Five Airbnb Amenities to Make Your Vacation Home Stand Out
When co-owning a vacation home, many groups want to maximize their return on investment by renting the property on Airbnb or VRBO. An overwhelming 97 percent of US travelers surveyed by Airbnb say amenities impact their travel experience. Amenities even rank ahead of shopping/dining, location, culture, and family/friends.
When your group considers becoming a host, it’s important to understand what makes a listing on Airbnb and VRBO successful. Today, we’re dishing the most searched for amenities that drive bookings.
Pet-friendly pads
Around 68 percent of US households own a pet. While traveling, most guests want to bring their furry friends with them, making pet-friendly accommodations an Airbnb essential.
While not all hosts can offer a pet-friendly space, if you're able to you'll find growing demand from guests. Guests who travel with their pets will want to know if you have a fenced-in yard or a private patio. They will likely also appreciate food and water bowls, a dog bed, dog toys, and extra cleaning supplies.
Workspaces for remote workers
With hybrid and remote working now the new normal, it’s creating work-life trends such as ‘bleisure,’ or pairing work and leisure. This trend often equates to more and longer bookings. After all, Airbnb has seen the changes reflected in its bookings. More than 20% of nights booked on Airbnb during the second half of 2021 for stays longer than a month!
Make your vacation rental remote work-friendly by including the following amenities:
- Fast wifi – Wifi is one of the most popular amenities Airbnb guests search for, and it’s essential for guests who work remotely. Airbnb allows you to test your wifi speed in the app. If it registers at 50 Mbps or above, your listing will include “fast wifi.”
- Laptop-friendly workspace – Adding a laptop-friendly workspace to your vacation home (and listing) can help you increase your earnings. Place a desk or table near a power source and have a comfortable chair. Sticky notes, pens, and a stapler will add a nice touch.
Your guests will be happy they can stay a little longer without disrupting their work too much.
Private patios or outdoor areas
Many guests want to stay in vacation houses with things to do outside or opportunities to entertain outdoors. Globally, the top amenity guests want in an Airbnb rental is a pool—as long as your vacation home is in the right location and climate. Pools can increase your average daily rate (ADR) and occupancy rate more than any other amenities, but it brings about other considerations. You can charge more but you’ll also need to properly fence the pool area and post safety signs.
In addition to a pool, private outdoor spaces are great offerings for your listing. To get more interest, consider sprucing up the outdoor areas of your space and adding (or updating) the following amenities:
- A hammock
- Patio furniture
- A bbq grill
- And well-groomed landscaping
Fully-stocked kitchens with cookware
One of the clear advantages of renting an Airbnb is offering the comforts of home, like a cozy dining room and a kitchen. Many guests book an Airbnb because they don’t want to go out for every meal. They’d like to prepare a few of their meals while on vacation.
Be sure to supply an assortment of pots and pans in different sizes, along with tableware and cooking utensils. A good rule of thumb is to provide twice the number of glasses, bowls, and plates that accommodate your vacation home’s maximum capacity. If your home sleeps 4, provide 8 plates.
Self-check-in
Think about it: if you are traveling and arriving somewhere exhausted, would you rather be greeted by someone and asked a ton of questions or have time to yourself to unwind and unpack right away?
Airbnb self-check-in is a timesaver for both you and your guests. Many guests, especially those traveling from far away, tend to opt for self-check-in, meaning you’ll show up in more results.
Allow your guests access via a key lockbox, a smart lock, a keypad, or via building staff, such as a doorperson or front desk attendant, to provide flexibility to your guests.
Once you’ve made some updates to your vacation home, update your Airbnb or Vrbo listing description, amenities, and photos. Adding even a few of these highly sought-after amenities will go a long way toward making guests feel more comfortable in your space and keeping your space occupied since you'll show up and stand out in more search results.
Nestment, Inc. does not guarantee and is in no way responsible for the accuracy of information provided in this blog post. All information is provided “AS IS” and with all faults. Data presented here may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. While the information on this site is about legal and tax issues, it is not intended as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for the particularized advice of your own attorney and tax professional.
