Managing your own Airbnb in Oregon can be rewarding—but also exhausting. If your bookings feel unpredictable or your inbox is always full, you’re not alone. Many owners hit a ceiling managing everything themselves. Or when life gets busy feel like the novelty may have worn off.
That’s why we created this guide: 13 field-tested, guest-pleasing tips to improve your Airbnb performance and ease your workload. Use these to boost bookings—or better yet, hand the reins to a trusted local partner like Cascadia Getaways.
1. Enable Instant Book
Instant Book increases visibility in Airbnb search results and improves conversion. Set guest criteria to maintain control while streamlining the process. Airbnb and other Online Travel Agencies (OTA) heavily reward instant booking on their sites.
2. Market to Niche Travelers
Tailor your listing to attract ideal guests:
- Remote workers: Fast Wi-Fi, desks, cafés nearby. Include a picture of your listing’s workspace. Include in the description internet speeds and highlight good cafes to work from nearby.
- Corporate or Insurance Stays: Home like amenities, spices, laundry. Corporate travelers, insurance relocation or traveling nurses look for amenities to feel at home during longer stays. Set up your long term stay discounts as well.
- Couples: Hot tubs, cozy lighting, romantic packages. Use emotional words in your description to highlight the experience. Think of amenities such as lighting, fire place pictures or how to make the hot tub photos more inviting.
- Eco-conscious guests: EV charger, Solar power, recycling, sustainable furnishings. If you have these highlight them! Consider adding an EV charger to attract a new type of guest and ease range anxiety.
- Families: Baby gear, fenced yards, kid-friendly games. Highlight what makes your home perfect for families and include photos of family friendly amenities. Make sure your home is child safe if you are pushing the family angle.
3. Welcome Families
Add kid-friendly amenities like:
- Pack ’n Plays and high chairs
- Children’s books or games
- Fenced yards and baby gates
Make sure to have safety in mind! Does the hot tub lid lock, are there outlet covers etc.
4. Offer Flexible Cancellation
Guests feel safer booking with moderate or flexible policies. This is especially effective for last-minute or international bookings. Airbnb and other OTAs heavily reward flexibilitiy cancellation policy. Booking windows have been shrinking and guests increasingly seek more flexibility.
You may have that occasional cancelation but bookings and guest peace of mind often outweigh this.
5. Test One-Night Stays
Lowering your minimum stay can fill calendar gaps and improve occupancy. Consider a rules based approach to this for near term bookings, gap nights or orphan nights. Pricing tools can help automate this process or use built in Airbnb settings.
6. Use Gap Night Discounts
Use automated messages to offer same-day gap nights at a discount to maximize your calendar. Offer to extend their stay with a discount or turn on special promotions for those dates.
7. Communicate Proactively
Share welcome info like:
- Self check-in instructions
- Parking and Wi-Fi
- Favorite local spots
Airbnb and other OTAs reward guest experience. Get fanatical about the guest experience and it will show.
8. Prioritize Cleanliness
Great reviews start with a spotless stay. Use tools like EZCare or Breezeway to automate turnover tasks and manage supplies if you manage more than one property.
Cascadia Getaways leverages operational tools and their team of professional cleaners to consistently prioritize cleanliness!
9. Add Personalized Touches
Surprise guests with:
- Handwritten notes
- Welcome snacks
- Local coffee or wine
These build emotional connections—and better reviews. They also allow you to have your personality show.
10. Ask for Reviews
A friendly follow-up boosts response rates. Try:
“Thanks for staying with us! If you enjoyed it, would you leave a quick review? It really helps.”
Our business is built on the back of reviews! You can test different messaging to see how it resonates. We automate leaving guest reviews and asking for guest reviews!
11. Offer Off-Season Incentives
Fill shoulder seasons with:
- Weekly discounts
- Repeat guest perks
- Local event tie-ins
At Cascadia Getaways we stay in front of or past guests with regular email marketing highlighting events, offer guests a repeat discount and re-target on social media.
12. Partner with Local Businesses
Add value and visibility by offering discounts with nearby cafés, tour operators, or wellness centers. Share and support your local community with guests. This helps drive repeat business and recommendations.
13. Simplify Your Pricing
High cleaning or pet fees deter bookings. Ensure your fee profile and rates are competitive. Analyze your comparable homes to understand what a guest would compare your listing against. Track their pacing and update as needed.
Cascadia Getaways have over a decade of short term rental revenue management experience to drive our homeowners more revenue. Want to learn how? We’d love to share!
Feeling Stretched Thin?
Running an Airbnb is a full-time job. If you’re tired of late-night messages, staying on top of pricing and market trends, maintenance and coordinating cleaners, it might be time to explore property management.
At Cascadia Getaways, we help Oregon homeowners:
- Automate operations with EZCare and smart home tools
- Optimize pricing and listings across platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking, Saavy, Expedia and our direct booking site
- Deliver personalized hospitality 24/7 that drives 5-star reviews
And because we’re locally owned and employee-operated, you’ll always work with people who know your property—and your community.
Want to Talk?
Whether you’re looking to free up your time or just want your weekends back, we’re here to help.
Schedule a free homeowner consult today!
FAQ: How to Increase Bookings on Airbnb
How do I get my Airbnb listing to show up more often?
Use Instant Book, respond quickly, update your calendar regularly, and include high-quality photos with detailed descriptions. Airbnb optimizes for personalized conversion so focus on conversion and selling your listing to your target customer. Cascadia Getaways optimizes listings, descriptions for conversion on not just Airbnb but all booking channels we list on!
Why am I not getting bookings on Airbnb?
Common issues include high prices, poor photos, slow responses, or not meeting guest expectations. Also check your reviews—negative feedback can deter future guests. Make sure to refresh your listing regularly, have up to date high resolution photos and regularly check your rates against comparable homes. Make sure to action less than 5 star reviews to comfort new guests and respond quickly to guests. Cascadia Getaways does all of this and more on Airbnb, as well as invest heavily into our own direct booking website to capture more repeat guests.
What can I do to boost bookings during the off-season?
Lower your rates, offer discounts for longer stays, collaborate with local businesses, and make your listing cozy and seasonally appealing. Reach out to past guests with special offers. Cascadia Getaways captures all guest emails through StayFi to re-market to all past guests and drive repeat direct bookings. Evaluate other listing sites in case Airbnb’s new experiences and services become distracting to guests.
Should I list on sites besides Airbnb?
Yes! Use platforms like Vrbo, Booking.com, Saavy or create your own direct booking website. The more visibility, the better. Bookings are the result of impressions (eyeballs) times conversion, the more impressions you have your more bookings you will get! Cascadia Getaways lists on many channels in addition to Airbnb from the ones above to HomeToGo, Whimstay, our direct site and more!
Want to learn more? Schedule a no pressure conversation to learn more about our industry!