1. A good location is your “box office guarantee”
First and foremost, choose a good location. Additionally, you can list your property on multiple platforms. Besides Xiaozhu, there are also Airbnb, Tujia, and others. Choose the platforms that suit your city’s situation and your personal preferences. Currently, I mainly use Xiaozhu, not only because I got in touch with it earliest, but also because I find its communication features very good. Through communication, I can quickly understand guests’ needs and roughly guess their personalities, which helps me decide whether to accept a booking. Also, Xiaozhu allows price adjustments in the backend, which is very user-friendly.
2. Renovation is silent promotion
When I was a guest myself, I deeply felt that choosing a homestay was always like going on a wonderful adventure – picking a style you like and spending a special day in a different vibe. So, in terms of design style, I think it should primarily reflect the host’s personal taste. As long as the aesthetic is on the right track, whether it’s business style, minimalist, or fresh and artistic, it’s all fine. Your style will attract like-minded guests. Here’s a tip I’d like to share: for any rental property, wallpaper, flooring, curtains, and bedding are absolutely the soul of the space. Get these right, and the overall feel will instantly elevate. The rest are just icing on the cake.
PS: If you’re not good at photography, I suggest using the platform’s photography service. Professional photos definitely have a different quality. (I directly booked a Xiaozhu photographer – he’s skilled, handsome, and very patient with detail-oriented and perfectionist hosts like me.) In addition, real photos are extremely, extremely important. You can even add a “real photo” logo (as shown in the picture).
3. Operations should be eye-catching and, more importantly, sincere
Complete identity verification, take real photos, enable instant booking, and respond promptly to guest inquiries. Once you start getting reviews, the stage is set – now’s your chance to shine and seize every opportunity to boost your favorable impression. Here are some additional operational tips: real photos, business travel certification, long-term stay discounts – use as many badges as possible, as they can significantly improve your ranking. This applies not only to Xiaozhu but to other platforms as well. It’s very important – highlight this point!
You need both sentiment and sincerity – one cannot do without the other. Sincerity without sentiment feels dull, while sentiment without sincerity makes the word itself seem fake and hollow.
4. The essence of service is the spirit of serving
After selecting the location, completing the renovation, and getting everything ready, you then step into the actual operational phase. Are you ready? If you think being a homestay host is all about enjoying spring blossoms, meeting interesting people, and doing fun things, sorry, I have to burst your bubble. In the end, this is a service industry, and in the service industry, you inevitably have to deal with all kinds of people. There will be happy moments, but also frustrating ones. Since you’ve chosen this line of work, you should be mentally prepared to face guests’ unusual requests, sudden calls, and unexpected problems. Think about all aspects of guests’ daily needs, make check-in foolproof and check-out pleasant, earn five-star reviews, and coordinate or personally handle cleaning to restore your beloved home to its original state.
In short, I hope future hosts who are still on the fence will truly love this endeavor and approach it with dedication. If you’re ready, you’re always welcome to join our ranks. But let me say this – it’s not hard to do something out of passion, but to maintain that passion all the way through is what’s really cool.