How often do you skim Airbnb listings? If you’re the typical host, maybe not very much unless you’re looking for a place to stay for yourself. We wouldn’t call this lack of looking “bad,” but we do think you’re missing out on a big opportunity to improve your own Airbnb listing.
By checking out popular listings from around the globe, you can see how other hosts have become successful and begin to implement those strategies for your own vacation rental. From decorating aesthetic and home features to specialized descriptions to using social media and everything in between, there’s a lot to learn from other listings.
Here are 2 Airbnb listings we love for their individuality and a few things we think make their hosts a cut above the rest.
1. The Joshua Tree House – Joshua Tree, California
Every great vacation rental has some kind of quality that makes it unique. The Joshua Tree House in Joshua Tree, California, has a number of incredible features that elevate it over other listings in the area. One of our favorites, though, are the super cool hanging swings in the living room.
The space is a glamping paradise with its wood-burning fireplace, trendy painted cement floor, threadbare Oriental area rug, and leather sofa. The swings give the house an additional, Instagrammable touch.
Why the Listing Is a Winner
The Joshua Tree House’s hosts, Sara and Rich, have a killer listing description and, aside from how cool the actual house is, the honesty of their listing is another important feature that sets the vacation rental apart from others:
- The house has its own dedicated Instagram account. Sara and Rich have set up an Instagram account (@thejoshuatreehouse) and tag all photos of their home with a matching hashtag. Their Insta game is top-notch, too.
- The hosts are honest about the noise level, among other things. Sara and Rich are honest about where their home is located in town and that there may be more noise than what some guests might like. They even offer a suggestion for another listing for guests who are hoping for complete silence. They also mention specifics about the house and what is expected of guests.
- They give details about check-in and ease of contact. Oftentimes, guests want to know how easy the hosts will be to contact and what to expect for check-in before they book. Sara and Rich give them all the information they might be wondering about, plus a little more.
There’s a lot worth copying from this listing.
2. **CENTRAL** Comfy Artist’s Home – London, England
You might be tempted to write this listing off because it’s for a single, private room in a London flat rather than an entire home rental, but you’d be wrong to do so! As the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover.
This quaint little flat in London catches guests’ eye thanks to its specialized decor. The host made her space inviting with antiques and lots of wall art. She’s chosen warm paint colors to brighten her home and fills much of the flat’s space, making it feel even more like a special showplace.
Why the Listing Is a Winner
The comfy artist, Tessa, has done a lot to make her place an eclectic, one-of-a-kind vacation rental. Like Sara and Rich, the Joshua Tree house hosts, she tries to give as much information as possible within the somewhat limiting description headers.
- Tessa’s description utilizes additional capitalized headings to separate sections for clarity. Tessa breaks up her description beyond the automatically bolded sections to make it easier to skim for those guests who are looking for specific information. How? By capitalizing text to serve as additional “headers.”
We’re big fans of this because it gives hosts a better snapshot of what to expect during their stay.
They say “imitation is the best form of flattery.” We think the saying rings true with vacation rental listings, too! When you see a host who’s killing it, study their methods and replicate them in your own place and description. By emulating other successful hosts, you get one step closer to being the successful host you’ve always wanted to be.
