Hospitality

Airbnb Amenities: Feed the sheep like this

Your coolest amenities may need a little guidance

Sound Familiar?

Pesky Problem

Guests don’t know how to engage in your coolest amenity.

When your guests booked online, your standout amenity sealed the booking deal. They saw the hot tub, or the fire pit, or—in this example from our travels—the baby doll sheep, and were hooked.

But now that they’ve actually arrived at your Airbnb, they’re hesitating, thinking to themselves, “So how do I actually enjoy this amenity?” If it’s unclear how to properly turn on the hot tub, or light the fire pit, or interact with the sheep, many guests will refrain, thinking, “Better to miss out than mess up.”

Let's Try This

Bite-Size Solution

Provide sheep grain (or your equivalent first step invitation).

Ok, so maybe you don’t have sheep. But we promise this hosting trick transfers outside the realm of agritourism! When we booked our stay with Erica and Dustin at Oak and Hare Farms, we were most excited to see the baby doll sheep. As soon as we walked in the door, we saw a bag of sheep grain set out for us.

This little gesture validated our excitement and gave us an obvious first step, inviting us to engage with sheep while showing us how to do it properly. We knew exactly how to dive into the farmstay experience without disrespecting our hosts or their farm animals. Offering a little instructional activity like this will make sure your guests get the most out of your Airbnb without disrupting your world.

5 Minutes

Here's Your First Step

Identify your sheep.

Pull up your Airbnb’s online listing and skim through. What is your most unique amenity or feature? What do folks mention most in their reviews? What are your sheep?

Now ask yourself, “What could be intimidating about engaging with that amenity?” As travelers, we’ve had numerous hosts leave helpful nudges for us, showing us how to do all kinds of things: how to find their hiking trail, how to get the wood burning fireplace going, how to enjoy their abundant garden. Ask yourself, “What’s the first step a guest should take to enjoy this?” A little invitation is all guests need to feel like they’ve got permission to go ahead and enjoy the best of your Airbnb. After all, that’s why they booked your place long ago.

INSPIRED BY you

This week’s Big Heart Hosting post was inspired by Erica and Dustin, Airbnb Superhosts in Woodbury, Tennessee, USA. Just click here to explore the full listing.

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