Skift Take
Short-term rental hosts are increasingly relying on amenities – like pools, hot tubs and mini golf – to make their listings stand out from the competition, and some say the end result is an “amenities arms race.”
Some say a new form of “keeping up with the Joneses” is changing the short-term rental game.
With an increasing number of hosts offering a ballooning number of listings, the pressure to stand out to attract guests is more intense than ever. And for many hosts and property owners, the answer is to invest in more amenities, according to Mark Lumpkin, who heads marketing and sales for STR Cribs, a company that outfits short-term rental properties with high-end amenities.
“You used to be able to grab a three-bedroom, two-bath, throw an air mattress and a hot plate in it, throw it up on Airbnb and make a bunch of money,” Lumpkin told Skift. Now, guests “want that property to be part of their experience, it’s not just a place to rest their head.”
The result, in Lumpkin’s words, is an “amenities arms race” – an ever-growing battle for guests that’s resulted in more and more listings boasting an array of amenities, as simple as full-length mirrors in bedrooms and as luxurious as hot tubs and golf simulators.
New Traveler ExpectationsThe post-pandemic travel boom has changed traveler expectations of lodgings, says David Krauss, co-founder a