Categories
Hosting Tips

6 Simple Items to Add to Your Home for Happy Guests

There are tons of homes and apartments listed on Airbnb, but not all of them have owners that go the extra mile for their guests. Guests can tell when an owner puts time and energy into designing a space that fits their needs. Check out our list below for 6 items that can make your space stand out from all the rest.

  1. Guidebook to your city

Many of your guests will have never been to the city where you live, so it’s helpful for them to have a reference guide to the sights and spots they’ll want to check out. Throw in a couple maps for them to take with them on their adventures; although many younger guests will probably rely on their phones for navigation, older guests or those not particularly tech-savvy will appreciate the thought.

  1. Extra pillows and blankets

You don’t want cold guests. Make sure to have a heavy blanket (a down comforter or thick quilt) for each bed, along with several throw blankets for extra chilly nights or lounging on the couch. You do want guests to get a good night’s sleep. It’s not a bad idea to have a few extra pillows in the closet, of varying firmness, to make sure your guests sleep well and have the energy to explore the city, have a great trip, and write you a phenomenal review.

  1. Fresh flowers and plants

Your guests have chosen to stay at your place instead of a hotel or hostel. It’s nice to create a home-away-from-home atmosphere, and one of the easiest ways to do this is to add a couple of plants. They can be cut flowers in a vase in the living room, an orchid in the bedroom, even a cluster of succulents in the kitchen—just something to show your guests that the space is colorful and healthy.

  1. Your personal contact information

You’ve already provided this to your guests when they booked your property through Airbnb, but writing out your name and phone number somewhere in your home shows that you’re willing to help with anything that comes up during their stay. Hopefully nothing does—but seeing your contact info when they walk in will make your guests feel like you’re an attentive host who cares about their experience in your home.

  1. A (short) list of local restaurants and bars

Once again, your guests probably have extensive lists of where to dine, drink, and shop on their phones and computers, but it’s still a nice touch to pick out a few of your own favorite spots. Maybe there’s a local coffee shop that makes the best latte, or a steak joint that’s to die for right down the street. Let your guests know—they’ll appreciate it. A good place for this info is right next to your contact information.

  1. A special touch, like your favorite coffee from a local shop

This final item is more on the optional side, but going out of your way to pick up something (cheap) like a bag of coffee beans or a box of chocolates will make your guests remember their stay at your place. The most important thing is that your guests feel well taken care of, and a small unexpected gift sitting on the counter when they walk in is the easiest way to accomplish this.

Don’t spend a ton of money or go completely out of your way to find special items for each guest, but a little extra thought here and there will make your guests have a memorable experience staying at your place—and will make them more likely to stay at your home again in the future and recommend it to their friends.

Categories
Travel

No Car? No Worries. A Guide to Getting Around Denver Without a Vehicle.

With the rise of parking garage fees and the hassle of running out of the bar to feed the meter every two hours, you might be better off ditching the rental car on your trip to Denver. Luckily, there are tons of options for getting around the Mile High City, all of which are cheaper and more convenient than renting a car. Check out our top picks below and start exploring all of the best of Denver.

Our top choices: Lyft & Uber

It’s never been easier to get to where you need to go in the Denver metro area—usually for under $15. Download the Lyft and Uber apps on your phone and request a driver within minutes. Tipping is optional, and sharing your ride with a few friends makes the fare even cheaper. This is the perfect solution for getting home from the bars after you’ve had a few too many drinks to drive. And an extra bonus: enter the code “EFFORTLESS” into the Lyft app to get $50 in free rides!

Cost: Depends on distance of trip and inflation at peak times, but most one-way trips in the metro area fall between $5 and $20.

For more info: https://www.lyft.com/cities/denver and https://www.uber.com/cities/denver/

car2go

The ideal choice for when you have a few errands to run in an afternoon and want your car to be waiting for you when you return, car2go is a rental program in which you pay only for the time when you’re actually driving the car. Sign up and they’ll send you a membership card, then use the car2go app to find one of their smart cars parked all around the city. Just walk up to the car, scan your card, get into the car, and do what you need to do. The best part is that you don’t have to return the car to a specific place—as long as you’re in the Denver metro area in a legal spot, you’re fine. There are even reserved car2go spots in some parking lots and garages downtown.

Cost: $35 for a lifetime membership and $0.41/minute. On special right now for $10/hour and $50/day. No parking, insurance, or gas fees.

For more info: https://www.car2go.com/US/en/denver/

Zipcar

Zipcar is a similar concept as car2go, but is better for driving trips planned far in advance because there is a minimum driving time of one hour and you must park the car in its original spot. Both car2go and Zipcar use membership cards that enable you to unlock any car in the city, as long as it is not already reserved. The pricing is comparable to car2go, but Zipcar makes more sense for round trips than quick one-way journeys.

Cost: $25 application fee, $7/month (unless you log $50 a month), and $8-$10 per hour. No parking, insurance, or gas fees.

For More Info: https://www.zipcar.com/denver

B-Cycle

Denver’s main bike sharing program, B-Cycle makes it possible for you to get to where you’re going and get in some exercise at the same time. There are 88 stations and 700 bikes in the Denver metro area, so you’ll always be close to a pickup and return location. Each trip from station to station is limited to 30 minutes (except for members with the annual pass)—any additional time will incur overtime charges. With 24-hour, monthly, and annual passes, there are plenty of options for exploring Denver while getting your heart pumping.

Cost: 24 Hour Pass: $9 (unlimited 30-minute trips for 24 hours), Flex Pass: $15/year & $3 for every 30-minute ride, Monthly Pass: $15/month (unlimited 30-minute trips all month), Annual Pass: $135/year (unlimited 60-minute trips all year).watch film Fifty Shades Darker now

For more info: https://denver.bcycle.com/

RTD Light Rail

Affordable and convenient, the light rail is a great way to get around Denver—especially if you’re headed somewhere special like Sports Authority Field for a Broncos game or the Theatre District for a show. There are 53 stations in Denver, and many are centrally located at Denver hotspots like the Pepsi Center and 16th Street Mall. And with the addition of the new $9 A-line going directly from Union Station to DIA, it couldn’t be simpler for both locals and tourists to get to the airport.

Cost: Local Pass: $2.60 (1-2 zones), Regional Pass: $4.50 (3 zones), Airport Pass: $9

For more info: https://www.rtd-denver.com/lightrail.shtml