What makes an Airbnb successful?

First Impressions. As simple as it may seem, friendliness is a distinguishing factor for Airbnb hosts . Successful hosts are often those who are able to imagine themselves as a guest, and it's a good idea to reply quickly and pleasantly to all guest queries, which creates a better rapport and connection.

What happened to Samantha Brown's travel?

In the summer of 2017, Brown left the Travel Channel and later started filming a new series for PBS, Samantha Brown's Places to Love.

What does Samantha Brown do now?

She's since also hosted Girl Meets Hawaii, Great Hotels, Passport to Europe, Passport to Latin America, Great Weekends, Green Getaways, Passport to China, and Samantha Brown's Asia. In January 2018, she began hosting and producing Samantha Brown's Places to Love on PBS.

Does Samantha Brown have twins?

Now that the twins have arrived, you'll be seeing Ellis and Elizabeth here on the website from time to time.

What station is Samantha Brown on?

Samantha Brown's Places to Love | PBS .

Is owning an Airbnb profitable?

In short: absolutely. Looking forward, the vacation rental industry is predicted to grow even more in the upcoming years. Hosting can be a profitable business with proper prep work and an understanding of how to budget your start-up costs .

How do I make my Airbnb experience successful?

The first step to hosting an Airbnb Experience is identifying your unique skills, knowledge, or passion . This could be anything from cooking to painting, hiking, history, or even storytelling. Think about what you love doing, what you're good at, and what you think others might enjoy learning from you.

How do Airbnb owners make money?

Airbnb lets you generate passive income from your home or spare room . Being an Airbnb host involves listing your property on its platform, which handles bookings and communications with guests. Hosts are paid out based on guest stays. Guests often find Airbnb is cheaper, has more character, and is homier than hotels.

How do you know if your Airbnb will be successful?

Try a few tests to see if there's a market for you to profit from: Look at similar properties and check their Airbnb occupancy rate . Review their prices per night and guests and multiply by their occupancy rate. Get a third-party service like AirDNA or Jetstream to get an estimate of your yearly revenue.

9 Tips to Make Your AirBnB Stay Successful - Samantha Brown's Places to Love (2024)

I love a good hotel, but sometimes I find the experience limiting. However, renting from a private owner isn’t without its foibles. How do you know the photos will live up to reality? How can you tell if you’re dealing with a legit, honest person or a crazed scammer? And what if the place is infested with mice and smells like stale Virginia Slims?

Never fear, here’s a few ways to ensure your AirBnB stay is a success.

1. Big Names (like AirBnB) Count

When it comes to vacation property rentals, go with a reputable company. What I love about companies like Homeaway and AirBnB is the fact that they make payment much more secure. For example, AirBnB serves as a buffer between host and guest, handling all the money. Your host doesn’t get paid until 24-hours after your reservation starts. That means if something is truly amiss, you can contact AirBnB for a refund. HomeAway offers their bookings with confidence guarantee for no additional fee. Also, rest assured that with these larger companies, your credit card information is secure (or as secure as it possibly can be).

Of course, you still need to be sensible about advance payments. The rule of thumb? Paying someone you don’t know or trust with cash or an equivalent, like PayPal or Western Union, is a big risk. If something sketchy happens, a credit card leaves you with a trail as well as recourse to get your money back.

2. Read the Entire Listing & Ask Questions

Make sure the space, house rules, and hosting style match your needs. Sure the apartment can sleep 10 people, but how many in bedrooms versus couches? Will the owner (or another contact) be reachable and in the area should something go wrong? Is the neighborhood safe to walk around, and just how close is the nearest business district? You might also want to ask about potential hazards: I have a friend who recently stayed at a property that could only be accessed by steep outdoor stairs. It was fine for her and her husband, but maybe not so great for older couples, or people traveling with kids.

3. Isthe Property Accurately Depicted?

It’s not always easy to tell, but here’s a few ways to tell if the property is especially legit. AirBnB often sends professional photographers to snap images of properties. If you’re a glass half-empty kind of person, that might mean the images look better than real life. However, if you’re a glass half-full type, that means a representative of the company physically went to this property and verified it themselves. They’ve taken time to personally look at and document the space.

For extra security, look to see if the booking site has given any sort of status for the property. For example, Airbnb has a “superhost” status. That way, you know that the host of the property has a minimum standard they’ve met.

4. Don’t Get Too Attached

You found the perfect property! Before you start envisioning yourself cooking in the spectacular gourmet kitchen, double-check that the place is indeed available. Just because the website’s calendar says the property open doesn’t mean it really is. This happened to me twice this summer, where the booking site said a great house was available for my dates, but after emailing with the owner I found out they hadn’t updated the calendar and we had to go elsewhere. Buzzkill!

5. Extra Fees

Your place may change extra for additional guests, pets, excessive utility use or a cleaning fee. Ask about what expenses aren’t included in the nightly rate. Some of these may be negotiable, some not. But before you get worked up about a $200 cleaning charge, keep in mind that probably means the place was professionally cleaned before your arrival, which is always a good thing.

6. Read the Reviews

Really, really read all of them. Some people are complainers by nature and will never be satisfied with anything; others will likely sugarcoat everything. But in general, you should start to see patterns in the reviews of an AirBnB or VRBO rental. If many people say the bathroom was dirty, guess what? The bathroom is probably dirty. If a lot of people comment on how great the location is (and by the way, they have really excellent coffee included in the kitchen)? It’s probably great option.

7. Remember, this is not a hotel.

You’re booking a home for the flexibility, more authentic local experience and in many cases, to save cashola. So remember it’s not the hosts job to be your concierge, reservation desk and housekeeping services. It’s rude to expect them to sit around all afternoon, waiting for you to show up, so be courteous and communicate any delays in arrival. Also, if the amenities aren’t exactly to your liking, understand it’s a tradeoff. If you need turndown service, daily maid service or spa-quality shampoo and conditioner, maybe you are better off staying in a hotel. Things aren’t going to be perfect, and if you keep an open mind, that’s no big thing. Embrace the uniqueness of the experience.

8. You’re being rated as well.

In my rock and roll days, I trashed plenty of hotel rooms. Okay, not really. But there’s a big difference between being an annoying guest in a hotel versus an AirBnB. You are staying in someone’s home, so be courteous. Take care of the property with the same regard you’d expect at your own place. No parties without asking first. If you break something, say something. And don’t leave a big mess behind. You get to review and rate the property, but your hosts will also be rating you—meaning any future home rental opportunities are informed by what a great (or obnoxious) guest you’ve been in the past.

9. Trust Your Gut.

Something seem…. off? Then it probably is. Why take a risk and ruin your entire vacation? If your hosts takes too long to respond, doesn’t answer questions in a straightforward manner or expects you to pay in cash or do anything you’re not comfortable with, walk away. Vacations are supposed to be fun, not overly stressful.

And speaking of overly stressful… sure, renting a house might save you money. But it is really what you want out of a vacation? A hotel near some great dining options (especially ones that offer takeaway!) might be more of what you’re actually looking for. Is it really a vacation if you’re still cooking and cleaning up after everyone? Sometimes I am cool with that, other times I want to fully relax. What’s right for you is 100 percent your call!

What are your thoughts on vacation home rentals? Share in the comments!