Host Customer Service Tips

How to Safely Welcome Travelers to Your Airbnb on Labor Day Weekend

To welcome long weekend travelers, here are five ways you can greet guests to your vacation rental property on Labor Day.

By The Turno Team

Last updated: December 19, 2023

Labor day weekend travelers visiting vacation rentals.
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

In celebration of Labor Day weekend, a surge of last-minute travelers are opting to stay at vacation rentals to commemorate the holiday. To prepare for the festivities to come, here are five ways you can welcome guests to your Airbnb this Labor Day weekend.

1. Encourage safe practices

Although travel restrictions have been lifted in most U.S states, pandemic case numbers are rising again. And, despite the new Delta variant, Labor Day travel is estimated to be high. For those choosing to get away for the weekend, hosts want to make sure guests are abiding by their property guidelines, and any additional state or county restrictions. For both the guest’s assurance and yours, make sure to display your property rules and any COVID-19 cleaning protocols that are in place. Use signage to describe in detail the safety measures that have been taken to protect guests.

Additionally, Airbnb’s party ban is still in place. Established in August 2020, Airbnb bans all gatherings of over 16 guests in all rentals. To avoid neighborhood noise issues or illegal activity, alongside pandemic restrictions, guests are expected to keep their occupancy at the set rate at all times. Guests might want to gather with friends and family during the long weekend in your rental, so be sure to establish the party ban alongside your usual house rules.

Noise-monitoring technology can be a useful tool for keeping track of the sound level and number of guests that enter the property. Minut, a sound-monitoring tool, will alert you if it detects noise and/or crowding in your property. If you use a smart lock, Minut also integrates to ensure a quick and easy check-in and checkout process.

2. Create a relaxing atmosphere

A Monday off means guests want to unplug starting from the time they check-in. This is your opportunity to create an open, relaxed ambiance for guests. In other words, get rid of unnecessary clutter and items in the rental. Besides, the more personal belongings that are in the property, the higher chance it is for something to be broken or stolen. See our recent blog post for more tips on how to declutter your Airbnb.

KeyNest’s blog highlights the elements of a welcoming space include:

  • Warm lighting
  • Clean, spacious layout
  • Warm color tones
  • Aromatherapy

KeyNest makes key management as a vacation rental host easier than ever. As an Airbnb host assist partner, KeyNest allows you to safely store your keys at one of their 4,000 locations across the country. Then, with a secure access code, your guests can pick up the keys to your rental. Pricing starts at $19.95 per key annually.

3. Suggest local restaurants or activities

As a local of your city or town, guests might rely on you for food or attraction recommendations. Be proactive and compile a list of local restaurants and businesses to direct your guests to visit during their stay. You can create a travel guide for them to view during the check-in process. Your travel guide should include the following:

  • Restaurant recommendations
  • Outdoor activites/attractions
  • Transportation tips
  • General City directions

You can choose to send this guide to your guests via PDF, QR Code, or a physical book. If it’s a digital file, be sure to email it to them beforehand or when their booking is accepted.

4. Stock up with essentials

For properties with outdoor amenities such as a pool or grill area, hosts should stock their inventory with all the necessary equipment. For example, a property with an outdoor fire pit should provide skewers or sticks for guests to use. Similarly, an Airbnb with a pool can include pool toys or floaties. 

Since cleaners are sometimes the only people who see the property between turnovers, it is important to be in good communication with them. To help manage your vacation rental cleaning, Turno provides a platform to schedule, pay and communicate with your cleaners. A seamless messaging platform allows cleaners to report stocking, damages, or any issues to be documented through the app. 

5. Get creative with social media

Consider creating a small, cost-effective holiday display to encourage guests to create and post user-generated content. Include hashtags in signage to let guests know you appreciate and encourage tagging. To go the extra mile, hosts can create social media accounts for their rental properties. This opens the door for guest-created content for your platforms, all for free.

Labor day is a time for Americans to relax and celebrate the near end of summer. Make sure your vacation rental guests enjoy your property by following our tips to prepare for labor day travelers. For more updates on the latest Airbnb hosting tips, see our blog for more information.

The Turno Team Avatar
The Turno Team , The Turno Team researches and publishes articles designed to provide short-term rental Hosts, Property Managers, and Airbnb Cleaners with insightful, useful resources. Articles written by the Turno Team cover a wide range of STR interests, from the latest industry data and best practices to real-world, practical advice on running efficient, revenue-generating vacation rental businesses in an ever-changing market. Here at Turno, we’re always looking for original ideas and hot new topics. Have something you’re curious to learn more about? Interested in authoring a guest blog? Drop us a line at [email protected].