BNB STORIES #1

Hi, I’m Semeli, and I’m the latest addition to the Hosthub team! I’m here to offer tips and advice on running your vacation rental – hopefully in a fun and exciting way!

This week I will introduce you to our new BNB STORIES series! This is a series of posts that will try to help vacation rental owners and managers improve their offering, add more value to their listings and offer the best possible experience to their guests at the best possible value for money.

Our first installment of the series is probably the most basic of issues: What are the absolute basic amenities a host should offer to his guests?

Besides being one of the most talked-about topics on discussion groups all over the web, it is also the most important thing an owner should do when he starts renting out his property: Decide what amenities should be included in the base price.

So today we are going to offer a checklist and make sure that all of you, experienced and inexperienced hosts offer what’s necessary to your guests. Listing your property on Airbnb is the easiest thing to do, but not every host is aware at least of the basic amenities they should provide to their guests.

So without further delay, here are the 7 Basic Airbnb Amenities every host needs to offer to their guests:

1. The ‘’must-haves’’, the ones that Airbnb absolutely requires are the following:

• Toilet Paper
• Soap
• Linens/sheets
• At least one towel per booked guest
• At least one pillow per booked guest

2. Cleaning stuff (broom, mop, cleaning liquids)

Apart from the equipment that you are going to offer to the guests just in case something happens and they need to clean, keep in mind that you need to clean between each arrival. The guests expect to see the property they asked for, the one they saw in the pictures. You don’t want to disappoint them by handing out a property that has any sign of dirt or untidiness. If you don’t want to do this on your own you can hire a cleaning service and charge a fee to the guests for the extra cleaning costs.

3. Wifi / Internet Access

Internet access is an absolute given these days. Both business travelers and leisure guests need to get online to research their destination, find places to eat, discover places to visit, upload their photos, and much more… Since most Αirbnb hosts provide it in the default price, it would only harm your reputation if wifi is not included and probably make them choose another host over you.

4. Curtains and Shutters

We have all suffered from daylight when we needed sleep the most. Make sure your property is equipped with shutters or blackout curtains so that your guests can get proper rest and be energized and fresh for their trip the next day.

5. Heating and Cooling

Keeping the right temperature in your home is paramount for an enjoyable guest experience. If you don’t offer air conditioning for the hot summer days and adequate heating for winter, don’t expect your guests to leave you a positive review. Keeping your place at a pleasant temperature all year round is as important as having clean sheets and towels.

6. Hot water

Hot water either for their shower or for simpler needs such as washing the dishes is something you should really consider. If they do not have the opportunity to enjoy a hot shower after a long day because the water is cold, your ratings will be really low and the competition will smash you down.

7. Kitchen equipment

Last but not least, if there is a kitchen in your place you need to provide liquid hand wash, dishwashing liquid, cleaning supplies, kitchen towels, cutlery, and crockery. A kitchen that is not equipped at least with the basics will have a really bad impact on the guests and they are not going to feel as welcome as you’d like.

Apart from all of these, you should be aware that guests sometimes have bad habits. Here you can find the 5 most common ones that are likely to come up right after they use the amenities we mentioned. So what’s better than being prepared even on this topic? Check this out

This is the end of our first BNB Story!

Stay tuned for our next installment in this series that will offer some clever tips and secrets that will help you stand out from the competition without having to empty the bank! If you haven’t done it yet, please subscribe to our newsletter to get all our updates and stories (look in our footer for the form) and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.