Tips for Hosting Successfully

[Angus-and-David0]

Hi Community

These are some of my tips for hosting. Please note that they are NOT necessarily what other people may like but are things that have assisted myself in hosting and I want to share. Remember, I am NOT telling you what to do!

1. Iron your sheets, including fitted ones if you use them. It gives a professional look and demonstates they are clean. 

2.Try and use white sheets if possible, especially if you line dry them as the sun will keep them nice and bleached.

3. Invest in an electric blanket if you live somewhere that has a cold winter.............

4. Get some tourist information for the local area and leave it for guests.

5. Have a guest directory. Information that contains the FAQ's such as passwords etc.

6. Have a guide to local eating places. Airbnb does have a guidebook attached for hosts to fill in but it is not very user friendly and fiddly for guest to use.

7. Touch base with guest to see if things are ok each day. That way it helps to sort out issues and avoid bad reviews.

8. Don't stress about getting Superhost status........the evidence shows that people will generally book based on your photos, amenities and reviews before superhost status. At least half of my guests were not even aware of Superhost status.

9.Try and be pet friendly......it will pay you dividends..........!!!!

10. If you provide breakfast or food in the listing then try and cater for peoples dietry needs if possible. Are they vegan, lactose free, have any allergies etc? You can't cater for everything/everyone but the simple gesture of asking makes a world of difference to guests.

11. Try and avoid cleaning fees if possible, it is a real put off for guests. Instead, incorporate it into your listing price.

12. Have business cards made up and leave them in and around the listing. Have your Airbnb link on it.

13. Advertise in social media. Instagram is way better than FB and can showcase your listing better. You can also put your Airbnb link on your profile.

14. Read people comments and advice in these discussions rooms but DON'T take it all to seriously. What might be good for one is bad for another. However, there is some great advice on here.

15. Stick to what you believe your listing is worth!!! If you need to check that your price is right then ask the people that matter.....your guests! I am regularly told I should charge more!

16. Offer a 10% discount to returning guests. Tell them on departure to set a good tone. Helps with reviews as well.

17. If you are starting off with a listing and want to go the extra mile, then give guests a bottle of wine on arrival. It makes a huge difference.

18. If possible, try and provide a few biscuits etc for afternoon tea when guest arrive. It makes a huge difference.

19. Clean, clean and clean your listing..............most bad reviews are left because of cleanliness reasons.

20. Iron T towels.....seems silly but looks good. 

I hope that has helped a few people. Please add your own ideas for us but remember the ones listed above a a few of my things and does not mean everyone has to do it.

[Sharon533]

If they are very crushed, just sprinkle a little water on them along with the spray starch.

[Sandra126]

To iron or not to iron: This discussion has been had before on the forum, but worth doing again. I iron, yes it takes time, but it is completely worth it. What nicer thing than to sleep in a bed with ironed linen, and you know the host took the time to do so (or the linen service did). The linen I prefer to use looks awful unironed, I like the highest quality I can find. Also is the best value since I get year after year of constant washing and it wears out very slowly regardless of hundreds of washes.

But other hosts do a fibre mix which doesn't need ironing in the same way, or let it look the way it does straight out of the machine. That is fine too, we all have our own styles. Anything (well, as long as you get the business and the reviews) goes, which is the freedom of your own business.

[Lilly28]

I like ironed sheets as Sandra, and I like best quality sheets as well.

I do not like them to be only white, and I do not think that an airbnb accomodation must look like a hotel. I like sheets with good patterns, esp when they convey relax and love. 

[Sam397]

Thank you for the very good tips Angus. The only one I didnt agree with was the electric blanket I used to use them but removed them soon after. They were always being left on and it made people sweat and there would be sweat stains on the bottom sheet, and people were actually opening the window, then leave it open during the day, then turn the heater up when they got back in the evening. I found using a regular blanket and having extra blankets available worked best.  I 100% agree with the ironing of the sheets, it makes them look a lot better. I found if you take the sheets out of the dryer when they are still damp,  spray a little bit of wrinkle remover on it, then smooth out the wrinkles wirh your hand, let it dry completely(about 15 min with fan on)  smoth out the wrinkles with your hand again and its done, tthey loos like they were pressed. Then you put the next sheet on and repeat the process.. It takes about the same amount of time to do the bed but a lot less time you spend working on it.

I dont think I have ever seen a ironed towell though.

[Sandra126]

Sam, I iron towels as well. Not bath towels, but handtowels (to give them a crisp fold, looks amazing, only takes a second) and certainly the teatowels. I use linen ones, not cotton.  No way you can get away with not ironing them.

[Sarah977]

No way do I iron sheets. They are washed, smoothed out, and line dried. If something looks wrinkled, I might take a iron to it quicky, but when you charge $28/night, you're not going to be spending time ironing sheets, or your profit margin is going to take a big hit. Never had guests complain that the bedding wasn't ironed

Personally I like colored, patterned linen. There's no reason it has to be white, that's just a host preference, to each his own.

And I'd hope any hosts who think an electric blanket is a good idea would also provide normal duvets or blankets. I would never sleep under an electric blanket.

[Sandra126]

Sara, you sleep on top of it. The idea is that you can heat the bed before getting in it so you don't lose your body heat as the bedding steals it from you.  You shouldn't sleep with it on as you will cook.

[Sarah977]

@Sandra126  I wouldn't sleep on top of it, either. 

[Sam397]

@Sandra0,  I have never heard of sleeping on top of an electric blanket,  Its been a lot of years since I had an electric blanket but the one I had couldnt be slept on,  because of the bulkiness of the wires in the blanket it would of been like sleeping on rocks.And if you just use it to warm the bed then turn it off why sleep on top keeping all the heat underneith you, if you sleep under it you have heat under you and on top of you.

[Sandra126]

@Sam397, That is the only electric blanket type I know. Like a fitted sheet. On top you have a normal doona/quilt/whatever you like. No, it isn't like rocks at all. I looked up electric blankets and theres a difference: The fitted ones are called ''blankets'' and you sleep on top, looks like a fitted sheet. The electric ''throws'' are ones you put on top, much smaller, like a normal throw.

What it does is guarantees nobody will be cold regardless. And that's a win for me.

[Sam397]

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@Sandra126 
                       I guess they are called different things in our countries. The kind I am referring to were the older ones and there was just one kind to get and they were called electric blankets. The only time I used one was when I was in high school and didnt like it. Back in the late 90's I recieved one for christmas and never even opened it until last winter when I used it in my BnB house. The older ones had wires running throughout it and had lumps from whatever they connected the wires to. It was not made to sleep on top of but under. It was nice as far as having a warm bed to crawl into but made you sweat no matter how low you set it. They were considered fire hazzards back then  if they were left on, I am sure they have made them safer since then though.

[Sarah977]

@Sam397   They also put out electromagnetic waves and in that respect are not safe to sleep on top of or under.

[Sandra126]

Turning it on is optional. I have a woolen underlay on top of it. Soon will be spring, time to remove!

[Fred13]

I like these threads (no punt intended) for they are so informative how others do things. Iron towels, love it. Sandra if life ever takes me to Australia (again), I am making a beeline to your place; it is the height of nice touches.

[Sandra126]

I am going to add a tip: Have a look at Gordon's listing https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/698606, I just did. He manages to be both tempting AND informative in his choice of pictures, including an FAQ. It is one of the clearest and simplest portrayal of a listing I think I have seen. Couldn't tag him for some reason, but have a look! Well done.