Interior Design

The Most Common Luxury Airbnb Mistake

Even the fanciest Airbnbs have blindspots

Sound Familiar?

Pesky Problem

You’re marketing a luxury Airbnb, but you’ve got basic blindspots.

It was one of the most expensive Airbnbs we had ever booked, and when we walked in the door, we were, as expected, just smitten with the space. We were surrounded by over-the-top luxury wherever we looked: the multiple fireplaces, the soaking tub, the TVs, the king size bed, the wrap-around porch.

Our floating-on-air lasted for several hours until the first shower, when we realized that there was no shampoo. Just a single bar of soap in the entire place. The luxury bubble popped and we ended up at the local drugstore buying the hotel trilogy—shampoo, conditioner, and hand lotion—for the remainder of our trip.

Let's Try This

Bite-Size Solution

Focus on the essential amenities first, and build up from there.

There were a thousand fabulous things about this place, and we had a lovely trip. But there were also more than a few obvious amenity blindspots we bumped into during our stay. And given the trip’s price tag, the blunders felt amplified. It was as if the host had focused so hard on creating a luxury Airbnb, that all the effort had gone into the most lavish amenities, while the basics had been overlooked.

The trick to creating a luxury Airbnb is to create an outstanding basic Airbnb first. Luxury can always be the lens—luxurious shampoo, luxurious coffee, luxurious linens—but attention should go first and foremost into creating a thorough foundation just like any other Airbnb. From there, the more extravagant amenities can be layered on top.

When guests drop a sizable investment on an Airbnb experience intentionally marketed as upscale, they bring understandably higher expectations with them. The willingness to overlook amenity blindspots diminishes as the price goes up.

Ultimately, luxury doesn’t just mean extravagant or sumptuous. It also means carefree. A sense that all your potential needs have been anticipated. The goal of a luxury Airbnb is to have guests leaving thinking: Those were the best amenities ever! I had everything I could have possibly needed for my stay. Not: So…should we take our shampoo with us or leave it for the next guest?

5 Minutes

Here's Your First Step

Start by being a guest in your own Airbnb.

We love this recommendation, and give it to hosts often: go vacation in your own Airbnb and be your own guest. Nothing will unearth amenity blindspots faster. Before you go, remember to review your listing carefully. This will ensure that all the promises you make to your guests are front of mind as you enter your space. When you find blindspots, which you will, just jot them down and get them fixed before your next guests show up.

Be Your Own Airbnb Guest

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Interior Design

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bye-bye blindspots

The Ultimate Airbnb Checklist Collection

The number one question we hear from hosts is “What am I forgetting to put in my Airbnb?” This collection is the definitive answer to that question. In our signature product, we go room-by-room, step-by-step until your Airbnb is perfectly appointed and ready to impress. Bye-bye blindspots and hello happy guests!

free checklist!

Even the best hosts can forget a thing or two

Luckily all 15 of these common mistakes are super easy to fix. Grab your copy of the checklist below and dive on in!

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You’re an ambitious Airbnb host with a big heart. But on some days, hosting isn’t exactly what you had imagined. Maybe it’s overwhelming. Or isolating. Or just not making the kind of money you had envisioned. At Big Heart Hosting, we’re on a mission to help hosts like you thrive, not just get by. We create step-by-step resources that bring together the best hosting strategies from around the world. We’ll give you the knowledge and community you need to create the joyful, prosperous Airbnb you deserve.

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