3 Stand-Out Stays & What Made Them Memorable
What makes a great Airbnb? What makes an Airbnb standout amongst its competitors in a very saturated short-term rental market? How can hosts provide the best, memorable experience for their guests? These are all questions that we’ve been contemplating for awhile - long before we started My Airbnb Experts. As frequent guests in countless Airbnbs, we were always very aware of what stood out to us - what we liked, what we loved, what we didn’t like, what worked from the guests’ perspective, and what actually was more of an overall inconvenience or even a hazard.
We’ve been fortunate enough to stay in countless Airbnbs across the world - from eclectic desert oases, to luxury townhomes in London, England, and charming villas in Portugal to rustic log cabins in the Canadian backwoods - we’ve experienced a lot. These are the top stays that still remain pleasantly memorable in our minds!
1. London, UK
Area: London Fields
Unique features: This incredible stay exceeded our expectations. The actual flat had everything you could possibly need, including plenty of high-end cooking ingredients, cooking appliances and tools that we don’t even have at home, and stocked bar cart (that we were told to indulge in!), tons of Aesop products, and so much more. Oh, and the best part was the rooftop patio and pool that was designed as the ceiling to the hallway below, so you could actually see up into the pool!
Why it stood out: This stay stood out for many reasons and of course the infinite supplies and amenities helped. But really, what did it for us, was the fact that the hosts had ensured the space would feel like home. It was easy to not worry about much when everything you could possibly need was right there - they did an excellent job at putting themselves in the guests’ shoes and providing a space that truly felt like a home and gave us a sense of who they were, rather than just another lifeless rental unit.
2. Porto, Portugal
Area: Fontaínhas
Unique features: It’s not every day that you get to fall asleep and wake up to the majestic views of a 16th century monastery and the beautiful Douro river. This was truly something special for us.
Why it stood out: Overall, this stay was fairly simple, however the details and small touches were intentional and elegant. The host had everything we needed, and the views were beautiful. What really stood out was the thoughtfulness of the host - she was incredibly kind and went above and beyond to ensure we knew all the details as tourists who had just arrived. She met us in person and shared all of her recommendations (even marked them all out on a map) for food, drinks, art, shopping, and more. Our experience in Porto wouldn’t have been the same without her in-depth guide on the city.
3. San Diego, USA
Area: Ocean Beach
Unique features: Besides being down the street from the Pacific coast beaches, this cozy beach cottage had a fireplace, sky high ceilings, and bikes for us to use!
Why it stood out: The host was so accommodating, kind, and helpful. Our stay started off kind of rocky, as we had an issue with no heat (yes, even in San Diego!) and couldn’t figure out the fireplace. The host was incredibly apologetic, came over as soon as he could to get the heat up and running. Not only was he a pleasure to communicate with, but he brought a bottle of wine and incredible cookies (that are still our favorite to this day!). This just goes to show you that you can absolutely recover a bad introduction and still come out the other side by being remembered as an amazing, stand-out experience for your guests.
To conclude this, we want to highlight the one thing that all of these hosts have in common: they put themselves in the shoes’ of their guests’. Keep this in mind and you’re sure to get those 5-star reviews and repeat bookings!
