I have a small cottage with a bedroom and a small bedroom turned into an office. I am wondering if I would attract more guests if I turn the 2nd room/ office into a 2nd bedroom - for eg 2 friends that travel together - that don’t want to sleep together. So far it has worked out nicely for solo people or couples with my 1 bdrm and office but wondering - if I would get more people if I had a 2nd bedroom option? I know there are groups of tradespeople coming to the area- and their work might prefer putting 2 up in a 2 bedroom vs renting separate for each… Just wondering overall if there are stats on which get rented the most - 1 or 2 bedrooms. Thanks
I would try to come up with a way to make the 2nd room convertible, so it could be used in either configuration. Maximum flexibility. Increase your target audience. Others here know how to create two listings from one property: the 1br+office and the 2br.
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What kind of tradespeople? I’ve not read great things about hosting construction crews, for instance. Traipsing in and out in muddy boots, smoking indoors, leaving the place a mess.
If it’s worked out nicely as is, hosting solos or couples, maybe you should consider sticking with what’s working. So many people work online from home these days that an office room is a draw.
Or as T.B. suggested, make the room convertible, and have two listings, linking the calendars. If it doesn’t cost too much in time or furnishings, it’s worth a try if you aren’t happy with your occupancy rate.
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Yes that makes the most sense… Instead of a bed taking up the whole tiny room- keep it as an office with a pull out couch/bed… so it can function both ways…
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Yes… That is kinda my instinct- since my cute little cottage is kinda antiquey…for lack of better words- couples and solo’s have been great as can be (for the one summer month I opened last year)- except for chips in my new flooring, knife marks on my kitchen counter and other annoying things that I never noticed until too late. . Having tradesmen in town for spraying trees or whatever for chemicals- might introduce unwanted chemicals into the place and so on… upon further consideration… Thank you for helping me make up my mind… I think I will keep it the way it is and have the option incase someone asks like they did last year - 2 friends travelling… but went elsewhere to a place with 2 separate beds. I will find a couch bed…
Oh and thanks everyone for letting me know about the idea of 2 listings -never thought of that.
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I recommend the 2nd bedroom. My 2-beds get anywhere from 1-4 (or 5 if I’m feeling nice haha) but the most common is a couple that sleeps separately. If you don’t want larger groups you can still keep your max at 2.
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Our 2nd br in our house has a type of Murphy bed that we only pull down when family or friend come stay with us. It looks like a wardrobe when closed and has cupboard space above, but provides a queen sized bed when down.
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Much depends on your audience. In my area many parents come with teens to look at colleges and they appreciate a separate bed, if not a separate room. If you do it as two separate listings I would bill the two “bedroom” listing as having a private living room with optional sleep sofa or day bed. Since I do my own cleaning I would lean toward a day bed as I find them a little easier to make up.
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Yes, I personally think the 2 bedroom option is a great idea. You can always install a wall mounted desk for folks that still need a desk.
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My experience has been this: I have a one bedroom cottage with a spacious living room and a very nice, comfortable day bed. (For those who don’t know, this is a one person mattress on a decorative frame with a high backboard on one long side, so that it can be made up as a sofa for the daytime, which is what we do.)
I have had many stays where one person slept in the bedroom and the other person slept on the day bed.
The most common scenario is a mother-daughter traveling duo, but I have bookings coming up with friends traveling and old college room mates having a reunion at my cottage.
I happen to like day beds, but I honestly had no idea it would be so popular when I decided to put one in the cottage. So much more comfortable than a sleeper sofa and since the living room is large, we have room for a separate sofa and several chairs.
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My vote is for a murphy bed that is a desk when raised. Likely expensive but easy once installed and better than a sofa pullout.
We have 2 doubles in separate areas and a single in another area but only one toilet. 90% of our bookings are couples, 2 people only.
Make sure your other areas such as dining and utensils are large enough and plenty for all guests.
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We also have a settee/ daybed that I built from a triple-rattan-hairpin-legs coffee table. This has been used several times and is big enough for a small adult.
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That seems to be one of the biggest mistakes new hosts make (although I realize the OP isn’t a new host). Max guest counts of 8, but living room and dining room seating that only accommodates 4 or 5. Having 4 stools at the kitchen counter and a dining table for 4 doesn’t cut it- guests should be able to eat together if they choose.
Just saw a listing yesterday that had a 3 seater couch and one armchair in the living room but a guest count of 8.
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Actually I am sort of guilty of that exact thing as there are technically not 4 matching dining chairs inside… but outside there are and there are others available if needed. In the winter our max is 3, summer 4 unless special request. 6 place settings etc.
As far as I’m concerned, chairs don’t have to match- I prefer eclectic decor over “matching”. As long as there’s a big enough table and sufficient seating somewhere so that guests can all sit down and eat together.
If it’s a family with kids, it doesn’t matter so much- I imagine a lot of us remember the extended family holiday dinners with the “children’s table”, along with the inevitable protests from the young teens as to whether they were too old to be relegated to the kids’ table. 
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I think you would do better with the option of the room being a second bedroom. I used to do that with my STR and if was definitely a bonus but i decided I prefer singles or a couple so do t offer it any more
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I just realized a twin or single (small) frame bed I have elsewhere will fit this small room with 2 inches to spare. I imagine it being close to the size of a day bed with no handles- couldn’t I just put a lot of pillows to make it appear as a daytime couch-but really be a single bed? Would that look strange? That would save me the hassle of purchasing one- assembling it- probably heavy- for the time being as my car is small and I don’t know my way around a screwdriver… lol
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Almost all homes where I live in Mexico have built-in concrete benches that mattresses get put on, used as sofas, many of which are single bed size so they can double as a bed. Nothing weird about that at all. Your single bed frame can work the same way. If you get an upholsterer to make back cushions for it, it’ll be more like a sofa than just having a bunch of throw pillows,which you can have in addition to the back cushions.
When someone wants to sleep on it, you just remove the back cushions. Mine gets used as a bed sometimes when friends or family come to visit.
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