There are many advantages to Airbnb’ing over booking a hotel. When Airbnb guests arrive, they have an abundance of privacy in a real property, no waiting in queues for breakfast or dinner, no other guests in hallways, communal areas or using the facilities, and the biggest bonus—a real sense of home-from-home. At the same time, they do not get hotel-level concierge services.
But what about those things you take care of at home, where your hotel has a team of staff ready and waiting to pick up the slack? Homeowners trying to manage their own vacation rental, an Airbnb property or a small property portfolio may find it time consuming to provide tailored services and handle guest communication. Moreover, Building owners may not have the time to research the short let market to understand how to best price an Airbnb listing, nor understand how yield management works.
For hosts who do not have enough time to manage their short let are calling on expert concierge services to enjoy hassle-free hosting. Such partnerships ensure smooth guest communications with potential guests, while providing personalized recommendations to hosts on how to improve an Airbnb listing.
Introducing Airbnb Concierge Services
A hotel has a team of staff to make sure their visitors’ stays are everything they expect them to be. All the rooms are immaculately clean, there’s fresh laundry, towels, soaps, toilet paper and more. But what about your short-stay let? Your Airbnb business? Who takes care of that?
Your Airbnb concierge, that’s who.
Because there isn’t a live-in receptionist in an Airbnb or short-term let accommodation, or a maid, porter, or anyone else for that matter, your host specialist makes sure you’ve got everything you need for the duration of your stay.
On arrival at check in, you’ll have a spotless, freshly prepared apartment, with all the clean laundry and towels you’d expect. You’ll also find enough spare bedding, towels, cleaning materials, and everything else you’re likely to need to make your break as comfortable and as complete as possible.
All of these items are checked and catered for by your Airbnb concierge. Just like the housekeeping team in a hotel would.
What if you need even more on top of a simple concierge service?
Staying in a hotel provides guests with the luxury of having dedicated staff with all the local expert knowledge to talk to, about all those unknown issues they might stumble into during their visit.
Do you need a dry-cleaner? A taxi? To book a table in a top-end restaurant? And which ones are those top-end restaurants? They’ll even let you know about how the traffic might affect getting to and from your destinations.
Well, staying in a hotel, you’ll be able to ask the concierge. It’s their job, after all, to make sure your holiday with them is the best experience possible.
But you can’t have a help-desk in your Airbnb apartment, surely? Can you?
Outsourcing a 5 star Airbnb concierge service
There might not be a desk in your apartment reception area, with a 24/7 member of staff ready and waiting to help with whatever you need, but that’s the idea.
There are a few Airbnb property owners and landlords that will happily offer a 24/7 telephone line—on call to answer the questions and arrange anything they can to make their guests lives that little bit easier, but that’s not always practical.
How do I set up an Airbnb concierge service?
There are two ways to provide your guests with an Airbnb concierge service. The first is to do it yourself.
That said, if your apartment is a second home or an investment, you might not be the ideally positioned local expert to answer all of your guests’ inquiries. Especially if you’d like to offer your guests the professional concierge experience we previously spoke about.
Outsourcing your Airbnb concierge
Outsourcing typical concierge services is all part and parcel of employing an Airbnb management service. Your cleaning services and laundry services, check-ins and outs, and all the other day-to-day events running your Airbnb requires—all professionally handled without the landlord having to lift a finger.
When you hire an external concierge service to handle your guests for you, each service will have their own range of packages and, of course, prices to match. This service comes at a small price, but these Airbnb Management service fees are worth it.
What can you expect from a concierge service?
Of course, it depends on the type of package and the level of service involved. Typically, we’re looking at cleaning, laundry, keeping household cleaning and any cosmetic supplies topped up, welcome baskets or arrival gifts, and more. The items that customers need or expect, plus a few bonuses to make them feel as though they’re getting the luxury treatment we all love.
For those who want a silver lining in Concierge Services
We know most Airbnb’ers are happy to fend for themselves, and the tourists and travellers that need a memorable experience will likely hunt down the 5-star hotels like Marriott International that offer it. But, referring back to outsourcing an exceptional experience, there are specialists happy to match the same hotel-style concierge services, when guests are willing to pay for it.
Pick up a phone, and you’ll receive advice on local areas of interest, restaurants, entertainment, how to book, where to book, where guests can get a great deal, and about all of the area’s best-kept secrets tourists won’t usually stumble upon.
For those willing to pay a little more, you’ll find your service will book those tickets for you, reserve that table, perhaps even drop off groceries or the items you forgot to pack or didn’t think of.
And, right at the top end, who knows? You could be introduced to specially curated events, group outings, get-togethers and more. Your top-of-the-line concierge service may organize airport collections and drop-offs for you and your group or family.
It all depends on what guests want from a guest's stay, and more relevantly, how much they’re willing to spend. Their expectations will be set from the property description, so it is important to highlight what kind of experience a guest will enjoy, from amenities like hot tubs to laundry services and more.
Why you should provide guests with a concierge service
Create the best experience for your guests
By providing an excellent experience for your guests, you’ll receive the type of reviews that reflect a high-quality service. With steady and strong reviews, you’ll encourage better sales and more bookings. Good reviews come from streamlined communication and support, and reactive replies to guests' valuable feedback.
It saves you time
Having a concierge on hand to deal with the turnarounds, cleaning, laundry, and the other day-to-day bits and pieces, it saves you from having to do them. Your concierge will sort out any accidental breakages, repairs and essential maintenance too.
Additonally, your Airbnb concierge is an expert when it comes to Airbnb listings, how to list your property on Airbnb and the rules and regulations of Airbnb listings. There might be a surcharge for additional services, but if that saves you the expense and costs of making a special trip to organize any resolution, it’s a lifesaver.
You can offer the highest level of expert advice
Having a good idea about the area where your apartment or property is located is one thing, but could you possibly deliver information about everything that’s going on in the area? Special events, festivals and more? Theatre and cinema listings? Where to get a good haircut or a shave, measured for a new suit, or where to receive medical care or pharmacy services?
These are all items that can be covered by your concierge in a detailed check-in experience, or within a thorough and informative welcome pack. Expert advice on tap is a godsend for any needy guest. They won’t forget that in a hurry.
UpperKey provides a hassle free experience for guests and Airbnb owners through their concierge services
Depending on how your concierge service operates, you could be adding masses of value to your guests’ stay or a whole host of additional charges to your account. We advise you to do your research and make your choice carefully. All that glitters isn’t always gold, after all.
However, when you choose UpperKey to manage your property, they handle everything about your short let on your behalf—without you lifting a finger. They are the leading Airbnb concierge specialists in the UK and know everything about managing high-end properties. They make all the decisions regarding your short term rental, liaise with your guests, and have customer care teams in place to handle even the smallest details and time-consuming tasks.
You won’t even know it’s happening. If you need to furnish your property, a professional designer can help to curate and decorate your Airbnb rental to ensure your property is ready, followed by a professional photo shoot to get the best high-resolution photos to advertise your listing. The best performing Airbnb listings start with great photography and lighting, as the profile photo is the first thing a potential guest sees when deciding where to book.
And what’s better, it’s all part of the plan. There are no hidden fees or additional extras—ever. Your UpperKey concierge service is included as part of your guaranteed monthly rent. This means they are taking care of everything while homeowners reap in the rewards while enjoying some peace of mind.
Reach out today to learn more about how our Airbnb concierge service in Paris works, or what UpperKey can do for you in London. A real property expert from UpperKey will be in touch for a free consultation to discuss the procedure for becoming an Airbnb concierge partner.
