Today’s Host Thought

[Rajat41]

Every great Airbnb stay starts before the guest arrives.

Clear photos, honest descriptions, quick replies, and small personal touches do more for your ranking than any discount ever will. Guests remember how you made them feel—comforted, welcomed, and understood.

👉 Question for hosts:

What’s one small thing you do that guests always mention in reviews?

[Bhumika]

That's a great approach @Snehal1 ! 

[Mohideen0]

@Rajat41 

For me, it is the arrival experience and communication before check in. Clear instructions, quick replies, and a small welcome touch like water, tea/coffee, or a simple note  help guests feel relaxed from the moment they arrive.

I also send a polite check-out message thanking them for their stay and inviting feedback. Guests often mention how easy, comfortable, and well thought-out everything felt and that usually reflects in the reviews too.

[Rajat41]

Yes welcome always be very important for guest and host too

[Bhumika]

Hi @Mohideen0 , thank you for sharing your process! Clear communication and small gestures during guest arrival can make a great difference in a guest's stay💯 . I also like that you also share a check-out message with guests after they leave and ask for feedback.

Have you noticed that due to the check-out message, guests actively review their stay or tend to leave more positive reviews?

[Mohideen0]

Hello @Bhumika

Thank you for your message and humble apologies for the delay in responding to your message. 

I usually thank them for staying, mention that it was a pleasure hosting them, and say I’ve left them a review as well. That small gesture often encourages reciprocity.

I’ve also found that when communication throughout the stay is smooth, the checkout message simply reinforces the positive experience and that tends to result in more detailed and positive reviews.

It’s a small step, but it really helps build consistency in feedback and visibility.

[Bhumika]

No worries @Mohideen0, and these are great tips! Do you ever get replies to your checkout messages, or do guests mostly just leave reviews?

[Catherine3665]

Greetings All, 

Our accommodation is quite simple - A studio space with kitchenette- We purchased our home in July 2024 with the airbnb already running- after changing the decor and making some simple upgrades we have continued to offer through airbnb. Our biggest asset is the in-ground pool -so having all of the outdoor comforts during the pool season is important for our guests. 

We include only chemical free cleaning and personal care items , we home roast and grind coffee -enough for a full french press each morning of the stay.

In our first few months we had great reviews with private suggestions for additions that would make the space 'better' - we acted on each of these - in year two we had great reviews and most guests were very happy with their stay - although i did notice that there were a few reviews that gave us '4' on our value for money- I try to keep an eye on comparables and feel that I am within the correct pricing there. 

I keep the interior simply decorated -no clutter, good artwork that highlights local artists and/or our Chesapeake Bay region and environment- a few books of the same ilk

Every few months I assess for changes that would keep things simple but improve comfort level for guests - Before our high season begins we will be adding additional hanging space for clothing, adding a closed locked cabinet to the utility area to hide 'maintenance' supplies from guests and also add additional shelving in the kitchen to free up counter space for food prep. I am also upgrading our 'house book' -which i didn't include last summer - but after we stayed at a few airbnb spots ourselves in 2025 we really saw some good examples of optimizing that feature for our guests - 

New pool floats, adirondack loungers and new pool towels will be in place as well.  

I didn't do too much to promote our space over the winter season - I miss the income AND also do not miss the cleaning and work of keeping things guest ready - I am hoping for a very good summer season like we had last year! 

I should also say that my husband and I both work full time jobs in the non-profit sector so the airbnb is in addition to that - we do block off one or two weekends each summer to ensure that we get to enjoy our own space and invite our own friends without worrying about disturbing airbnb guests. 

wishing everyone a great 2026 season!

[Rajat41]

That's a very knowledge full reply Catherine, really appreciate it just curious to know when will you block again, so that we also can enjoy your friends company in your beautiful Airbnb..

[Bhumika]

Hi @Catherine3665 , thanks for sharing these wonderful insights! Constructive guest feedback can be so valuable to shape the listing 💯

Working full time and being a full time host can be indeed challenging when it comes to handling guest queries along with office work. As things can be overwhelming during busy times, have you thought to add a co-host to your listing?

[Caroline2213]

Many of my guests comment on my spot on communication.  I pride myself in getting back to my guests within minutes or seconds.  

[Rajat41]

And I am pretty sure they will get back to you at same speed..😀

[Bhumika]

Hi @Caroline2213 , that is so impressive! Good communication is really important and I am sure your guests appreciate your attentiveness and approachability. Do they often mention it in the reviews as well?

Do you have any tools or tips that help you stay on top of messages from guests so you can answer them quickly? May be FAQs , quick replies or so~

[Alessandra1440]

Hi Rishikesh! I agree with you! I think that a great check in experience is key: being friendly, smiling, helpful and sincere. I really enjoy meeting new people and they can feel I'm genuine!

[Rajat41]

Indeed, first impression is last impression 

[Bhumika]

Hi @Alessandra1440 , I totally agree that a warm and friendly welcome is a great way to get guests started with their stay.  

Do you leave somewhere near your listing? While I know most hosts prefer a remote check-in, do you often meet and greet your guests on arrival and show them around?