if that’s what you are looking for, a good “tourist shed” is a great find. You can house a lot of kids or young people for very little money in this way. Damage is easy to repair, fixtures easy to replace (check Home Depot). They are (usually) more comfortable than actual sheds, and often local folks will take advantage of them, so don’t take either half of the term “tourist shed” literally.
But if you are looking for old-world style and craftsmanship, coupled with contemporary conveniences and luxuries, and big enough for 20 or 30 guests to be genuinely comfortable all day long not just while unconscious in their beds, then consider Fjeldheim. The Tahoe Mountain Home boasts fireside dining (on large gracefully-carved solid hardwood chairs, not little cafe chairs or folding chairs that feel honored to sport their own cushions), Pickwick Pine wall paneling, reclaimed hardwood floors, natural-fiber Berber carpeting, 300-thread-count sheets with pillow shams, down duvets etc., European and American antique furniture, hand-printed Norwegian wallpaper (in some bathrooms), sleek slate and marble and travertine tiling (in other bathrooms, balconies, sitting rooms, observation towers, bar and billiards, a ski-room/mud-room large enough to park all your bicycles (or ski equipment) inside, an 8-person sheltered private hot tub overlooking Lake Tahoe, a 48″ outdoor gas grill and flagstone patio suitable for weddings of 100+ guests, authentic Norsk architecture and craftsmanship including eaves-dragons and a hand-made traditional wedding bed that will make you wonder “how did they get that thing in here?!” (it was created on-site)… and much much more… for a vacation residence like that, you need Fjeldheim.org .
It is a lot more expensive than a tourist shed. But you are getting a lot, lot more for your money.