If you’re looking for some top tips on creating a great Airbnb experience, then I’d like to help. This 3-part article was initially developed as a free add-on for several of my clients in the holiday rental business. I hope, in turn, that there are also some helpful tips here for you too. For ease, this has been divided this into 3 separate articles. (see Part Two) and (Part Three).
Know your competition
No doubt you’ve done a fair amount of sleuthing at the local competition when deciding to start your business, with what they charge and what they provide. Regularly continuing to this once trading is crucial in staying on the pulse.
- What are others offering?
- What do others charge?
- Who are they attracting?
Interior design and styling by Catriona Archer
Know what differentiates you – Your USP (Unique Selling Point)
- What is it that currently sets you apart from your competitors?
- Is it your location? History? Price? Services?
- Think as a guest would: Why do they choose you?
- Do you find that you are attracting a certain type of guest regularly?
- Are you consciously (or unconsciously) selling yourself to a particular clientele?
- What do you mostly get credited for in reviews?
- What improvements have guests suggested? Even if you don’t make the changes they suggest, it may tell you what is seen by guests as not being high on your priority list.
- How can you further stand out from the competition?
Interior design and styling by Catriona Archer
Clear & Confident Messaging
- Be clear in your messaging: What do you want to relay? What do you offer that is so attractive to potential guests?
- This message should be easy to read and cohesive across all your online and printed material.
- Make sure the service you provide fully supports what you promote.
- This message should extend throughout the look and feel of your property. There are tricks to creating an ambience, using different colour relationships, lighting and furniture arrangements to alter the way a room reads, creating the right first impression. This is my speciality, so please be in touch if I can be of help.
- If it’s relevant, add signage or devise a catchy way of making your place memorable. For example, a clear and professional logo can make all the difference in setting the right tone.
- Take the time to ensure that your marketing photographs are as seductive as possible. Making a small investment to have professional photographs taken to show your property off in the most appealing light possible is, for most, worthwhile and pays for itself over time. It helps makes posting regularly on social media much easier to handle.
As someone who offers on-site styling and photography packages for businesses in Bath, Bristol, Somerset and Wiltshire, I know first-hand how important this can be for a business. (Part Three)
Interior design and styling by Catriona Archer
The Welcome Pack
After a long journey, the comfort of being able to feel immediately at home in a strange environment is priceless. The Welcome Pack can be a small investment that makes all the difference to your guests, it helps show them that you’ve thought about their needs.
We all know the basic offering of a kettle, coffee, tea selection, milk, sugar, sweetener and biscuits. but with the increasing trend for boutique hotels worldwide, guests’ expectations are often heightened. There is a growing desire to offer more creative amenities to help make their experience truly memorable. Some holiday rentals now seem to be offering more “Experiences” to their guests, to help stand out and gain a higher star rating:
The Welcome Pack might include some of the following:
- Target your Welcome Pack to the type of guests who are likely to be staying. For example, if the local wildlife is part of your holiday rental’s USP, some binoculars and a wildlife guidebook would be a thoughtful addition.
- A disposable map of the area, with certain landmarks and useful local amenities marked.
- Up-grade your Welcome Pack with some local speciality items, specific to the area such a a local butter and preserves, or perhaps a local cheese and crackers.
- Mini snack bags, Granola bars or nut mixes. You may want to consider adding a choice of a savoury and sweet snacks.
- Make sure all food-items are within their sell-by date and sealed so that there’s no suspicion of contamination.
- Fresh coffee, a selection of teas (Including a choice of single sachet non-caffeine herb teas) and a few sachets of hot chocolate.
- If you want to provide local magazines, be sure to replace these every few months to keep them relevant and in good condition.
- Partner up with some local walking or biking guides, wellness day spa practitioners or local workshops to offer your guest personally recommended deals.
- Add a personalised handwritten welcome note. You could be a little creative, such as writing a brief note on a postcard of the area or of your property for them to keep and pass onto friends.
- Alcohol: There’s a little bit of a debate about whether alcohol should be offered as standard fare, as it’s hard to know whether certain guest have issues around alcohol. If you choose to provide alcohol, consider perhaps providing a bottle from a local micro-brewery.
Images: Pinterest and Catriona Archer
The House Manual
It’s common sense but worth mentioning that appliances should be chosen to be as easy to use as possible. Even if it seems obvious to you, it’s best not to assume that everyone can work them out! The House Manual should provide simple step-by-step instructions on how to use anything electrical within the property. You could provide a copy of the manufacturer’s instructions, but a simplified guide that gives pictures and arrowed notes is far less complicated for the guest, particularly if English is not their first language.
Image: Cartiona Archer
The House Manual could include:
- A personal welcome note.
- Emergency contact numbers should anything go wrong within the house, Emergency doctor and local hospital telephone and address.
- Fire procedures with a map of exits (and meeting point if there is one).
- Smoking policy and locations where provisions have been made for smokers.
- Delivery food services within the area – if this is something you allow.
- A step-by-step guide on how to use each appliance – microwave, oven, washing machine, dryer, iron, heating & thermostats, shower settings etc.
- A step-by-step guide on how to use each alarm: Fire, C02 etc.
- Suggestions of local places to visit and local leaflets, magazines and/or books are always helpful.
- Local travel service leaflets (be sure this is kept up to date). Include walking directions, cycling routes, public transport and taxi information.
- Clear information on where internal and external bins are kept.
If you would like to read more on my tips for Airbnb’s and Holiday lets, please (see Part Two) and (Part Three) of this article. Happy reading…