This post may contain affiliate links.
Seems like everybody who’s anybody is jumping on the short-term hosting train these days, but who could blame them? It’s an excellent side gig for creating extra income, and I don’t know anyone in their right mind who doesn’t want that! For me, the best part is being able to welcome travelers into a safe, inviting, memorable space that meets their particular travel needs.
I seriously love hosting.
I have been a host now for almost three years and have been a guest dozens of times. Some of the places I have stayed left me with a cringy, impersonal commercial vibe, while most others made me feel like the host was in it strictly for the income. However, there have been a couple of places that made me feel valued and truly welcome. I strive to model my STR’s after the latter experiences.
With that being said, there are a few things I recommend adding to your STR that mean a lot to your guests. These tips aren’t rocket science. In fact, most of them are minimal on cost, but maximum on intentionality. They show that you love what you’re doing – serving people – and you want them to have a great stay at your property.
Let’s get right to it:
#One | Phone Chargers
There are adapters that allow you to plug in whatever charging cord you want, and those are fine- anything is better than nothing. But the BEST thing to offer is a wireless charger like THIS. Guests can simply lay their phone on the charger without fiddling with their cord or any adapter, and they are good to go!
If nothing else, at least offer an extension cord that makes plugging in a charger simpler for the guest. Whatever it takes to make them more comfortable! Extension cords with a USB port like THIS are super helpful.
#Two | Decor that Speaks
Um, not literally, but offer meaningful decor that didn’t obviously come from Hobby Lobby or Wayfair. You know you can tell when a room was generically decorated just to fill the space.
I recommend searching antique shops for quirky, surprising pieces and Facebook Marketplace for cool used furniture. You never know what you’ll find! Take the photo above of my favorite rental for example. The table, chairs, and dishes were a Facebook Marketplace buy, the coffee creamer caddy was built by a friend, the artwork over the range was a gift, and the orange bowl was an extra I had at home.
I have also had some success with shopping at Etsy for quirky artwork! The photo below was a file I bought and downloaded from Etsy, and then printed on canvas through Easy Canvas Prints. Best Part: the canvas + downloadable file cost me less than $20.
#Three | Welcome Gifts
Raise your hand if you don’t like a welcome gift. Of course you do. Everyone does. These do not have to be expensive, but just enough to say, “Hey! We know you’re tired and probably a little hangry. Here is some trail mix and water, or crackers and wine, or sodas and chips because we don’t want you to starve to death.”
Guests love it. I personally like to leave granola bars, because most people people with food allergies can usually enjoy that without an issue. Water is the most cost effective beverage option, and guests are usually parched when they finally reach their destination so that’s a no brainer.
#Four | Decent Coffee/Tea Selection
Why do some hosts leave a container of cheap ground coffee that is basically dirt dust and think that is sufficient?
Don’t do that.
Spring for a Keurig like THIS ONE or THIS ONE and get on with it. It’s not going to break you and your guests really will appreciate the single serving K cups. After serving over 350 guests, I have had maybe two ask for a regular coffee maker.
The only way you can mess this up is by providing cheap coffee K cups. Get something decent (read: something that would make you happy to drink on a trip/vacay).
I typically provide Donut Shop, HEB coffee varieties, or Green Mountain coffee options as well as tea K cups. During the winter months I will also leave a few hot cocoa or apple cider K cups if I know there are kids in the group.
You don’t have to provide enough coffee for their entire stay. Just enough to get them going. They will either buy their own, or go out for coffee (which they will likely do anyway). This part is up to you, but it makes an impression just to have a decent selection.
Bonus: leave sugar and creamer packets so your guests have the whole shebang at their fingertips!
#Five | Enough Linens for Their Entire Stay
I know some people don’t bathe everyday and that’s totally their prerogative. I still like to leave enough towels and wash cloths for each person for their entire length of their stay, if possible. It’s seriously not a big deal and if you don’t have enough for your guests for a week, then I would suggest investing in more. In my experience with short-term hosting, when I leave an abundance of bath towels and wash cloths most of them are still on the shelf after the guest leaves.
#Six | Good Toilet Paper
This is short-term hosting 101. I want my guests to remember good things about staying at my property. Providing them with good toilet paper is part of that. Cranky guests leave bad reviews.
Give them the good stuff. Give them enough for their entire trip.
#Seven | Your Short-Term Hosting Skills
I cannot stress the point enough. Are you short with your guests? Do you send delayed responses? They can tell if you don’t care about them by the way you answer their questions. Go above and beyond to make sure they know you care about their question/dilemma and you want the best for them.
If a guest is asking for something you can’t or don’t offer, find ways to say no without a short ‘no.’ Be careful not to often say “I’m sorry, we can’t/you can’t/we don’t.” That leaves an unsavory taste in their mouth, and when they think back on the situation they will remember you as the reason they couldn’t have what they wanted. Boo. I try to redirect their attention to something you CAN offer them and that usually does the trick. Help them focus on the positive (like your fantastic hosting skills!), and more times than not everything will be just fine.
Short-term hosting can be incredibly fulfilling, and there are many other amenities we could leave for our guests. I mean, this list could go on and on for dayyyysss. What amenities have you found to be popular with your guests (or to you as a guest)?
Happy hosting!
