If you’re lucky enough to have an extra room, floor or even house knocking around, vacant and begging to be occupied, then we have two questions for you. Firstly, what’s your secret? And secondly, have you considered renting them out? There’s more than just pocket money to be made in the sharing economy, in fact, there’s more than just money to be made, full stop. There’s friends and memories abound too, if you host with open arms and gusto.
Now, being a great host is all about showing your guests that you care, about putting on a great show and paying attention to the finer details of their stay. And with great hosting, in this game, comes great reviews, and subsequently more money. And friends. And repeat. So, with all that in mind, here are 5 IDEAL airbnb hosting tips.
The Details Matter
The tiny details and touches of thought and care are the things that keep guests coming back for more (and writing those all important stellar reviews). Leave a bottle of wine as a welcome, for instance, to make that brilliant first impression. Lay out clean towels on the bed or put a kettle in their room so they can make coffee in the morning. Small post-it notes explaining any confusing technological quirks smooth out any bumps in the ride. Equally, leaving snacks, homemade jams and so on more than makes up for the outlay in warm, positive vibes. Perfect.
Create A City Guide
The personal touch is everything. Character, flair and a sense of unique proposition is what brings in the punters again and again. After all, if people wanted identikit accommodation, they’d have opted for a hotel. One great way to give your property that real sense of you is to curate and coordinate your own city guides. Nobody knows your neighbourhood better than you so be sure to include some of your favourite restaurants and bars as well as off-the-beaten-track spots to visit. Little added extras like a decent map and some local takeaway menus can go a long way to helping your guests feel right at home.
Take Them on The Town
If you are staying at the house while your guests are there, or simply have some free time to go and meet them, offer to take them out on the town for a food tour experience of where the locals eat and drink. It’s a great way to show off your city and favourite places as well as leave a great impression – that’s if the vibe feels right, of course. Bear in mind that some people prefer minimal contact with their host and wish to go about their stay uninterrupted. Having good intuition for this is vital.
Minimise The Stress Of Hosting
No one wants a host who’s pulling their hair out, flustered and fussy and seemingly not in control. Such a sight doesn’t bode well for a comfortable, stress free stay. Nowadays, more people are using property rental companies such as Airbnb, Booking.com, and HomeAway to book and advertise short-term rentals. If you’re getting into the renting out game, you’ll be all too familiar with the stress of managing rentals across different channels while retaining your USP. One way to take some of this pressure off is to use an Airbnb channel manager to operate a booking calendar sync and free up some time to be a great host.
Offer to Cook For Them
There’s been a growing trend recently in Airbnb users going on foodie adventures when travelling, with many guests booking food tours and cooking classes. One way to leave a lasting impression on your guests is to cook them a meal, preferably using local ingredients and showing off any delicacies the region is famous for. You could go a step further and teach them how to make a meal, which is a great way to bond. As with above, the same rules apply when feeling out the mood first to see if your presence on their trip is a welcome one.