Items sold in your AirBnB

[Luz688]

What items do you sell in your AirBnB?

[Elisa]

Hi @Luz688 😊, 

Thank you for asking this question here!

What kind of items are you referring to?

I'm sharing this useful guide about 👉How to Master Upselling on Airbnb: Delight Guests & Grow Your Income 🚀

I’m also tagging a few experienced hosts who might be able to guide you further: @Joan2709, @Guy991, @Helen3 and @Patricia2526.

Thank you in advance, everyone.

[Guy991 · Accepted solution]

Hello @Luz688 @Elisa ,

Upselling is interesting, and I wish I knew how to do it well. The problem is that guests often mix the upsell with the accommodation, and for me that risk is too high for a small profit. If the airport driver is late or the chef is bad, the review of the accommodation will suffer, and Airbnb will not remove it.

If you have many listings, offering products might work because even a small margin can add up when you sell a lot. But if you have a single listing and charge an outrageous price for an upsell, it will almost certainly lead to a bad review.

I prefer to keep it simple. I provide my guests with lists of recommended services and make it clear that I am not affiliated.

[Elisa]

Thank you so much @Guy991 for helping this host. 😊

[Luz688]

Good point @Guy991 .

I do list local businesses-- restaurants, grocery stores, laundry services , transportation services in my listing. I have a health and wellness business and thought of offering the Noni Juice as part of the welcome basket with a link  to my website for purchase back home. I would of course not charge for the Noni in the Welcome Basket. I heard another host do something similar. Just a thought.

[Guy991]

Hello @Luz688 ,

Thank you for keeping the topic alive so we can brainstorm more ideas on how to do an upsell, or as you called it, items sold in the Airbnb. I would just add that it’s important to stay within Airbnb’s terms.

What you’re describing with the Juice is amazing. You actually have two products, the accommodation and the juice, and you’re introducing one business through the other. You’re promoting the juice within your Airbnb, which in business terms is called cross marketing, not an upsell.

It’s like if I had a car wash and a restaurant, and I left the restaurant’s business card in every car I washed.

Fantastic idea and definitely something to think about. Timing also matters, since you’re hoping guests will continue buying from you long after their stay, which makes it two distinct businesses.

Cross marketing works much better than an upsell in the Airbnb environment in my opinion.

This is a very interesting direction, and I’ll need to think of more ideas beyond juice that could work the same way.

[Frances3408]

@Luz688 . Nothing. We are not a motel looking to generate more profit by selling a chocolate bar or drinks for 50% more just because they get a late night craving. Beyond what we supply we are happy to promote the local businesses for that and any anticipated needs.

If its artwork you mean, then I wouldnt risk having that around.

Just my 2 cents. 🙂

[ManiKu0]

It’s an amazing idea! I also thought about selling a special juice for hangovers, but it requires investment in machines and manpower. Since we hosts usually operate our listings remotely and already have our own full-time businesses, it’s not always practical.

I’ve also noticed that guests sometimes mix their reviews with unrelated things, even when you offer them good free recommendations. So, I eventually dropped the idea too.

However, it could work perfectly if the host lives nearby or has multiple listed rooms — in that case, opening a small shop to sell hangover juices, bottled water, cold drinks, and light ready-to-eat breakfasts would be a great addition. 

I have seen Thai hosts are very professional, they sell morning breakfasts, home cooked lunch & dinner, all these are doable if Host lives in the same building.