Created as an alternative to hotels, Airbnb is one of the most popular companies to emerge in the past decade. Recently, Airbnb hotels popped up alongside the site’s privately owned residences available for rental on the site. This opportunity has allowed hotels to reach Airbnb customers, expanding their customer base and potentially increasing their bookings. If you’re considering listing your hotel on Airbnb, consider the following:
- Is Airbnb right for your hotel?
- Airbnb guidelines for hotel listings
- 5 things to remember when writing an Airbnb hotel listing
- Finding new guests for your Airbnb hotel
Is Airbnb right for your hotel?
As of December 2020, Airbnb had 7.9 million active listings of which 5.9 million had been booked at least once in 2020. Global travel was shuttered by the pandemic, yet these hosts still received revenue from guests booking their spaces.
Airbnb hotel listings allow you to connect with the site’s users, reaching travelers who might have been inaccessible through other hotel and bed and breakfast advertising channels. As of 2021, hotels on Airbnb are limited to boutique hotels and other properties that offer a unique experience. Large, corporate hotels are not eligible to list, but the company may open up to these listings in the future.
Your property should offer a unique customer experience. If there are features that make your hotel more appealing to travelers in your area, consider listing your property. But keep in mind that all Airbnb hotel properties must be licensed and properly zoned. So, before listing, make sure you’re up to code.
Airbnb guidelines for hotel listings
If you operate a corporate franchise hotel or a smaller motel, then an Airbnb listing is not appropriate. The company’s guidelines clearly indicate that your hotel needs to offer an “independent environment and style.”
Airbnb’s guidelines specify that the following features make an ideal site listing:
- A hotel with vivacious gathering spaces or events
- Guest rooms with local or unique characteristics
- High-quality photos
- Accessibility for guests with limited mobility
If you can check off all these guidelines, grab a camera and start creating your listing.
5 things to remember when writing an Airbnb hotel listing
1. Highlight your local area
One of the selling points of Airbnb is that it offers travelers the chance to experience a city like a local. Before boutique hotels were allowed to list on the site, many customers were drawn to properties that let them cook their own meals or easily access local restaurants and attractions.
When you write your listing, highlight what makes your hotel stand out. Play up your location so customers know that they will receive an authentic experience. This hotel listing in Estes Park, Colorado highlights the mountain tranquility known to people who visit this town. The main photo shows off the hotel’s location next to a small creek surrounded by trees.
One of the interior photos shows access to the balcony, which lets visitors relax in a crisp mountain setting.
Maybe your hotel is located in a historic building with stories to tell. Maybe it is in the heart of the city and offers guests access to nightlife and events. Whatever makes you unique, highlight it.
2. Tout your events
Your hotel might offer mixers or other events to patrons. If so, showcase them in your Airbnb listing. One perk of a bed and breakfast is the chance to interact with other guests and to participate in activities.
As a boutique hotel, you can offer guests more than other Airbnb property owners can. If you have office space, happy hour events, or a gym, include them in your listing. Make guests aware of how your hotel is one-of-a-kind, and appeal to their sense of adventure.
Club Quarters, a boutique hotel in New York, posted this listing. Rather than focusing on the room itself, this listing showcases amenities and experiences that guests can expect when staying at the hotel.
3. Include recommendations in your listing
You have expert knowledge of your city. In your listing, add a map with recommended experiences and destinations within walking distance. On Airbnb, you don’t have to include your address. Most listings only show you the general neighborhood of the property then let guests access the location after they book.
But providing a map of your region lets travelers see what might be within walking distance. Sonder St. Helene, a hotel in the French Quarter in New Orleans, includes a map of the French Quarter in its listing. The map features icons showing nearby parks, restaurants, coffee shops, and other locations of interest.
4. Feature intriguing design
If your hotel includes architectural and interior design details that are sleek, sophisticated, or unique, show them off in your listing. Showcasing your style communicates attention to detail, and it serves as a good way to entice customers away from privately owned homes.
The Arc Hotel in Washington, DC has a top-notch listing that follows best practices for an Airbnb hotel listing. The primary photos highlight architectural details in the restaurant and in the hotel rooms themselves. The listing notes the hotel’s proximity to attractions like the National Mall, the Kennedy Center, and the Smithsonian.
Potential guests can see the neighborhood and check out the surroundings online before booking the property. Appealing to young travelers, The Arc Hotel touts its accessible nightlife and proximity to George Washington University.
5. Highlight accessibility features
People with limited mobility can have a hard time booking a hotel, especially in a historic city with old buildings. Airbnb makes it easy to search for accessible rooms. If your hotel offers accessibility features like bathtubs and showers, elevators, wide hallways, ramps, or grab bars, talk about them in your listing, and include photos.
Hotel Bijou in San Francisco has “ADA Queen – Accessible Tub” as its primary headline. This allows a user searching through 300 listings in San Francisco to clearly see that the hotel offers accessibility features, including a tub that meets ADA regulations.
The listing itself tells guests that the hotel was built in 1914, which can be off-putting to a person with limited mobility. Including accessibility features in the heading portrays this hotel as a desirable option.
Finding new guests for your Airbnb hotel
To help you find new guests, Airbnb offers a supplemental marketing channel you can use to reach users who aren’t searching for your property by name or on other hotel booking websites. And, by customizing your listing to the Airbnb customer, you can fill empty rooms more easily.
You know that your hotel offers an unparalleled experience. If your hotel meets the Airbnb hotel guidelines, as well, take some high-quality photos, and start creating your listing.
Highlight what makes your hotel unique, starting with local touches. When writing your listing, showcase your proximity to popular attractions, mass transit, restaurants, and other places of interest. If you offer experiences or amenities that users can’t find in a private listing, play these up in your listing. And, if your hotel has accessible rooms for people with limited mobility, prominently feature this information. Create an Airbnb listing for your hotel and start booking.
