Inspiring Tips to Turn Your Airbnb into a Unique Stay - with Coconut Casita host Linda Roberts
When we first began listing our tiny homes on Airbnb in 2020, we were completely new to the platform and had no idea how to host a space, or what guests were looking for. To find inspiration and innovative ideas, we began searching for other Airbnb listings that really stood out to us as unique experiences. That’s when we found The Coconut Casita. We interviewed Coconut Casita host, Linda Roberts, to share some of her best hosting tips, her innovative ideas to make your Airbnb listing unique, and some of her inspiration and experiences as an Airbnb host.
The Coconut Casita ~ Instagram: @thecoconutcasita
The Coconut Casita is a 1200sq ft guest house behind an Hacienda style 4 bedroom home in Vero Beach. The guest house is surrounded by a beautiful tropical botanical garden with both fruit and flora. Guests can relax by the in ground pool and connect with host, Linda, over botanical mocktails she provides for her guests as an add on amenity. Every detail of the interior contributes to the tropical beach house vibes. Host Linda has thought of everything right down to including yoga mats for her guests to practice in this peaceful and tranquil environment. The beach house decor is complete with local products and pieces to give it a quaint and personal feel.
When we first found the Coconut Casita Airbnb listing, we were blown away by the attention to detail, the beauty, and the absolutely genius entrepreneurial ideas that Linda added to her listing. Not only did her listing stand out on the Airbnb platform, but she also (at the time) included links to a third party platform where she offered a variety of add on experiences and amenities for her guests from botanical mocktails to charcuterie boards. She added special touches like fresh fruit bowls upon arrival, and thoughtful personal notes written on the chalkboard in the kitchen to welcome her guests. Her social media page added valuable insight to guests looking for local hotspots. She used her social media presence to transport you to her Coconut Casita, making it an absolute dream wishlist vacation stay!
Linda’s beautiful botanical cocktail board, with local fruits and spirits.
We connected with Linda when we were early on in our Airbnb hosting journey, and she kindly supported us by engaging and supporting our page on Instagram and giving us tips and tricks for creating an epic add on amenity list for our guests. It was with her inspiration that we created our botanical mocktail kits, our herbal bath add-ons, boho picnic set ups, and more for our guests! She gave us the inspiration to create our social media page and ideas of what kind of content attracts guests to stay in our tiny homes!
Now, years later after admiring the Coconut Casita, we reached out to Linda to share with you some of her insightful hosting tips, her inspiration for her listing, and to share some of her experiences as an Airbnb host.
Boho Beach Interior of The Coconut Casita
Read our interview below with Coconut Casita host, Linda Roberts, about how adding small, intentional touches to your Airbnb can create a unique experience for your guests and add value to your listing.
SF: What was your background before hosting on Airbnb? Is Airbnb your full time gig or a side hustle? If it is something you do on the side, what is your full time occupation?
CC: I'm Linda and by day I am a Board Certified Lactation Consultant and Birth Worker at our local Hospital and Health Department. By night I help run the Coconut Casita. I have had the privilege at being at close to 1000 births, but only run ONE short term rental.
Guests have access to the shared inground pool at The Coconut Casita
SF: What gave you the idea to start an Airbnb and how does your experience of hosting measure up to your expectations when you first started?
CC: Years ago, I always thought it would be fun to run a bed and breakfast. I loved the idea of making lovely homemade breakfasts for guests...BUT it was just a fantasy of mine. We currently live in a Hacienda type set up (our 4 bedroom house, a 2 bedroom guesthouse (the Coconut Casita) and a barn). My Mother lived in our guesthouse for 15 years, together we had a ball creating and curating the one and a third acre garden around both houses. When my Mom passed away at the beautiful age of 89 we were left with a 1200 sf guesthouse. On a whim one night (about 3:00am!) I listed it on Airbnb. I thought we may get lucky and have a few guests. Little did I know it would fill that long ago dream of hosting guests! I loved it!
SF: One of the most unique features of your listing is your add on amenities/enhancements. What do you offer & why? What inspired you to start this idea? How do the guests respond?
CC: I learned as I went and took advantage of some great forums and collaborations on short term rentals. One was a platform that would link amenities and enhancements to the rentals. I had fun coming up with some unique ideas such as a packed beach picnic, a botanical cocktail set up using herbs and fruit from the garden, and a nibble/charcuterie welcome board full of some tropical treats. That platform has since dissolved due to Covid...but we continue to offer these "experiences" to our guests with the idea to heighten their stay and give them even more of a tropical vibe. Most guests don't want to just GO somewhere...they want to experience it. I know I do when we travel. Guests seem to love these enhancements and ask for them often. It is such fun for me to add some of our growing mulberries, loquats, pineapple and herbs or passionfruit and bananas to a nibble board or infused cocktail!
SF: Another unique feature of your listing is how you collaborate with local businesses for decor and styling as well as your add on enhancements. Can you tell us more about these collabs and how you set them up?
CC: I love the "small" town atmosphere of Vero Beach and it is very important to me to "Support Local" as well as give our guests a taste of our local and vibrant community of coffee roasters, tea shops, soap and candle companies. We stock our Casita with local soaps and shower scrubs, a variety of local teas and coffees as well as baked goods and even fresh flowers. Some of our furnishing and art is also from local artists. Some of the vendors offer us discounts, but I feel that it is both an honor and a responsibility to provide and share these local handmade goods and makers. We have become known for supporting local and some of the makers have offered their goods simply for the advertisement in our casita.
SF: With your experience as an Airbnb host, can you give us one or two of your best tips for STR hosts to make their listing unique, and add value for guests?
CC: One of my tips to other hosts is to give the guests the desire to explore. Have some genuine and personal art that has a story, books on the coffee tables to persue. We encourage our guests to explore outside and we have created many areas in the Jungle Garden to sit and read, or listen to music (we have music and seating in our Barn Bar available to guests). Additionally, I love to set the mood or the experience for the moment a guest walks in. We have some latin jazz music softly playing, lights are all on dimmers and "candles" lit (we use the luminara candles that use batteries and are on timers). Sometimes the smallest gestures can make a big impact...the simplicity of a hand written welcome note, for instance.
The Jungle Garden outdoor patio at the Coconut Casita
SF: Can you share with us one of your most fond memories while hosting a guest, or your favorite part of being a host ?
CC: It has been a true blast hosting guests at the Casita. We have had several engagements, an elopement and numerous baby showers and bridesmaids gatherings. We have hosted famous bands and authors as well as the news show 20/20 who booked the Coconut Casita for an interview. But my favorite are the lovely, respectful guests that remind us that their stay was magical. We love curating a little magic :)
You can follow the Coconut Casita on Instagram at @thecoconutcasita or book a stay on Airbnb here!