Have you updated your listing recently?

[Liv]

Hi everyone,

As we all know, the vast majority of you have had to pause your hosting activities in the recent months, but many can now start hosting again or at least prepare for it. 🤓

One of the things you may have done to prepare for the recovery is updating your listing. As this is the first point of contact with guests, it’s also a great opportunity for making sure  travellers feel safe and welcome at your place.

I have collected some tips from the Resource Center as well as comments from some of you on the CC below.

• Updating the title of your listing by indicating whether your accommodation is ideal for a vacation or for remote working.
• Highlighting the improvements made to your cleaning protocol in the description of your accommodation to address any concerns.
• If you've made improvements to your accommodation during lockdown, don't forget to upload new photos for your future travellers!

Have you updated your listing recently? What changes have you made to it or what points do you consider to be key during this period?

Thanks,

Liv

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Liv 

Henry and I have made some minor changes to the furniture layout in the shared spaces, and will probably continue to experiment a bit while we are "guest-free". We don't have a lot of space in our apartment for any major changes...... but there have been a few adjustments that I think are for the better - so definitely will need some new photos soon! 

[Liv]

@Jessica-and-Henry0 that's interesting! Are you experimenting with the furniture layout as a way to facilitate social distancing? It'd be great to know more about your insights on this 🙂

[Debra300]

@Liv,

We converted a walk-in closet into a small bedroom in our Atlanta apartment.  Later this month, we plan to paint the main living a lighter color.  Next month, at our guesthouse in St. Lucia, we are going to close the shared guest kitchen and stop laundering our guest's clothing, and install kitchenettes and compact washing machines in the guest suites.

[Liv]

@Debra300 

Good idea! I think that's a great way to continue offering the same amenities to guests and making sure everyone stays safe at the same time 🙂 
Are you thinking about highlighting those changes on the listing's description?

[Debra300]

@Liv,

We created a separate listing for the Atlanta apartment, and linked it with the primary listing.  This allows guests to rent the space with or without the extra bedroom.  After the renovations are done at the guesthouse, we will revise the guest suite listings to highlight that they are self-contained, and the only shared and common areas are the building entrance and wide walkway to their respective rooms.

To reduce the opportunity for soiling/staining of bed linens and bath towels by less tidy guests, we will still provide weekly exchange and laundering of these items, clean them in our large washer that has a sanitizing cycle.

[Ann72]

@Liv  Because I wasn't able to accept guests through the end of June at my house in Maine, I went up there for 6 weeks to do the usual spring things and to get away from New York lockdown.  I replaced the fireplace accessories and got some new bits of furniture for the outdoor spaces, but mostly I worked on the garden.  Being there in the late spring allowed me to bring in new plants and move others around, and most importantly to water them regularly so they could get a good start.  I pulled out all the old heather along a stone terrace and made a rock garden along the edge, found some clumps of daisies in the field and moved them into the perennial border, and worked on training the Dutchman's pipe over the covered walkway.  Doesn't sound too exciting, but guests feel the presence of the invisible hand caring for and maintaining a place, I think.  Once that was all done I realized the lawn looked disgraceful, so that's the project for the fall!  When I go back in early September I'll take some pictures to show how things have progressed.

[Liv]

@Ann72 Nice one!

I think you're right, the homey feel of a place probably is all in the details ✨

I'm also sure your work will be very much appreciated by your future guests.

Looking forward to those pictures, I was about to ask 👀

[Ann72]

@Liv I tried, but they were too big and I had to go to work 😪  Better to wait for the after pictures, though!

[John1902]

I have had to change mine as two of the three rooms had to share a bathroom and post restrictions being lifted, I can only let to one household. So the two rooms that shared a bathroom which are next to each other are now offered all in one listing giving people the flexibility to stay private if they want to with the third still listed but mostly unbooked in favour of the others.  One of the two bedrooms I've combined into one listing is now a flexible space for working or eating or lounging with the TV as I've noticed already that people don't want to go to restaurants so much and are happy to stay in.   I've put my price up and for the first time a cleaning fee as cleaning has gone right up the agenda for everyone. And it looks like this month I'll be taking the same income as last July from just 60% of the stays from last year. I rewrote the listing to go with it as well.