Have you ever stayed in a vacation rental that did not have the needed Airbnb essentials? Many of us know the feeling and if you own a vacation rental of your own that is the absolute LAST thing you want your guests to experience. This post will give you a list of the 21 Airbnb essentials that will ensure your guests are satisfied and leave you those glowing five-star reviews!
When my sister and I were setting up our first vacation rental we wanted to make sure it included all the necessary Airbnb essentials. Our guests are sooo important to us and we always want their stay at our rental to have little to no hassle or inconveniences.
We did a TON of research on what guests look for when staying at a vacation rental. The list below includes findings from our research, as well as things that we feel are absolute must-haves when we travel and stay in vacation rentals ourselves.
When you include these 21 Airbnb essentials in your own vacation rental your guests will be singing your praises, leaving you feeling like the Superhost you are.
This post is all about Airbnb Essentials you must include in your vacation rental.
Airbnb Essentials
1. Board Games and Cards
If your guests are anything like our family then they LOVE when they get to play cards and games together while on vacation. For our family some of our favorite memories involve chatting it up with a card game in hand. Provide your guests the same experience by stocking up on some board and card games.
See *this post* for a full list of the exact games we included in our vacation rental.
2. Streaming Services
Chances are your guests will have some down time on their trip where all they want to do is chill on the couch and get caught up on their favorite show. Our rental includes Netflix and Hulu as the streaming services our guests can freely use. We upgraded to the Hulu plan that includes Disney+ and ESPN. These subscriptions cost us about $35 a month and to us that it is totally worth it.
3. Smart TVs
On the off chance that your guests can’t find their favorite show on the streaming services you’re providing them, it’s a great idea to have Smart TVs throughout your rental so that they can download other streaming apps and login under their own accounts if they want.
We use these Roku TVs in our vacation rentals and one other major advantage of this is that Roku remotes are interchangeable with all other Roku TVs. So if a remote gets misplaced during a stay guests can use any of the remotes on any of the TVs – game changer!
4. Crockpot
I know when I’m on vacation the last thing I want to do is to spend a lot of time cooking. Having a crockpot allows your guests the convenience of throwing their dinner in the crockpot in the morning so that they have a great meal ready to go when returning from their daily adventures.
In my opinion, the larger capacity crockpot is your best option, but this one is smaller and a super affordable option.
5. Grill
Speaking of convenient cooking, I love it when a vacation rental has a grill. Is there anything better than the traditional grilled meal that includes steak, corn on the cob, and watermelon? I think not.
Truth be told, you do not need to buy the fanciest, newest grill out there. We purchased ours off Facebook Marketplace. However, if you’re looking to buy new, this grill is a great option.
6. Welcome Book
In my opinion, your Welcome Book is one of the most important things you’re going to include in your vacation rental. Your welcome book is going to be the thing that your guests grab for when they come up with any question. You want to approach your welcome book with the mindset of “no unanswered questions”. Anything you think your guest may wonder about, include it in your welcome book.
Your welcome book is going to include things like check-in and check-out instructions, Wi-Fi information, local attractions, etc.
For a Welcome Book Template click here.
*View this post* for a full breakdown of what to include in your Welcome Book.
7. Dog/Cat Bowls & Leashes (assuming you accept pets in your rental)
For some people their pets are just like children. Chances are they will have everything they need for their fur babies, however, in the event that they forget their food & water bowls or their dog’s leash, your pet parent guests will be eternally grateful that you have an extra set for them if needed.
8. Pack and Play
Speaking of babies, you also want to make sure that you have a pack and play for any family that is traveling with a little one Those of you that are parents know the struggle of traveling with young ones. You can probably agree, that there’s nothing worse than getting to your destination and not having a place for your little one to sleep. Including a pack and play will make your parent guests so so so happy. Trust me, I’m speaking from personal experience here.
9. High Chair/Booster Seat
Along the same lines as the pack and play, having a highchair or booster seat for a little one’s dining experience is going to have the parents singing your praises. This one is a great option because it can be used in four different ways.
SIDE NOTE: Remember, we want our guests to have little to no question so it’s a great idea to include instructions on how to use the highchair in its four different ways in a section of your welcome book.
10. Recycle Bin(s)
One of the things that we ran into right away at our vacation rental is that the trash filled up very quickly each week.
To help combat this we added a second garbage can that was just for recycling so that it would reduce the amount of “waste” going into the garbage can.
Check your local recycling services as some places require you to sort your recycling into different categories. If this is the case, you’ll want to get multiple bins. This one would be a great option if you’re needing multiple compartments.
Make sure you also include instructions for what guests can and can’t include in the recycle bin. If you’re crafty like my sister you can just write on the garbage can (pictured below). Or you can use this printable template to tape on your bins.
11. Throw Blankets (and lots of them!)
I cannot stress enough that you must stock your vacation rental with throw blankets in every room. There is something so comforting and cozy about cuddling up with a blanket. Give your guests that feeling of comfort by including throw blankets in your living room(s) and bedrooms. Do not forget to include blankets as part of your Airbnb Essentials!
This one is super affordable and comes in multiple colors.
12. Mirrors
Chances are you will be having groups of people stay at your vacation rental. This means multiple people will all be getting ready at once. I once stayed at an Airbnb that didn’t have any mirrors besides the ones in the bathroom. Now, I’m not trash talking on that host because I think this is such a common thing to overlook! To avoid this mistake, make sure all of your guests have a place to fix their hair, apply their make-up, or even just check their outfit by including additional mirrors in your bedrooms and even your living room. Below is an example of the living room in our rental.
These are a cool option as you can group them together or hang them separately.
Other great places to look for mirrors include: Lowes, TJ Maxx, Walmart, and Target.
13. Extra Sets of Bedding and Towels
When it comes to bedding and towels, you are going to want to have double of everything. Reason for this is that when your cleaners come, they can simply swap stuff out and take the dirty bedding and towels with them to wash and bring back for the next cleaning.
Efficiency is key when you have a fully booked Airbnb so anything that will save you (and your cleaners) time is worth the investment.
See *this post* for the exact bedding and towels we use in our rentals.
14. Coffee Bar
According to this study 64% of Americans drink coffee. On top of that, 79% of those people drink coffee that they brew from home. That may seem like a useless tidbit… until you’ve been on vacation and you don’t have access to the things that make up your favorite cup of joe.
Having a fully stocked coffee bar is one of the things that our guests mention in their reviews ALL. THE. TIME.
Check out this post to see exactly what we include in our coffee bar and why we love it so much.
15. Keyless Entry
One of the things that you are absolutely going to want to install is a keyless entry. Whether you are managing your own property or you’re hiring a property manager, keyless entry allows your guest super easy access to your property.
If you have nothing but a physical key you run the risk of someone taking it on accident or losing it. Of course this means that your next guest may not have a way to get in. Save yourself and your guests the trouble and invest in a keyless entry system.
16. List of Local Attractions and Tourist Guides
As I mentioned before, one of the things that you are going to want to include in your Welcome Book is local attractions and things that your guests can get out and do/see.
My sister and I took it a step further for our vacation rental and stocked it with brochures and tourist magazines for nearby attractions. If your Airbnb is located in a tourist spot, chances are there is an information center with tons of great resources.
Do some research in your market but take the extra step to have a lot of information about the attractions that your guests can choose from.
17. Hair dryer, Straightener & Curling Iron
Let me paint a picture for you. You’re traveling to go to a special event and/or to spend time with friends and family. You get to your vacation rental, hang out for a bit and then go to get ready. You open up your suitcase and you realize… you forgot your blow dryer, straightener, and/or curling iron. If you’ve lived this nightmare you know that you do not want your guests to experience the same thing.
Do your guests the ultimate favor by including a blow dryer, straightener, and curling iron in your rental.
18. Robot Vacuum
One of my favorite things we included in our vacation rental is a Robot Vacuum. You can include any sort of robot vacuum you want to, but I absolutely love the Eufy because it is sooo quiet. It’s a great addition for guests to have a clean space without doing anything besides pressing a button.
We ask guests to start the Eufy when they’re checking out which also makes our cleaning person’s job a tad bit easier! Double whammy.
19. Blackout Shades or Curtains
We all know vacation is for sleeping in. Let your guests get the ultimate sleep by including black out shades or curtains in your bedrooms. Ain’t nobody got time for that early morning sun disrupting our beauty sleep.
20. Alarm Clocks
On the note of sleep, although we love to get that extra hour or two of sleep in the mornings… some mornings call for an early rise. Afterall, there are sights to see people! Make sure your guests don’t oversleep by including alarm clocks in each bedroom.
21. Large Power Strip/Docking Station
What I’m about to tell you may sound incredibly ridiculous. However, I’m not kidding when I say, I’ll never forget the first time I stayed at an Airbnb that had a docking station for electronics. Something that seemed so simple was such a convenient addition for us. From that stay on, I knew that would be something I included in all of my rentals.
Now that you have our list of Airbnb Essentials we hope you feel ready to stock your vacation rental with these items that your guests will absolutely love. Go get ‘em you Superhost you!
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