Remote work is here to stay, and it’s more important than ever to make sure that your vacation rental is appealing for workations and distance learning. The best vacation rentals will attract digital nomads, that is, those that travel most or all of the time and work from wherever they happen to be. If the term conjures images of young people with tattered backpacks, think again. Today’s digital nomads tend to be high earners, mature, and Airbnb experts.
(Pst, if becoming a digital nomad sounds pretty great, check out Selfish Forever, a humor column by writer Ash Ambirge. It’s pretty great. So great, in fact, that it inspired this post 😀)
Digital nomads or not, long-term stays of 28 days or more are the fastest growing category of short-term rental stays, according to AirBnb’s 2022 Q1 financial report. With this trend, chances are that your guests need more than a place to answer a few emails. With 35% of Americans having the option to work remotely 100% of the time, you’ll have a competitive advantage if you can show that you’ve got at least one place where at least one guest can get in a full day of work in a stylish and comfortable dedicated workspace.
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Table of Contents
How to Design a Vacation Rental Workspace: What Digital Nomads Want
Objectively Great WiFi
The next time you’re at your vacation rental, test the internet speed by searching for “internet speed test” on your laptop, tablet, or phone. (If you’re using Google their speed test will pop up first.), Run the test, then screengrab the result. Post to screengrab as a photo to your listings. Guests won’t have to just take your word for it that your wifi is fast, which can be critical if they have to teach a class online, download videos, or do any number of internet-dependent tasks. Of course, if your results aren’t great, do what you can to improve them first.
Light, Bright, and Calm
For those that spend much of their time in video meetings, vacation rentals have a huge two huge advantages over hotels: natural light and quiet. (Check out this post about hotels vs. vacation rentals.) Lots of natural light tells your guests that they can participate in video meetings without looking like a poltergeist.
Make sure that advantage comes through in your listings, especially your photos. Keep your interiors open and uncluttered, use pops of color to attract the eye, and hire a photographer whose style is bright and cheerful. In your description, tell your guests about how quiet your rental and neighborhood are (if they are), and point out any special features, like soundproofing or triple-paned windows.
Good Design
One of the best things about remote work is not being stuck in an ugly office. Inspire your guests to do their best work with well-designed interiors that stand out from the competition. Need a little help?
Dedicated Workspace
If you’ve got the room for it, set up a dedicated workspace somewhere with a door that closes. The dining table will do in a pinch, but if your guests are putting in full workdays having to put all of their work stuff away at dinnertime will get old fast.
Comfort and Flexibility
Even if you have a dedicated workspace, your working guests will want to roam around sometime. Look for dining chairs and barstools with cushions and backs and make sure tables don’t wobble. Add a couple of lightweight C-style tables to your living room so that laptops can go anywhere.
Outdoor Workspace
Test the wifi outside and put a table and comfortable chairs somewhere the signal is strong. Be sure to photograph the setup to get your potential guests excited about answering their morning emails outside.
How to Cover the Basics of Vacation Rental Workspace Design
These are the basics you should have for a remote work-friendly short-term rental. ⭐Bonus points for positioning the desk in front of a window. Your guests will appreciate the natural light for video conferencing in addition to the view.
Good WiFi
We’ve covered this one. Get good WiFi and show don’t tell.
A Sturdy Desk
Deeper is better, but a narrow desk is better than no desk. Note: if the desk has a wood top, consider having a piece of glass cut to protect it.
A Comfortable Chair
Comfort matters! Make sure it’s comfortable enough to sit in all day.
A Desk Lamp
Self-explanatory.
Outlets Within Reach
If they’re not, make it so with a desktop USB and power hub.
How to Level Up Your Vacation Rental Workspace
If you want to show your digital nomads that you really understand them and their needs, think about the things that will make their workday easier. These amenities are rare and are likely to elicit glowing reviews.
A Zoom-Friendly Background
Talking to your colleagues with a bed in the background can feel like an overshare. Position the desk so the background is attractive but unobtrusive.
A View
If you can, desk the in front of a window with a sheer drape. They will appreciate the reminder of how beautiful your location is and feel less trapped by work. Add a drape or a shade so that they can control the light. (Avoid west-facing windows which may have too much afternoon glare.)
Dual-Sided HDMI Cable
Your tech-savvy guests will be thrilled that you have this. It will allow them to use your TV as a monitor.
Adapters and Converters
If you frequently have international guests, supply them with adaptors.
USB and USB-C Chargers and Cables
Chances are, you won’t have to buy these, as guests often leave them behind.
Monitor
Chances are that your guests will be too worried about security to use a vacation rental desktop computer for work. A monitor, however, will be a greatly appreciated luxury for road warriors who’ve been squinting at a small laptop screen for most of their digital nomad lives. You might also want to include a USB to HDMI cable (check your monitor’s specs).
Sturdy, Deep Desk
If you’ve got the room, a desk that’s deeper than a writing desk will be welcome. Look for a desk that’s at least 30” deep and keep it clear of a lot of accessories. Note: a small dining table can work well as a desk.
Adjustable Chair
Your guests come in all shapes and sizes and they’ll appreciate the ability to customize the chair where they’ll be spending many of their waking hours.
WiFi Connected Printer
Choose a laser printer with wifi connectivity. Toner cartridges need to be changed far less frequently than inkjet cartridges. Supply a ream of paper and an extra toner cartridge as well.
Basket of Office Supplies
Put a basket together with a stapler, tape, hole punch, multi-colored sticky notes, pens and pencils, and a blank notebook. Your guests will be thrilled with your thoughtfulness and it will show in your reviews.
More than One Workspace
Lots of digital nomads travel with partners who are also working from the road. Avoid squabbles over who gets the good workspace by giving them two. Families traveling with remote learning kids will appreciate it also.
Bed Tray
I mean, who doesn’t like working from bed?
Local Guide
Put together a guide to nearby laptop-friendly cafes, rentable workspaces, libraries, Amazon hubs, and print-and-ship stores. Yes, that’s information they can find on their own, but they will be thrilled that they don’t have to. Add it as a section to your digital guidebook and make printed copies.
How to Have the Absolute Best Vacation Rental Workspace, Period.
If you want to go from work-friendly to the Airbnb digital nomads “must rent”, consider offering a few premium add-ons. It’s a fantastic niche marketing opportunity. Make it a rentable add-on bundle that stays in storage until requested to avoid damage.
Ring Light on a Tripod
People who work while traveling likely work across multiple time zones, and a ring light will ensure that they look good on camera no matter what time of day. If you choose a ring light on a tripod your guests can use it anywhere. ⭐Pro tip: if you’re providing this, make sure your Zoom-friendly background doesn’t have reflective surfaces (like glass.)
Podcast Microphone
I mean, who doesn’t have a podcast these days? A microphone is critical but bulky to lug around while traveling.
Whiteboard
Lots of people like to do their brainstorming on a whiteboard. If you’ve got the room to store it, offer it. You’ll be one of the only vacation rentals that do. Include dry-erase markers and multi-colored sticky notes in your office amenities basket. ⭐Pro tip: choose a magnetic board so that guests can stick the greenscreen to it. ☟☟☟
Portable Green Screen
Choose a collapsible model. It will be much easier to store and you can stick it to the whiteboard with magnets. Provide magnets, of course.
Is your vacation rental ready for more remote working guests? What do you think about offering a digital nomad add-on? Comment below and let us know!
