In episode 102 of The STR Data Lab, Jamie Lane, Chief Economist at AirDNA, welcomes Minoan CEO Marc Hostovsky for an insightful discussion on furnishing short-term rentals. This episode is all about optimizing the furniture in your Airbnb or short-term rental property to improve both the guest experience and your bottom line.

Jamie, a Minoan user himself, shares his personal journey using the platform to find the best furniture for his short-term rental. Minoan helps hosts access high-quality, discounted products from over 150 well-known brands, including Wayfair, West Elm, and Samsung. Marc explains how Minoan simplifies the shopping process for hosts, offering them exclusive deals and a centralized ordering system that keeps track of every item across multiple brands.

Here’s what you can expect from this episode:

• Learn how thoughtful design enhances guest experiences and leads to higher occupancy rates and rental income.
• Discover Minoan’s digital showroom, which allows hosts to display the products used in their STRs and earn commissions if guests choose to buy those products after their stay.
• Dive into the nuances of furnishing your Airbnb efficiently, from the best furniture for short-term rentals to the importance of balancing functionality and aesthetics.

By the end of this episode, you’ll have a clear understanding of how to furnish your short-term rental property for success, using strategies that Marc has seen help hundreds of hosts achieve exceptional returns on their investments.

Episode Highlights:

Introduction

Jamie kicks off the episode by sharing his personal experience furnishing his short-term rental using Minoan, emphasizing the platform's convenience and the cost savings hosts can achieve. He mentions how furnishing an Airbnb can be a daunting task, especially when you need to outfit a property from scratch. Minoan’s ability to organize orders from multiple suppliers into one seamless system has been a game-changer for him.

What is Minoan?

Marc explains that Minoan is a purchasing and supplier management platform specifically designed for short-term rental operators. Minoan provides market-leading discounts on products from top brands like Pottery Barn, West Elm, Oxo, and Samsung, giving STR hosts a professional edge.

According to Marc, Minoan’s universal cart system is designed to make it easier for hosts to manage multiple purchases from different suppliers in one place. For busy STR hosts like Jamie, this is particularly valuable as it simplifies logistics, especially when they’re ordering dozens (or even hundreds) of individual items for a rental property.

The Role of Thoughtful Design in Short-Term Rentals

One of the major themes in this episode is the role of thoughtful design in the success of short-term rentals. Marc highlights that hosts who invest in curated design and high-quality furniture for short-term rentals tend to see higher occupancy rates, better guest reviews, and more repeat bookings. “Design is more than just a nice-to-have,” Marc says. “It’s central to the guest experience. Guests notice when a space feels well-thought-out, and it impacts how they perceive their entire stay.”

Minoan helps hosts create these experiences affordably, allowing them to access high-end brands at a fraction of the cost. This enables even smaller operators to deliver an elevated experience without blowing their budget.

Marc notes that as the short-term rental industry becomes more competitive, good design is no longer optional. Hosts who prioritize both real estate and hospitality—by creating inviting spaces that guests love—will stand out in the market. He draws a parallel between the growth of the STR market and the early days of Amazon, where businesses that prioritized design and customer experience rose to the top.

Minoan’s Digital Showroom: Monetize Your Rental’s Furniture

A standout feature of Minoan is its digital showroom, where hosts can showcase the products they’ve used in their rental properties. If a guest enjoys a particular item—like a bed, coffee maker, or even kitchen utensils—they can purchase it directly through the host’s digital showroom.

Jamie shares his excitement over this feature, noting how it adds a whole new revenue stream for hosts. Instead of seeing furniture as a necessary expense, hosts can use it to generate additional income. Marc emphasizes how this feature turns furnishing costs into a profit center, providing hosts with commissions on guest purchases.

By creating a unique, personalized experience for guests, hosts can strengthen their relationship with them while boosting their overall revenue per booking. “You’re not just making money from bookings anymore,” Marc explains. “You’re making money from the products that people love during their stay.”

Overcoming Challenges in the Short-Term Rental Industry

While Minoan offers clear benefits to STR operators, Marc acknowledges that the industry faces unique challenges—particularly its fragmented nature. Unlike traditional hospitality, where large hotel chains dominate, short-term rentals are mostly operated by independent hosts, each with their own methods and tools. This makes it difficult to create uniform solutions across the industry.

To address this, Marc explains how Minoan is working to professionalize the STR industry by offering a streamlined shopping experience that makes it easier for hosts to manage their properties efficiently. He also highlights the importance of local economies, noting that many Minoan hosts integrate local products into their digital showrooms, which benefits both their rental business and the community.

Actionable Tips for Furnishing an Airbnb

Marc shares several actionable tips for hosts looking to furnish their STRs:

Invest in durable, high-quality furniture for high-use areas like the living room, dining room, and bedroom. These are the spaces where guests spend the most time, and uncomfortable or poorly designed furniture will almost always lead to negative reviews.

Balance aesthetics with functionality. While it’s important to have a visually appealing space, you should also prioritize items that will stand up to frequent use, such as performance-grade fabrics and easy-to-clean materials.

Start small with your design updates. If you’re not ready to fully redesign your STR, consider upgrading key areas that will make the biggest impact, such as the bed and sofa. These are focal points in your property and can significantly affect a guest’s experience.

Use Minoan’s centralized ordering system to simplify the process of managing multiple purchases from different suppliers. Instead of juggling orders from 10 different websites, hosts can use Minoan to place all their orders in one cart, track everything in one place, and save time.

Leverage your property’s design to generate income. With Minoan’s digital showroom, you can create an additional revenue stream by allowing guests to purchase the products they loved during their stay.

The Future of Short-Term Rental Furnishings

Towards the end of the episode, Marc teases the potential for future collaborations between Minoan and platforms like AirDNA, where data insights could be integrated to help hosts make more informed decisions about furniture for short-term rentals. He imagines a world where hosts can look at their AirDNA data, cross-reference it with their furnishing choices, and determine exactly which investments will yield the highest returns.

This vision underscores Marc’s belief that the short-term rental industry is evolving quickly—and that those who stay ahead of the curve by focusing on design and guest experience will be the most successful.

Read our blog article on Airbnb furniture for more information on this topic!

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