With the holiday season quickly approaching, it’s time to start preparing your Airbnb holiday rental for guests! Airbnb holidays are the perfect time to maximize profits and earn great reviews. Many guests take advantage of the various holidays throughout the year and travel to new destinations. Holiday travel should be seen as a joyous time for both you and your guests.
Read on for some great guidelines to follow throughout the year. In this article, you’ll find all the strategies to help you make the most out of your Airbnb holiday rental!
Block Out Your Airbnb Calendar
As an Airbnb host you must stay in the know for what is going on in the world around you. This includes any holidays that are approaching in the upcoming months. It is important to view these holiday events from the eyes of your guests. You may or may not celebrate all of the dates we are going to talk about and that is ok! Remember, that our guests come from all sorts of backgrounds. This is the beauty of Airbnb as discussed in the article “5 Favorite things about Airbnb Hosting“.
Always review the calendar to see which holidays are approaching. It is recommended that you block out these dates as to not set the same pricing as you would during a non-holiday period. This is especially true if you have the Smart Pricing feature turned on. Keep on top of things in your personal calendar as well. Be cognizant if you have upcoming plans that could impact the availability of your rental. You’re going to want to look at your calendar in advance by at least a few months. This way, you can block out any dates around the holidays that you won’t be able to host guests. Remember that when it comes to holiday travel, guests often make reservations months in advance. You’ll definitely want to be on top of things. Be sure to plan accordingly in order to take advantage of Airbnb holidays!
Adjust Airbnb Prices
With holiday travel comes amazing opportunities to earn more on Airbnb! As the holidays approach, be sure to check out the competition in the area to see what they have planned. For more information about reviewing your competition you may read “Airbnb Pricing: How to set your Best Strategy“. Oftentimes, you will be able to raise your prices during holiday travel. In many locations there’s more demand for Airbnb properties around holidays. But remember that you still want to be competitive with other listings and hotels in the area! Every area has their own unique demand during the holidays. Be sure to review all holidays far in advance to fully take advantage of holiday travel for your holiday rental.
Airbnb Titles, Descriptions, and Photos
It takes a little extra effort, but making the time to update your holiday rental title, description, and photos is absolutely worth it. This is your chance to really make your property shine and stand out!
To write up the perfect description, consider what makes your property special. Is it close to holiday vacation events like fireworks and festivals? Does it have a beautiful view of the Christmas lights in the city? Do you have a huge dining room table perfect for hosting Thanksgiving vacation dinner? What about a grill for the family to use on the 4th of July? Also, add in any special holiday events in your area. Does your neighborhood boast amazing Christmas Lights? Is there a fantastic 4th of July Parade every year that you would recommend to guests? Consider what may make their holiday vacation special.
As you can see, it’s easy to modify your Airbnb holiday rental title and description to entice customers to stay there during holiday vacation. Additionally, take some new photos showcasing your holiday rental’s festive decor! This way, your guests will truly be able to picture themselves spending Thanksgiving vacation or Airbnb Christmas at your listing.
Airbnb Guests Love Decorations
Create a memorable experience for your guests by decorating for the holidays! A few simple touches can make a huge difference to the atmosphere of your property. Here are some fun décor ideas for the top holidays on Airbnb.
Thanksgiving at your Airbnb
Fall scented candles or wax melts and autumn-themed decorations will create a warm and cozy feel. Add some comfy throw pillows and blankets, and don’t forget to stock the kitchen! It’s a good idea to provide all the supplies guests will need to cook a standard turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.
It’s also wise to chat with your guests when they check in. You can tell them about the cooking supplies you have and ask if they have any other requests. If they share their plans with you, you’ll be able to go that extra mile to help everything go smoothly. You could even enjoy Thanksgiving dinner together!
Remember that holiday travel can be stressful, and stores often close early on Thanksgiving. Providing toiletries that are often forgotten, like cotton balls and toothbrushes, is a wonderful way to take some stress off your guests and earn great reviews.
Christmas at your Airbnb
For many people, Christmas is the most important holiday of the year. Giving your property some Airbnb Christmas spirit is the perfect way to create a fun and memorable experience for your guests. Hang up a few stockings, put up a small Christmas tree, and provide hot cocoa.
Other holidays and special events around the Christmas season include:
- Diwali, which takes place in October or November of each year
- Hanukkah, in late November or early December of each year
- Kwanzaa, which takes place from December 26th to January 1st each year
It’s a great idea to get into the holiday spirit and really embrace any special events that are celebrated in your area. Do some research to learn about the tourist attractions and events taking place locally. Being festive and engaging with the community draws in more guests. It also provides them with the perfect setting to make lifelong memories!
New Year’s at your Airbnb
New Year’s Eve is one of Airbnb’s most highly booked nights of the year! Because of this, you’ll definitely want to plan for it in advance. Make sure to adjust prices and block out any dates you won’t be able to host guests. This way you can avoid any scheduling problems and maximize profits.
Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day at your Airbnb
For these holidays, you’ll want to put up some fun patriotic decorations with pops of red, white, and blue. Leave a list of local fireworks suggestions as well. Oftentimes, families enjoy getting away together for these holiday vacations. Because of this, it’s a great idea to provide family-friendly items such as board games.
Welcome Gifts for Airbnb Guests
A welcome basket paired with a binder of flyers for local events is always a great choice. Especially around holiday vacation, it’s great to let guests know about exciting activities in the area. During Airbnb holidays, you can truly go the extra mile for your guests by purchasing small gifts for them. These are sure to win you some happy customers and positive reviews!
- Thanksgiving: Provide a fun and tasty basket of snacks for the family to enjoy after the holiday dinner.
- Christmas: Allow guests to take home their favorite ornament off the Christmas tree! This is a great memento that will always remind them of the time they spent at your holiday rental. A nice bottle of wine is also a great touch.
- New Year’s: Set up an area for photo ops. Guests will have fun ringing in the new year and taking pictures together! Silver and gold accented decorations, balloons, and plates or napkins with the new year on them will add a fun vibe to your property. You could even provide a bottle of champagne for your guests to toast with at midnight!
- Valentine’s Day: Of course, you can never go wrong with a box of chocolates!
- Easter: Especially if you have a family coming to stay for the Easter holiday vacation, a small Easter egg hunt is a wonderful way to create memories.
- 4th of July: Glow sticks are always tons of fun!
Airbnb House Rules
Holiday vacations can bring a ton of joy, but they can also bring some difficulties. I don’t want to be a party pooper, but it necessary we talk about the goods and bads of holiday rentals. Many holidays have a tendency to bring a party atmosphere. If you don’t want your guests to throw a party or invite family to your listing, make that clear! Good communication with potential guests will allow you to avoid any issues or conflicts. You’ll also want to keep Airbnb’s Party and Events Policy in mind. It’s a good idea to share it with your guests as well.
In Airbnb’s Party and Events Policy, you’ll find a couple of ground rules Airbnb has set for guests when it comes to having visitors. First, parties larger than 16 people are not permitted. And secondly, any type of disruptive event or party is prohibited.
It’s especially important to go over this policy with guests that stay during spring break. Although the majority of guests are very respectful, there have been some issues for Airbnb hosts when it comes to young guests destroying property and causing other issues.
A Note on Spring Break
In the case of the spring break holiday rentals, many hosts take precautions to avoid problematic guests. First, make sure to read reviews of any potential guests to check for red flags. Next, you can decide to set an age limit of 25 for your guests during the spring break period. By doing this, you’ll be able to weed out much of the younger and more disruptive crowd.
If you’d like, you can even require that all guests come from the same family. In this way you’ll prevent large groups of teenagers or twenty-somethings from staying on your property and potentially causing issues.
Main Takeaways
The Airbnb holidays are a wonderful time for both hosts and guests! For hosts, there are great opportunities to drum up extra business. Plus, guests get to enjoy fun holiday-themed vacation rentals!
As an Airbnb host, there are a few essential guidelines to follow when it comes to holiday travel. Start by setting up your schedule and holiday pricing months in advance. Next, go over your house rules and communicate them to guests clearly.
After that, you’ll want to spend time decorating your listing to match the holiday season. Don’t forget to update your listing’s title, description, and photos! Finally, make your Airbnb property memorable by leaving a small gift for your guests.