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There are some things that I’ve noticed that other hosts have that I don’t in our guestroom. What do you guys think I should get? What is worth while?
Robes - are they used? Are they needed? It would make a lot more laundry.
A mini-refrigerator. Are they used? I’m a bit afraid that it will be noisy. As it is now guests are allowed to borrow space in our refrigerator.
A bed - We have a fold out sofa that becomes a double bed, and maybe a regular bed would be prefered even though it might make the room feel crowded?
Breakfast - do people ask for it? So far my guests haven’t, but am I missing guests by not offering more than coffe and tea etc?
As a guest, I would say no to the mini-fridge. There was one in the last place I stayed, and it woke me up every, seemed like, 20 minutes either clattering to life or shutting down. I wanted to pull the plug, but I am a careful guest and didn’t know whether that would damage it. As a guest, I would also say no to the robes unless you are offering a hot tub maybe? I never use them, as I wonder how often they are washed. As a host, I would say no to crowding the room. I lose stars when I cave into guests who plead to add more people to the space. They don’t have as good a time when their mother-in-law is inches away, and they blame me for it. As a host I would say yes to breakfast if there are no nice alternatives (I am near no cafés), and if you like to cook (I do), and if there are no rules against it in your municipality. As a guest, I never care whether there is breakfast. I’m okay with finding my own. Does that help?
We offer our guests a private bathroom with a bath tub, and I wash everything that has been in the guest room each time we’ve had a guest, becasuse that’s how I hope others treat our room before we travel. I want everything to be as clean as can be. Breakfast is a bit hard for us to fix because we leave for work at 7 am and we are not morning persons. We also have a 6 years old daughter who we need to get ready. There is 2 cafés a 10 minute walk into town.
Re the robes, I offer a 3 bed 2 bath entire house. Clean robes are hung in the wardrobe of each bedroom. I tie the sashes in a particular way and if they are touched I know and they are washed. As I have both family and business bookings I find that the robes are used 50% of the time
Do you think they build into your rating in any way? If I get robes I want them to be rather luxurious. (Both for them to last long but also give a feel of luxury.)
Mini-fridge – new modern mini-fridges make virtually no noise. Having one in their space will keep them from “borrowing” food from your fridge
Bed – Absolutely necessary. A not-good-night’s sleep = poor reviews. I think not having a real bed will lose you bookings.
Breakfast – I offer full breakfasts, but I’m a Personal Chef. Having something other than regular and decaf coffee and tea is nice and not expensive – oatmeal packets, individual boxes of dry cereal, maybe toaster waffles. Keep it simple.
We only offer the bare essentials and we still get 5 star reviews, so I don’t plan to add more amenities, since the costs creep up. We have iron , board, fully stocked kitchen though.
The sofa bed: Have you ever slept on it? Try it. If it not comfortable, find one that is. I think they make some that have real mattresses. Or the other poster’s idea for a day bed was good one.
Robes: I’ve never used them even in hotels. I guess it wouldn’t hurt if you found some that were a good price and bleachable.
Breakfast: kind of complicated, but I think coffee/tea are a must, at least for me.
As a guest I am always drawn to listings that have some kind of in room cofeee station. An in-room electric kettle is always a plus.
The last thing I would want is to be up early in the morning waiting for the host to make coffee. I’d rather do it myself as needed.
I think a lot of how you fit the room out depends on your location and the type of guests you get. Robes are an added luxury, not a necessity. I do offer 2 robes in my private 1BR/1BA but only one is used only about 25% of the time in winter. Only once have both been used. The rest of the year not hardly at all. The room is north facing so it runs a bit cool. I also tie the belt in a nice square knot and fold the arms down in front nicely. That way I can tell if they’re used. I keep them hanging in the closet and no one ever ties them back up if they hang them at all. Usually they are left used on a robe hook. I got my robes at IKEA-I found them inexpensive but very soft and nice quality. Also one size fits most.
A mini fridge is also not a necessity. Again, depends on how many days your average guest books for and if they are a family or single/couple. Multiple days/kids=higher chance of usefulness. I’ve got a nicer GE one that is quiet with a small freezer also and have almost every guest use it. I have only had one issue with guests turning it off for sound but they were quite picky, complaining about the sound of the lawn sprinklers in the night as well.
I think a proper bed beats a pull out sofa any day. Get a double at least if not a queen. I know it’s been maligned to have the bed against a wall but I’d rather have that than a pull out. Or if you’ve got the budget, maybe a wall bed with a nice mattress.
I don’t think breakfast is expected of AB&B hosts in the more business type areas. I don’t provide it but I’ve got a grocery store 4 blocks away and a plethora of restaurants in a two mile radius. I do leave homemade cookies/pastries as an added touch and guests have mentioned saving it for their morning coffee/tea.
In my opinion a coffee pot is a necessity. Get one that dispenses hot water also or an electric kettle and you’ve got everyone covered. Be sure to leave coffee pods, tea bags, sugar packets and shelf stable creamers in sufficient quantity for the number of guests and days of stay. Those don’t cost much and really make many folks day.
Yeah I’ve slept on it and had a good nights sleep, but I’m not picky. It was a sofa bed my mother bought and kept in a guest room that was never, ever used, so the only guest she had was me and my husband once. Then after that she asked if we wanted it because she had no use for it. And we said yes.
I have coffee (regular, decaf, nescafé and cappucino) and tea (about 20 different kinds) as well as hot chocolate in the room with a small (8 cups) coffe maker and guests can make their own tea with an electric kettle. I also give them biscuits.
My location is rather rural Sweden. I live in a small city with 7000 people that is 15 minutes away from a 50 000 people city. My guests have so far been:
Woman who cancelled her booking, unsure what her plans were other than maybe being a tourist.
Male 25-30 who had started a school in my city and was unable to find somewhere to live as fast as he needed to. Stayed 5 nights.
Couple attending my co-workers wedding. We actually attended the same wedding by chance.
Male ca 30 staying one night from Germany was riding his bike and tenting and found that the weather had changed to colder sooner than he had anticipated.
Current guest male ca 50 who works in the nearby town for the military, stays three nights.
Future guest woman aged ca 50 who is going to the university in the neighboring town, stays one night.
I apologize, I should have browsed your listing before making a reply. I see you have a coffee/snacks station. I still say get a proper bed if you at all can. The bed has to be the top priority-what it all boils down to is a place for sleeping. Everything else just adds to the experience. No matter how comfortable the sofa bed is, there will always be people who shy away from it because of personal bias or past bad experiences. Also, the last thing a weary traveler wants to do is fiddle with making up a bed. Honestly, it would be better if you left the sofa bed made up all the time.
So, to answer your question of is it good enough, the answer is absolutely. However, is good enough what you are after? If you are seeking to maximize your listing and become more attractive to the tourists in your small town, then here are some tips for you. As I always say, my ideas are a dime a dozen and sometimes worth the same, so I am not offended if they aren’t useful!
-Get a proper bed-use space under bed for extra bedding
-lighting near head of bed for reading-if there won’t be room for the nightstand beside bed, then at least a wall sconce
-a light over by desk area
-keep dresser for coffee station but top seems crowded and no room for guests to put their own food/snacks. Make use of vertical space by either installing a small cabinet or wall mounted shelf for supplies above the dresser or you could secure a two shelf small bookshelf like a hutch on the dresser for extra space.
-Remove all laundry items from wardrobe in bedroom to make more space in wardrobe for guests to put suitcases/clothes/shoes/coats. More hangers could be used also. Maybe a better picture showing the whole wardrobe as it’s hard to determine how much storage space is available.
-utilize the space in the bathroom at space near end of tub. You can prop the ironing board up in the corner and keep the hamper in the bathroom. Most people change in the bathroom anyway. You could put some type of etagere or similar storage piece on the wall at end of tub. Put folded guest towels on these shelves. The iron and laundry soaps can also go on shelves. There are also over the toilet type storage units that could be useful.
-You also don’t have any towel rack for bath towels or hand towels, unless what you are using is a peg hanging between the vanity and toilet. Where do you want guests to put used bath towels that are damp? Ideally you should have something for a larger bath towel closer to the shower as well as something by the sink for a smaller hand towel.
Okay, now I am craving a trip to Sweden, I want to hug a baby goat!
A good photo of all of the closet is a good idea, and I probably will take one. I have loads of hangers but didn’t put more in because I thought it looked cluttered. The nightstand beside the bed has a lamp on it for bedtime reading (Im such a book nerd myself that nothing else would work. I’ve also added my fav. books and DVD:s in the closet). A light over the desk area is a good idea that I also will look into.
Im out to give people a good experience, not necessarily maximize my listing because then my husband would probably back out of doing this. He thinks the amount of guests we have now are good enough. I think we could have some more, but we’ve just started up and I bet it is more during the summer time than now when it’s off season. (Even though out of the guests Ive had there’s only been 2 tourists).
I will have to think about the bed. I know you’re right about it but the room is good for a small bed, not a double if you ask me. But maybe I just need to redecorate the entire room…? Hmm… that’s one idea I guess. Also the shelves.
There are plenty of hangers in the bathroom. 8 to be exact, 4 for hand towels and 4 for bath towels.
From a social media standpoint, I think robes are a great way to encourage guests to post about their experiences staying in your rental, which could in turn generate some more bookings.
This one is a bit more controversial, but breakfast trays (ie: letting guests eat breakfast or meals in bed) also encourages guests to take cozy, comfortable, and fun photos in your home.
Some quick items that help generate buzz behind your 'Bnb!
I find a daybed with a trundle pull out mattress is a great compromise. If you get one with a nice back, it doubles as a mini sitting area. It also just looks better and makes the room look nice, and not like a hostel. We have one of our rooms with a full bed and the daybed with a capacity to sleep 4. It is very popular, and we have found that is our niche for this area, as many people travel in pairs as friends and do not want to sleep in the same bed.
