Top Airbnb Guest Wants 2024
You’ve heard it from us before, and we’ll keep saying that the Airbnb game is not going away despite what you might be hearing. Now that being said we do believe that 2024 will be a trying year for many vacation rental owners. Why? Well, simply put in our humble opinion many Airbnb owners have outright become lax in their approach to vacation rentals. You see, when Airbnb came on the scene at first owners just created a listing, took a few photos on their own, and off to the races they went. Now that certainly worked for a while, and one of the reasons being that it provided an affordable alternative to hotel options. Many properties also had a distinct advantage over hotel rooms, which was that they automatically provided a cozier less sterile environment that reminded guests of home. And moreover, many were also able to house larger groups and offer conveniences like parking and backyards that could accommodate more easily bringing fido along. It just made sense for longer stays and it worked. Well that is until many, many more hosts entered the Airbnb world, and the market began to saturate in many areas. Currently what we are seeing is both competition from so many Airbnb options and the need to stand out, and also competition from hotels and the need to have a hospitality first approach. Both of these facts mean that it is becoming increasingly harder in many markets to make the same returns that once came easily, and thus it becomes essential understand exactly why guests choose Airbnbs over a traditional hotel, and what amenities they seek. It is also important to understand how to stand out on the platform, and we still stand by our top tips for a standing out Airbnb, which you can peek at below:
Focus on Design
Standing out on Airbnb starts with not just good but great design, that will capture your audience as they scroll for properties. Properties that are expertly outfitted, on trend, and renovated always perform better.
Add Amenities
One of the easiest ways to up the guest experience is by adding special little touches. Things like beach towels, bikes, board games, or a charcuterie board on arrival, all give your guests a reason to book with you.
Be Unique
How can you create and market a distinct advantage? Can you add a sauna, offer a local experience inclusion like kayak rentals, or incorporate a game room? All of these give you an upper advantage over the competition. Bonus if the property is in a unique setting like on a lake, near a national park, or has unique architecture like a yurt, tree house or airstream.
And one way that you can hit all of those in one swoop is by offering what guests are most looking for in 2024. So, here’s our list, let us know if you have any additions.
Top Airbnb Guest Wants 2024
What amenities guests most look for when renting:
Reliable Wifi
Kitchen
Parking
Pet friendly
Family friendly
Washer/ Dryer
Private entrance
Self-check in capability
Dedicated work space
Tv with cable (streaming capability)
Each of the above are determined by the most used search filters that guests use to seek out properties with the amenities desired. So, it is also essential to ensure that you clearly list each item that you have in your listing. Be sure to be specific and clear to name even the type of amenity. For example, instead of just listing tv include the size and model. List off all kitchen utensils that are stocked in your kitchen, all pet amenities like bowls, bed with size, you get the idea. The more specific the easier it will be for the guest to search your property and determine if it is a fit, and of course the more amenities that you are able to provide, the greater a pool of potential guests for your property. One other tip we’ve seen is hosts providing detailed pictures of the space like providing the inside of a kitchen drawer to showcase the utensils provided. These pictures make it very easy for a guest to determine what is provided and what they might need to bring. We also like to include a list of our inclusions in our welcome guide that is automatically emailed prior to each guest’s stay. And stay tuned for our upcoming post on how to go beyond just the essentials and really outfit your Airbnb, we’ll be back with that info soon. Until then, we’d love to hear from you, what amenities are you looking for this year, and if you are a host, what amenities have increased your guest occupancy?