A Quick Guide to Giving Your Home Airbnb a Welcoming Hotel Feel

Airbnb is growing in popularity, and can be a tempting way to make some extra money by having people stay in your apartment or house. If you’ve been thinking about turning your humble abode into an Airbnb property ready for guests, you already know to print out a letter for your guests, and provide them with details about your alarm system, parking, and Wifi password.

But how do you get your place ready and give it that welcoming hotel feel?

Here’s a quick guide –

1. Clean. Everything if possible, and just the common areas if you plan to shove all your private stuff in a closet and lock it up with a padlock. Cleaning is the #1 tip in Airbnb’s preparation checklist, and the first thing you’d require if you were staying in someone else’s home.

2. Pay attention to the bathroom. Offer lots of soft, clean towels, a comfortable rug, and travel-sized amenities such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, and a new (still in the package) toothbrush. Fresh rolls of toilet paper, a plunger, air freshener with a light lavender or citrusy aroma and good lighting will also help. An easy-to-use wastebasket right in the bathroom is essential, so that means a tiny can with a lid they have to manually lift off is a no-no.

3. Get a luggage rack. They’ll keep dirty luggage off your beds and couches, and help guests with the unpacking process. You can find luggage racks at Amazon for less than $20, and remember to get a metal one not wood. Bed bugs love wood so if your guests stayed at a hotel where the little critters hitched a ride in their luggage, they’ll be less likely to camp out in your luggage rack if you get a metal one.

4. Set up an area for electronics charging. Many guests travel with multiple devices such as laptops, tablets, phones, cameras, etc. and they’ll be looking for ways to charge them. Bonus points if you actually provide a couple common cords, already plugged in and ready to go. If you don’t provide a handy place for them to charge, you might return home to find several of your lamps unplugged because they used those outlets instead.

5. Provide an extra key. When checking into a hotel, you get asked how many keys you’d like. Your guests will appreciate having a second key that they can use as a back-up.

6. Leave out some fresh flowers. Special guests at a hotel are often greeted by a flower arrangement in the room, along with some fresh fruit or chocolates. The flowers don’t have to be fancy, just something colorful that makes the space feel inviting.

7. Prepare the bedroom. Fresh sheets are necessary, while plumping the pillows is nice but not mandatory. Leaving a bottle of water bedside along with a couple glasses is a nice touch, as are a couple open and empty drawers for guests to use. Don’t go crazy on the perfume either. Each person has their own scent preferences so even if you love something it may cause a guest’s allergies to act up. New slippers are good for guests that may not feel comfortable going barefoot.

8. Check the bedroom curtains for coverage. Can you see any light through them during the day? No? Good. You know how critical a good night’s sleep is, so if the curtains aren’t thick or long enough to do the job, replace them.

9. Make sure your iron works, and that you have an ironing board available. In hotels, guests can make a quick phone call to request their clothes cleaned in a flash. An iron helps keep clothes wrinkle-free.

10. Download the Airbnb app. That way you can respond to requests quickly and get ready to greet them upon arrival.

Is your home an Airbnb property? Can you think of any other great tips to give your home that welcoming hotel feel?