Details, details, details … that’s how you set your Airbnb above your competition.
Providing four walls and speedy wifi is a great start, kinda… but every other host offers those basics. The little touches are what set you apart.
Understanding the pain points of your long-suffering, backpack-burdened, luggage-wheeling guests will allow you to do “mini-upgrades” that provide outsized value. Your guests will thank their five lucky stars that they picked your Airbnb over the one next door.
Remember, for every mini-upgrade you make to your Airbnb, be sure to mention it in your listing text as it could be that one amenity that gets your listing over the edge to a reservation! You can also choose to take one photo of all your added mini-upgrades and place it in your photo gallery (towards the end). Your mini-upgrade starts paying for itself before your guest has even hit the road, by saving your guest time during her packing ritual. You make your guests life easier, and they reward you with a 5-star review.
Let’s get to it:
If your guests are arriving by plane, having one of these handy-dandy shampoo and soap dispensers in the shower will make you a rock star. We’ve all struggled to fit all the 3-ounce travel bottles into a crappy 1-quart bag because some terrorists had to act a fool. Knowing ahead of time that our shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and body wash needs will be met on arrival turns this packing nuisance into a breeze.
Recommendation: 3-chamber dispenser from Amazon for $16 and refill it with generic products
If you’d like to splurge a bit, purchase bulk mini-shampoo bottles. You know, like the ones you get in hotels.
You can go nuts with toiletries and amenities, but here’s where it helps to understand your guests’ priorities, starting with that little 1-quart bag. Toothpaste always make the cut, because grody teeth will derail sightseeing faster than a little stubble. But if your guest wants to be dolled up with a smooth face or smooth legs for a night on your town, he or she will thank you for offering a shaving kit. Shave cream and gel dispensers are a nightmare to pack – even the 3-oz travel sizes are bulky – they contain pressurized gas. If the dispenser button is hit while the bag is getting tossed, rolled, and shifted, all your bottles will be gooey upon landing. Providing your guests with the convenience of a disposable razor and some shave cream is easy and affordable.
Recommendation: 100-pack of shave kits from US Imprints for under $2 a unit
To up your stock like crazy, provide for phone-charging needs. Also tablet-charging, mobile-hotspot charging, phone-charger charging … almost every traveler is far down the USB rabbit hole. The beauty of the USB interface is that … it’s universal! So whether your guests are from Canada or the Congo, there’s no adaptor needed.
Recommendation: 4-spot by RAVpower from Amazon for $25 and watch the smiles ensue
It’s hard to feel civilized with coats and backpacks strewn all over the floor. Providing your guests with the ability to quickly and easily unpack and get organized in their space will build big value into your listing. A wall-mounted coat rack saves space. Some people go with multi-hook rack units, but I like the individual hooks that can be screwed directly into the wall, in whatever pattern you like. Go for the double-hooks – twice the function, same space!
Recommendation: A pack of 10 can be bought on Amazon for $11
A room with a hair dryer is worth $10 more per night compared to a room without one. As such, a hairdryer will pay for itself in less than two nights, and then you’re in the profit zone. You can also go higher-end for a more durable hair dryer, but don’t go berserk – you’re not opening a salon!
Recommendation: ConAir hairdryer is sufficient for 95% of Airbnb guests
For most people, traveling is chaotic, a disruption of carefully-cultivated routines. Helping your guests stay organized on the road is one of the best value-adds. Cubbies are a cheap and easy way to lessen this chaos. They can be used to sort everything from shoes, to socks and underwear, to toiletries, to maps and guides, to phones and chargers, and everything in between.
Recommendation: 15-space shoe cubby from Amazon works great and costs only $30
What do you provide to your Airbnb guest that puts your above your competition? Tell us in the comments!
For more articles written by Danny that will help optimise your Airbnb listing, you can head to his blog.
(by Danny Rusteen)
Danny Rusteen is the owner and founder of OptimizeMyAirbnb.com. Drawing upon his previous experience having worked at Airbnb and an Airbnb property management company, he decided to launch his own business in 2016 to provide his expertise to help owners maximise the rental returns from their Airbnb listings. In this guest blog, Danny writes about the 6 upgrades that will help your Airbnb listing go that extra step to secure more bookings and receive those 5-star reviews.
