Are you an Airbnb host looking to have a successful business? You’re not alone. Everyone who signs up to be a host on Airbnb wants to build a successful business. You can do this by creating a positive experience for guests.
A positive guest experience is about putting your guest first and ensuring they leave your Airbnb better than when they arrived. It can lead to higher ratings, more bookings, and thus more revenue.
On the other hand, a negative hosting experience will leave a flawed imprint on a guest and lead to bad ratings. In addition, it will impact your property’s reputation and yourself as the host. It is why a positive experience for all Airbnb guests is critical to the success of your Airbnb.
So how can you create a positive experience for Airbnb guests? We’ve listed the ten best ways to prepare your Airbnb to ensure a positive experience for guests:
Preparation
Providing a positive experience for guests at your Airbnb starts with preparation. There are three ways to make your Airbnb a habitable environment:
Cleanliness and Maintenance
It would be best to keep your Airbnb clean and well-maintained, even during off-peak seasons.
Cleaning
Maintain a clean Airbnb at all times. Keeping the house and everything in it clean ensures your guests’ comfort, health, and safety. Dirt, excessive moisture, and debris invite bacteria, fungus, and mould infestation. Unfortunately, they also provide the perfect home for pests and bugs.
It would be best if you deep-cleaned your Airbnb before every guest arrives to ensure cleanliness. Here is what you should do:
- Strip the beds of all beddings and toss them in the washing machine for a cleaning cycle.
- Wash all towels.
- Dust and wipe down every surface, including side tables, desks, countertops, and tables.
- Vacuum sofas, mattresses, and anything else with foam or pillows to ensure no food items, dirt, or bugs are on and inside them.
- Sweep and mop the floors with hot water, detergent, and antibacterial cleaning agents.
- Wipe every appliance and equipment, and remove and wash any washable parts.
- Clean any outside space, like sweeping the patio and clearing any debris.
Maintenance
You must do regular maintenance on your Airbnb. Your Airbnb is unsafe and will receive negative ratings without proper maintenance.
Here is a maintenance checklist you can use:
- Ensure all appliances are in working order, with no missing parts or hanging wires.
- Check all power sockets, light bulbs, and extension cords to ensure they work well and are not at risk of causing electrical fires or electrocuting someone.
- Look at doors and windows to ensure they are correctly fixed and lack cracks or bends.
- Ensure that taps, showers, bathtubs, drains, and pipes are unblocked and working well.
- Ensure all furniture has no missing parts and is stable.
- If you have outside space, ensure all outdoor furniture is in working order, without missing parts. Also, keep the grass at a low height to avoid breeding pests and bugs.
- If you have a pool, call a pool maintenance person to check the valves, treatment centre, and tiles to ensure it is safe for use.
Provision of Necessary Amenities
Another way to improve the guest experience at your Airbnb is to provide all the necessary amenities. Guests book an Airbnb expecting certain things to be provided for them. They want to avoid packing up half their house to stay in an Airbnb. You will receive negative reviews if you do not provide the needed amenities.
Always stock fresh towels, toiletries, linens, and hand and body soap. These items make the stay bearable. Also, ensure you have trash bags, dishwashing soap or tablets, detergent, cleaning brushes, and enough tableware and cookware.
Such amenities are critical if you need someone to clean the Airbnb or cook while guests are staying. These items help guests keep the home clean and enjoy a liveable area. They are essential if you expect guests to leave your Airbnb clean when they checkout.
Decorating the Space
The decor is one of the most essential but often overlooked parts of hosting. Decorations help create a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere in your Airbnb, thus enhancing the guest experience. No one wants to walk into a bland house, even on vacation.
It would be best if you decorated your Airbnb well to match the aesthetic of the home and the experience you are advertising. We recommend incorporating fresh flowers, books, and artwork in your decor. You can find cheap books at used bookstores and printable artwork online to keep costs down. Change the flowers for every guest to keep them fresh and add a sweet touch.
You can also enhance the guest experience by adding personal touches throughout the Airbnb. We don’t mean family photos or recipes and aren’t encouraging you to spill any secrets. Instead, you can use books you love, pictures of things you adore, or your favourite flowers to add personal touches to every room. You’ll likely end up with an aesthetically pleasing and welcoming decor scheme.
Communication
The second aspect of good hosting is proper communication. You must communicate with your Airbnb guests after they book, during their stay, and when they leave to ensure they have a positive experience.
Prompt Responses to Inquiries
You must respond promptly to quest inquiries as an Airbnb host. Never keep your guest waiting for hours to hear from you. They may have questions about the area, bringing pets, child safety and locks, house rules, or where to find specific items. Quick replies allow them to plan appropriately and build trust.
Slow response times decrease guest satisfaction. They can lead to cancellation, bad reviews, or malicious acts. Any Airbnb guest should know to expect a reply from you within minutes unless otherwise indicated.
You can automate responses to common questions to help you maintain a prompt response time. Here is how to do that:
- Go to your hosting Inbox and open the left folder menu.
- Select Scheduled Messages and tap on + New Message.
- Enter a name to identify the automation template, such as a Welcome message, Where to leave keys, or How pet-friendly is the apartment.
- Type your message and insert any shortcodes (e.g. directions) to customize.
- Select the language of your message.
- Select what listings this message should apply to.
- Select what action will automatically trigger the message, e.g. Check-in or Booking confirmed.
- Select the time before or after the trigger to send the message.
- Save your automated response.
Detailed House Rules
Part of hosting is letting your guests know what they can and cannot do at your Airbnb. As an Airbnb host, you must give clear, easy-to-follow instructions to the guests regarding expectations and rules.
Always include standard house rules such as pet or children policies and quiet hours. Also, have the community guidelines and regulations if your Airbnb is in a gated community or apartment complex to ensure your guests do not upset the neighbours.
Present any other house rules in an easy-to-understand format. Don’t use technical or legal words. Keep the sentences concise and make the consequences clear. Try and have uncomplicated house rules such as no drinking in the pool to avoid broken glass or don’t leave the water running in the shower due to drought.
Personal Touch
Adding personal touches to the Airbnb guest experience is part of good hosting. They help people feel welcome and at home, encouraging a positive experience.
You can add thoughtful touches by leaving a personalized welcome message or gifts for guests. Then, add the gifts in a basket for the ultimate luxury experience, or scatter them around the house for fun-loving guests to find during their stay.
Thoughtful touches establish a personal connection with the guests. Personal touches make the stay memorable and pleasant and encourage guests to leave good reviews of your Airbnb.
Flexibility
A big part of being a good Airbnb host is flexibility. You must be flexible and allow life to create a relaxed and positive experience for your guests.
Accommodating Schedules
We would all be on time for every appointment in a perfect world. But there are better worlds than this, and stuff happens. As an Airbnb host, you must understand that your guests will only sometimes stick to a schedule that may be out of their control.
Planes and trains get delayed, there is traffic, accidents happen, and fun encounters occur. Therefore, you must have flexible check-in and checkout times. Inflexibility will make guests tense and angry and contribute to a negative experience.
If they require an early check-in, you can let guests drop their bags while you prepare the house for their stay. Indicate that you need time to clean up after the last guest but are willing to let them drop their bags and have a meal if they like. You can also allow up to 2 hours later checkout before charging a late fee.
It’s ok to have rules but allow them to change as situations arise.
Providing Local Recommendations
A significant appeal of staying at an Airbnb is the connection to local culture. Unlike hotels, Airbnbs allow guests to experience the local culture in real-time. As a host, your recommendations are vital to the guest experience. They allow your guests to feel safe, understand cultural faux pas, and find fascinating places.
Ask the guests questions about their preferences and offer personalized recommendations. People enjoy different things, and having an Airbnb host who goes out of their way to recommend personalized activities makes the experience more enjoyable.
You can also create a guidebook or brochure to include in your welcome packet to guests. Take the time to research the area, try different things, and ask other people for their opinions. Then, take your research and compile a guidebook or brochure of local recommendations for introverts, extroverts, children, adults, families, couples, etc.
Being Open to Special Requests
You can take special requests to help build a positive experience for guests. Of course, not all guests will have additional requests, but staying open to them allows you to build trust and get good ratings. Guests remember and rave about Airbnb hosts who helped them find specific things, cook certain foods, or make memories by fulfilling special requests.
Most guest special requests, such as baking supplies, extra towels, or bedding, are doable. However, some of them can be outlandish. Always communicate with the guest how much time you’ll need to fulfil a special request and the cost.
Service
The final way to create a positive guest experience at your Airbnb is through having exceptional service.
Providing a Welcoming Atmosphere
Guests at an Airbnb want to feel welcome and appreciated, just like at a hotel. So if they feel as if they’re intruding, they’ll leave and give a negative review.
Create a warm and welcoming atmosphere with the right music, lighting, and scent. These little things make your Airbnb inviting and increase guest satisfaction.
Providing Extra Touches
Add extra touches if you want to be the perfect host. Extra touches make the stay at your Airbnb memorable for guests. Some additional touches to include are:
- Card game collection
- Hair tools
- Fully-stocked kitchen
- Fast Wi-Fi
- Netflix or other subscription services
- Luxury bed linens and towels
- Jacuzzi
- Exercise equipment or gym
- Fireplace
- Grocery shopping coupons
You don’t have to include all of these extra touches. Instead, pick two or three within your budget range that would add to the experience you provide as an Airbnb host.
Creating A Positive Experience for Airbnb Guests – Final Word
The art of hosting well comes down to how well you prepare for your guests, especially as an Airbnb owner. Creating a positive guest experience involves adequate preparation, effective communication, flexibility, and good service.
Your guests want to feel welcome when they stay at your Airbnb. You can make them feel welcome by adding personal touches, remaining accommodating, and replying promptly.
Elevate Your Airbnb With HomeHost
With HomeHost, you can automate messaging and manage all your Airbnb properties from one user-friendly dashboard. If you’re interested in our services or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Talk to HomeHost – call 1300 171 718.
