Hello everyone,
The peak travel season can get hectic, right? More bookings mean more guest questions, more check-ins, more supplies, and tighter cleaning schedules.
Successful hosts have developed a number of clever strategies for handling the rush of seasonal traffic while still creating fantastic guest experiences. That’s why we went straight to the experts to get the best tips on staying organized and efficient during the busiest times of year. Here’s some of the smartest advice offered by hosts in the Community Center.
Stock up on supplies
Before your high season even arrives, stock up on extra cleaning supplies and amenities, and consider investing in extra linens and bath towels. That will be one less thing to worry about as you’re juggling guest needs. Filling your pantry in advance also provides you the opportunity to buy in bulk and save money.
Recycle guest messages
Guests often ask the same questions, so creating standard responses will save you a lot of time. Rather than typing out a new answer to a common question, you can reuse a response that you’ve already provided to a different guest.
To make it even simpler, you can save or edit a message from directly in the messaging stream:
- Click Use a saved message to open a pop-up window.
- Then click Save a new message, which adds the message to your library.
- Click Edit saved messages to browse all of your saved messages.
- Finally, click and edit the message that you want to send.
Sync your calendars
Keeping track of guest arrivals and departures alongside all the other things happening in your life gets even more complicated during busy season, especially if you’re keeping separate calendars. Avoid scheduling mishaps by syncing your Airbnb calendar with any other program that uses the iCalendar format, including Google calendar or the calendar on other home-sharing sites, such as HomeAway or VRBO. Learn how to sync your calendars here.
Create cleaning kits
Keep all of the cleaning supplies you might need for each room in a separate, ready-to-grab bag or bucket. For example, your bathroom cleaning kit might include rags, glass cleaner, and scrubbing powder while your kitchen kit might contain all those things plus dish soap and floor polish. This ensures you have everything you need to clean a room quickly, without having to rummage through a bunch of extra supplies or carry unneeded ones from room to room.
Streamline linen management
Having a few extra sets of linens available is the first step to a speedy turnaround between guest arrivals. A laundry service, if available, is also recommended as a lifesaver by many hosts. Other tricks include marking a corner of each bed linen set to indicate the size, room, or bed so you always know you have the right ones. If you prefer smooth sheets, you can save time on ironing by using a travel steamer while making up the bed or spritzing with linen spray and smoothing with your hands.
Do you have tips to offer other hosts for surviving a busy season?
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