Whether you are creating a guest bedroom for family members who stay over occasionally or you are starting an Airbnb business, there are some best practices to follow. Put yourself in the shoes of your guest and think about what will make them most comfortable during their stay; most of the ideas below will result in a comfortable bedroom and some positive online reviews.
Design Styles
When it comes to creating a guest bedroom with a cellar conversion, there are two options, you can create one that’s neutral and suits a variety of people, or you can make a themed room that has plenty of originality. Both options work when advertising the room on the Airbnb website.
A neutral colour scheme is an excellent choice when creating a guest bedroom; not only is it easy to decorate, but it suits most people – a good thing if you want to start an Airbnb business. That said, a novelty room is also an excellent choice; it helps to market the business online.
Comfortable Bed
If your guests have a comfortable night’s sleep, they will leave you a positive review encouraging more people to choose your Airbnb for their local excursions. On the other hand, sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress will only create dissatisfied customers and bad reviews.
Of course, the best idea is to buy a new mattress for the room, one that meets your personal standards and requirements, but if a new mattress is out of your price range, you can buy a quality used one instead. An air mattress is also a good choice; it’s comfortable and affordable.
Suitcase Space
Suitcase space is quite important in a guest bedroom. Putting the suitcase on the bed is usually the most convenient option, but a lot of people don’t like this; a suitcase has been outside and stored in luggage holds, it can make the bed unclean and lead to a poor customer experience.
On the other hand, a luggage rack or small table or bench is a convenient way to mount the suitcase and find what you need without unpacking. Remember, most guests will only stay in your home for a night or two and don’t tend to unpack, so a luggage rack is a helpful option.
Clutter Free
Make your guest room hotel quality, and you will have plenty of five-star reviews and repeat business. Clutter is stressful and unsightly; it’s the last thing people want to encounter when staying in a place for a short break, so make sure everything has a place and is stored neatly.
Most of the time, a spare guest bedroom exists in a family home, and there’s a temptation to store items in the extra space, but it’s better to treat the spare room as a business and keep it clean and tidy. Under-the-bed storage boxes are useful, and so too, are additional storage units.
Temperature Control
Make sure our guests have the best possible night’s sleep with suitable temperature control. Everyone is different. Some people need the bedroom to be toasty warm during the night, while others prefer it cool. If they don’t have some control over temperature, they might not sleep well.
Temperature control can mean a thermostat; it can also mean curtains, bedding, and hot water bottles. Whether you have a thermostat in the room or not, make sure you have a window that opens and closes and some curtains that provide excellent insulation during the winter months.
Sitting Space
When people come to visit a new area, they spend more time out of the room than in it; but they will return to the room now and again to rest and get their bearings. Although sleeping is the main purpose of the guest bedroom, it also needs to accommodate them during their downtime.
Put one or two chairs in the room and a table if there is enough space. Try to make the chairs as comfortable as possible, but basic ones are fine if it’s a basic bedroom. An upholstered chair or a side chair with a lamp is a nice option; it gives your guest somewhere to sit and read as well.
Refreshments
Everybody loves a cup of tea in the morning, so make sure your guests have a kettle, some mugs, options for tea and coffee, and a selection of milk. Remember, a lot of people have dietary requirements these days, so ordinary cow’s milk isn’t the universal option it once was.
In the interests of keeping your guests happy and getting those sparkling five-star reviews, offer them a choice of black tea, green tea, herbal tea, and coffee. A mini fridge is also worth investing in to improve the overall experience. Also, include a jug of fresh water and glasses.
Spare Keys
Your guests need to be able to come and go happily and easily, so make sure they have a set of spare keys. Surprisingly, not every Airbnb has a spare set of keys, depending on the building and set-up; guests might have to ring the doorbell or come home at a certain time to get back in.
A curfew such as this might be unavoidable in some cases, but it’s an unsatisfactory way to spend time in a new place. It’s much better is people can come and go as they please, so adapt your home and spare bedroom to accommodate guests and have spare keys or cards made up.
Local Information
It helps if your guest has access to local information. Chances are, the guest already has an idea of what they want to do in the area; they might want to go hill walking, shopping, or visit a historical site. Still, it’s a nice idea to have some extra information for activities in the local area.
Nowadays, everyone has a smartphone with Google Maps, but a hardcopy map of the area can still be helpful to look at in the guest bedroom. Why not collect flyers from the local areas with information about the museums, restaurants, and local nightlife giving guest plenty of options?
*This is a collaborative post
