When we built our first AirBnb, we made a very intentional choice to spend money and create a premium experience for our guests. We carried that decision through to our second AirBnb, and our guests seem to appreciate it. Our current place has 86 reviews and an average guest score of 4.98, which is awesome for us as business owners.

And, even more importantly, it makes me so happy that people enjoy our oasis!

We approached the AirBnb design as if we were designing a space for our dearest friends, people we’d trust with our valuables and who we’d want to spoil with good linens and cozy robes. So many people told us we were crazy, but it’s worked out well for us to assume the best of our guests.

We’ve had only a handful of problems with guests, and none of them were intentional — more like negligence or college kids having fun (after that experience, we changed the settings so that the primary renter must be over 25!). Almost all our guests have left the house very, very clean, and no one has ever stolen anything from us.

Here are the choices that (I think) have made our place a popular destination.

• We allow dogs.

My husband did a bunch of research on the AirBnb site and learned that not many homes allow people to bring their dogs . . . and the AirBnbs that do allow dogs are consistently booked! Given that we also have a dog (and want to bring the dog to our place without worrying that a subsequent guest will be allergic), it was a no-brainer for us. We’ve had to replace a few rugs, but none of our rugs are very expensive. And the increase in the numbers of guests outweighs this cost.

We bought a few cheap blankets that are easy to wash, and we ask people to put those on the couch or bed if their pet gets on the furniture. I’m not sure if our guests use these blankets or not, but I very rarely see any dog hair on the furniture when I’m cleaning the house.

• We bought nice mattresses.

After a lot of research, my husband bought Lucid mattresses with 12″ memory foam. We bought medium-firm, which John now thinks might be a bit too firm for some people, but no one has complained. In fact, quite a few people have asked us where the mattresses are from so they can buy the same ones for their homes. We also bought quality covers for the mattresses to preserve our investment.

We saved money on the sheets, which turned out to be a good idea. Our Target sheets have to be replaced periodically for various issues (no one’s fault, these things just happen). And we get white towels and washcloths from Amazon every spring. (I take the used, slightly dingy ones home for our family or give them to our housekeeper, if she wants them.)

• We provide a fully-stocked kitchen.

Our kitchen has a full set of silverware, dishes, glasses, pots and pans, as well as shelf staples like coffee, sugar, olive oil, pasta, jars of red sauce, spices, tin foil, etc. Our first AirBnb was in a remote area of West Virginia, and when it was snowing people could sometimes get stuck out there. We got in the habit of having something available for people to eat, just in case. Folks seem to appreciate it, and it doesn’t cost much.

We have a good coffeemaker because we want people to be happy! (I’m a bear if I don’t have caffeine.) And because we’re at the beach, we provide a nice blender for frozen drinks. Basically, we stocked the kitchen with all the items that we want to have when we stay there. And, again, people tell us they appreciate the effort. No one has stolen anything, as far as I can tell.

• We provide lots of paper towels and toilet paper.

Isn’t it so annoying when you pay good money to stay at an AirBnb and the hosts leave one or two rolls of toilet paper for four people? Such a cheap move. We have baskets of extra paper goods stashed in a closet, just in case people need them. I mean, no one is going to take the extras home with them, for goodness sake!

• We provide some extras.

Because we’re at the beach, we have some beach towels and a stash of beach toys and beach chairs. We also have four robes so everyone can feel fancy! And, happily, we ended up with two bikes after a rental company went out of business. We bought two helmets to pair with the bikes, and now our guests can tool around town in style.

• We have a first-aid kit.

One of the places where we stayed years ago had a first-aid kit, and I thought it was brilliant. I found a black lacquer box at Home Goods, painted a red cross on it, and added a few essentials. I check the box periodically, and it looks like our guests have been using the items, which is fabulous. I’m so glad it’s helpful.

We also provide tampons and pads under each bathroom sink. Again, it costs just a few dollars, but it makes our guests feel welcome and cared for.

• We have plenty of games and books.

We tried to anticipate rainy days and family nights by stocking the house with board games (all pretty inexpensive or games we weren’t using at home) and lots of paperback books. As you may have gathered, I love reading, and it makes me feel less guilty about buying books when I can leave them at the beach house for others to enjoy.

We also bought a Mario Kart Switch 2 (I’m not sure what that is, but John assures me the kids will love it). And I stocked the kids’ bunk room with our old children’s books. I couldn’t bear to get rid of these books — I have such fond memories attached to some of them — and having them at the beach house for other kids to enjoy is a good compromise.

What do you think? I’m particularly curious to hear your take if you own an AirBnb or stay at one as a guest. Have you had trouble with your guests or hosts?

Happy traveling,