Love travel and have a spare room. Tips on hosting guests

In recent years there has been a big shift in tourism trends being adopted by homes to create an authentic experience of combining the convenience of a hotel with home decor and living like a local. It seems the more we travel the more we want to incorporate new trends into our home lives as well as getting a more culturally authentic experience. We have adopted this into the way we make our travel arrangements having stayed in Airbnb apartments, hotel apartments and serviced apartments which have given us a great base to explore the local area as well as being self catering which is our preferred way to travel with kids.

This recent trend has led to the serviced apartment sector as well private room rentals becoming increasingly popular and, as a result, increasingly competitive. Previously guests were simply looking for a comfortable, welcoming experience around them and surrounding them but now they are also looking for a space that is going to add to their overall experience and help create long-lasting memories as well as potential friendships with hosts.

If you do have extra space in your home or even an empty studio apartment why not offer the space up, there are plenty of websites that allow you to list the space in a safe and secure why. It's also important that you build a good reputation in order to stay on top and keep your rental popular and booked up. It's important to look into creating a unique experience guests won't find anywhere else, celebrating the local culture. We have noticed a number of trends appearing across the private and servicing industry to make a lasting impression (for all the right reasons of course!), and it seems that it is usually the finishing touches and attention to detail that are key to making all the difference. After all we live in a digital society where online reviews and comments are shared instantly so first impression last and you want your guests to be saying good things about your accommodation.


Here are some of the most effective finishing touches that we have noticed leading apartments using to make their accommodation stand out from the crowd...

Spoil your guests subtly

Making your guests feel pampered and spoilt is a failsafe way to make their stay memorable, and what better way is there to do so than to add a touch of luxury by adding complimentary products subtly around your property to make their stay more comfortable?

This may include offering ground coffee and kitchen basics or bathroom robes. Little gestures like this make the stay far more enjoyable, and there really is nothing more enjoyable than stepping into a guest room and finding a soft, oversized bathrobe waiting to warm you!

Little gifts

Another delicate way to make your guests feel cared for is to leave small gifts around the room, such as some locally made chocolates. This simple addition to a guestroom is the ultimate way to make them feel special while creating the feeling of luxury accommodation.

If your looking to make that extra special touch you could follow in the footsteps of a number of leading hospitality businesses that specialise in UK hotel supplies have teamed up with popular fragrance houses to create original scents that they will provide in apartments for their guests to enjoy!

 

Investing in good quality bed linen and pillows

When your guest has a great night’s sleep they are likely to share details of it online, which can be highly beneficial for future bookings. In a way, providing a comfortable sleep is actually more valuable than any gift offer or pampering effort. By investing in decent pillows, duvets and linen which will provide a more comfortable nights sleep for your guests is so important. You could even push the boat out and get coolguard pillow protectors which adjusts the pillow to the body temperature of the person sleeping on it. 

Personalised Touches

Just by finding out basic information of your guests will help you in provided something a little bit more unique such as if they have children, you could provide a small box of toys in the apartment or make sure there is a highchair. If it's a couple you could leave a bottle of wine in the fridge. All of these simple gestures are sure to increase the chances of a good review.

Tech Features

Most guests will expect reliable wifi at a minimum these days and you want to have instructions of how to get online left clearly for your guests so there are now issues. Also a small TV and either a netflix connection or you could put together a few classics in a small DVD library for your guests

If you really want to push the boat out and integrate some real high-tech features that will make your accommodation stand out from the crowd, why not invest in some unique furniture such as floating beds. These intriguing products are readily available from UK hotel suppliers and are hotel sure to give your guests a memorable experience that make for unique photo opportunities likely to be shared on guests’ social media

Refuel and Refresh

When you stay in a hotel, there’s usually a mini bar to accommodate your food and beverage needs, right? So why not leave some refreshments and home comforts for your guests? It’s surprising how much of an impression a chilled mineral water, a packet of biscuits, or some tea and coffee provisions can make!

Soft furnishings

Soft furnishings can make all the difference when it comes to optimising the aesthetic appeal and comfort of a space, and most importantly, these are the perfect way to inject the perfect finishing touches into a room.

Welcome Letter

Presenting your guests with a welcoming letter will make for a great first impression. It doesn’t need to be anything complex – simply welcome them to your accommodation and give them any vital information or tips for their stay. Letting them know how they can contact you in case of emergency will put their minds at ease while showing you care. A hand written letter is best for giving that extra personal touch.


The tourism sector is evolving at a rapid pace. It is now more important than ever to stay in tune with latest hospitality trends to make sure you enhance the aesthetic appeal and comfort of your apartment so it stands out from the competition.

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