What Amenities Should An Airbnb Have?

What amenities should an Airbnb have? First, you must supply basic amenities, also known as Airbnb Essentials. They are basic items that every guest expects during their stay such as soap, toilet paper, pillows, and so on.

Second, it’s a good idea to include extra amenities such as WiFi, a hair dryer, iron, first aid kit, and such. Last, luxury items such as free breakfast, washer and dryer, air conditioning, and the like.

In fact, as of 2023, Airbnb has a list of 14 amenity categories available for hosts. I have gone through that list in detail and will show you the must have amenities for your Airbnb.

Airbnb Amenities List

Creating your Airbnb amenities list is a daunting task, but you must get it right.

In this section, I will summarise the 14 categories and explain what I find the most important, based on my eight years of experience as an Airbnb host.

#1 – Airbnb Essential Amenities

There are no ifs or buts, if you want to succeed on Airbnb, you must include essential amenities.

Sure, it all costs money, but you are literally costing yourself money by not doing these things. And anyway, buying basic amenities is not that expensive to be honest.

So let me explain the basic Airbnb amenities first, the absolute essentials:

What are Aribnb Essential Amenities?

So what are Airbnb Essential Amenities? At the bare minimum, all guests will expect toilet paper, hand and body soap, towels and linen.

Additionally, Airbnb recommends cleaning supplies such as gloves, surface cleaner and wipes.

Include the following amenities in your Airbnb:

One towel per guest
One pillow per guest
Linen for each guest bed
Disposable paper towels
Disposable gloves
Multi-surface cleaner
Disinfectant wipes or spray
Antibacterial hand sanitiser

Airbnb strongly encourages you to provide these amenities, which they outline in their guidelines. Not doing so will lead to a probable drop in the search rankings.

All these items are available for as little as $50 USD, which is less than the cost of a booking. You’d be crazy not to include them! If you are budget conscious, check out my article on furnishing on a budget.

#2 – Popular Airbnb Amenities Ideas

Now we have got the essentials out of the way, what else do Airbnb’s usually provide?

First, you should provide an iron, hair dryer, shampoo and coat hangers. Second, stock the kitchen with cutlery, pots and pans, bowls and plates, etc.

Oh, and don’t forget free Wifi internet! I have a guide on how to get fast Airbnb internet speed, plus the best modems as of 2023.

These are basic items that help make your guests stay a lot more comfortable, plus they’re cheap! Think of these amenities as common items that guests will search for and use filters to find.

Popular Airbnb amenity ideas:

Cooking basics (pots & pans, oil, salt & pepper)
Dishes & cutlery (bowls, chopsticks, plates, cups, etc)
Heating (split system, portable heater, etc)
Coat hangers
Air conditioning
Hair dryer
Television
Free Wifi
Television
Hot tub
Washing machine
Swimming pool

Providing extra amenities will improve your Airbnb rankings too, which I will explain.

The properties that seem to rank well are ones that offer the amenities I listed above. This excellent study on Reddit also shows a study done on the Airbnb search algorithm.

I personally have noticed my Airbnb listings jump in the rankings since I’ve added some of the above amenities. I am confident you will too if you add some of them and make your property more attractive.

#3 – Bathroom Amenities for Airbnb

Providing the right amenities in your bathroom is crucial, which is why I have it so high on this list. In my Airbnb’s, I always provide my guests with high end amenities to ensure I satisfy guests.

At the very least you should provide a hair dryer, body soap, shampoo and conditioner and shower gel.

Ideas for stocking your bathroom:

Bathtub
Bidet
Hair dryer
Body soap
Shower gel
Cleaning products
Shampoo
Conditioner
Hot water
Outdoor shower

Airbnb also give you an option to select a bathtub, a bidet, hot water and an outdoor shower as well. While these aren’t essential, it all helps.

#4 – Bedroom & Laundry Amenities

Airbnb covers bedroom and laundry amenities under one category. It’s another area that you must nail.

For starters, you must provide guests with towels, bed linen, pillows and toilet paper. I have written an article on the best towels for Airbnb to get you started.

In addition, I have extra pillows and blankets stored in the wardrobe for my guests. I find this is well received and leads to good reviews.

Amenity ideas for your bedroom & laundry

Essentials (towels, bed sheets, soap, toilet paper & pillows)
Bed linen
Clothing storage
Drying rack for clothing
Extra pillows and blankets
Coat hangers
Iron
Mosquito net
Black-out blinds
Safe
Washing machine
Dryer

Also consider often overlooked things such as an iron, black-out blinds and hangers. Airbnb also allows you to select a mosquito net and a safe, which is handy.

A washing machine and dryer, while not essential, is well worth considering. They are an expensive purchase, but it will lead to an increase in bookings.

#5 – Entertainment

Airbnb recently updated the entertainment amenities list in late 2023. So I have gone through and collated that updated list for you, to save time.

Ideas for entertainment in your Airbnb:

Arcade games
Batting cage
Books and reading material
Bowling alley
Climbing wall
Ethernet connection
Exercise equipment
Game console
Laser tag
Life-size games
Mini golf
Movie theatre
Piano
Ping pong table
Pool table
Record player
Skate ramp
Sound system
Theme room
Television

That’s a pretty crazy list of Airbnb amenities, I bet you’re thinking. Remember, you don’t need to provide this stuff, these are available options that you can select, if you wish.

At the very least, I recommend you provide a television, but that should go without saying.

Books and reading material such as magazines and newspapers are also worth considering. As for the other crazy stuff, go for it if you like!

#6 – Airbnb Amenities for Families

Airbnb is a popular platform for families, given how expensive hotels are nowadays. So stocking your property with the right family amenities will give you an edge in the search engine.

I market one of my Airbnb’s with a target audience of families, so I provide much of the list below to my guests. It absolutely leads to more bookings and gives me an edge over my competition.

At the very least, though, you should provide a cot, children’s books and a high chair. It may surprise you how many bookings you miss out on by not providing these essentials.

Ideas list for family related amenities:

Baby bath
Baby monitor
Children’s bikes
Children’s playroom
Baby safety gates
Babysitter recommendations
Changing table
Children’s books and toys
Children’s tableware
Cot
Fireplace screens
High chair
Outdoor playground (with structures for children)
Powerpoint covers
Pack’n play / Travel cot
Table corner guards
Window guards

The list above is currently what Airbnb allows you to provide your guests, as of 2023. While not essential, you should give serious thought to offering these amenities.

#7 – Heating & Cooling your Airbnb

I could write for days on the importance of heating and cooling your Airbnb.

In fact, I have written an article on how to get more Airbnb bookings in winter by focusing on heating amenities.

As of 2023, Airbnb allows you five options in this category including. You should take this category very seriously, as it will have a direct impact on your ranking.

Heating and cooling options:

Air conditioning
Ceiling fans
Heating
Indoor fireplace
Portable fans

While an indoor fireplace may not be applicable to you, things like portable fans are well worth the investment.

I also recommend investing in an air conditioner. One of my properties did not have one and it was affecting my bookings and my reviews. Once installed, it made a big difference to my bookings and reviews!

#8 – Home Safety Amenities

Taking basic safety precautions can help protect your guests, as well as your home.

Airbnb allows you to select four items in this category, as of 2023. Those items include a carbon monoxide alarm, fire extinguisher, first aid kit and a smoke alarm.

Ensure you provide these four safety options:

Carbon monoxide alarm
Fire extinguisher
First Aid kit
Smoke alarm

There’s not much else to say here, you should include all four without hesitation. In fact, some of these options are mandatory by law in many states.

My article on Airbnb safety is also worth a read, which will assist you on this topic.

#9 – Internet & Office

Airbnb has made it no secret they reward hosts who provide guests with a remote workspace.

You can read more about how to make your space comfortable for remote workers here.

Amenity ideas for your workspace

Dedicated workspace
Pocket Wifi
Highspeed Wifi

In summary, a dedicated workspace includes having a desk, along with highspeed internet. Remote workers will be looking for good lighting, ergonomic support and office supplies.

I like to provide my guests with a printer and paper, as well as a computer monitor which they can connect their laptop to. A coffee maker and tea kettle is also a nice touch to add.

#10 – Kitchen & Dining Amenities

In 2023, Airbnb updated its kitchen amenities list with a raft of new options for hosts to choose from.

I recommend adding as many of these options to your Airbnb listing as possible, as it will give you a rankings boost.

Also, check out this page for some good info on stocking a kitchen. This Reddit discussion has some helpful advice that may be of use as well.

Airbnb kitchen amenities checklist ideas:

Baking sheet
Barbecue utensils (grill, charcoal, bamboo skewers, etc)
Bread maker
Blender
Coffee
Coffee maker
Dining table
Dishes and cutlery
Dishwasher
Freezer
Hot water kettle
Kitchen (to cook meals)
Kitchenette (to heat up meals)
Oven
Microwave
Mini fridge
Refrigerator
Rice maker
Stove
Toaster
Rubbish compactor
Wine glasses

Purchasing these amenities may cost you a bit to begin with, but trust me, it will pay off in the long run with all the extra bookings you receive!

Visit the Bnb Duck store for an Airbnb kitchen checklist to help you get started!

#11 – Location Features

For many Airbnb hosts, this section will not be relevant. The location features category relates to properties near beaches, lakes, ski resorts, etc.

Location amenities (as of 2023)

Beach access
Lake access
Laundromat nearby
Private entrance
Resort access
Skin-In and Ski-Out
Waterfront

I recommend advertising if there is a laundromat nearby, especially if you don’t provide a washing machine and dryer.

If you have a private entrance, be sure to click that option.

#12 – Outdoor Airbnb Amenities

Now we’re getting to the more niche Airbnb amenities, with the outdoor category.

As you can see from the list below, this covers things like outdoor dining, furniture, kitchen, etc.

Outdoor amenities ideas:

Backyard
BBQ grill
Beach essentials (towels, umbrella, blanket, snorkeling gear)
Bikes
Boat ramp
Firepit
Hammock
Kayak
Outdoor dining area
Outdoor furniture
Outdoor kitchen
Patio or balcony
Sun loungers

Many of these options will not be applicable to a lot of Airbnb hosts, but there are some you should consider if you can.

If you have an outdoor area, be sure to stock it as well as you possibly can. Outdoor furniture and dining are important, especially in warmer climates. Potential guests will be searching for these things via the search filter.

#13 – Parking & Facilities

Again, these amenities are more niche and only suitable to specific types of Airbnb’s.

But as of 2023, Airbnb allows you to select the following amenities checklist for parking and facilities:

Amenities for parking & facilities

Lift
EV charger
Free parking on premises
Paid parking on premises
Paid parking off premises
Hockey rink
Gym
Hot tub
Pool
Sauna

#14 – Airbnb Services

And last but not least, these are the additional services that Airbnb currently allow you to provide.

Things such as breakfast and a cleaning service during a guest’s stay. You can also allow a luggage drop off so that guests can store their luggage before or after a stay.

Ideas for Airbnb service amenities

Breakfast
Cleaning available during stay
Long term stays allowed (28 days or more)
Luggage drop-off allowed (allow guests to store luggage)

If you want to attract longer term guests of 28 days or more, this is the section on the Airbnb website you do it on.

What do you put in an Airbnb Welcome Pack?

What do you put in an Airbnb welcome pack? First, start with an Airbnb house manual or guestbook. This will include a welcome note, local maps, restaurant recommendations and local tips. Breakfast supplies, snacks and flowers are also a nice little touch that I like to add.

I personally like to leave my guests little chocolates and a bottle of wine, or some bottles of water. The purpose is to create a great first impression, which leads to a better experience during their stay.

Other things you can add to an Airbnb welcome pack include a list of books, movies, or specialty bath products.

If you need help with an Airbnb guestbook, feel free to download a free copy now in Word and PDF format.

Airbnb Welcome Pack ideas

House manual/guestbook
Breakfast supplies (cereal, bread, spreads, etc)
Local tips (restaurants, attractions, local maps, etc)
Snacks & drinks (chocolate, wine, water bottles, etc)
Specialty products (shampoos, soaps, bath products, etc)
Book & movie recommendations

What are high-end Airbnb amenities?

What are high-end Airbnb amenities? This can include things like arranged transportation or a custom stocked fridge. In addition, items like a private chef, wine cellar, hot tub or jacuzzi, or smart home features also fall under luxury amenities on Airbnb.

Below is a checklist of 20 ideas you could include as a high-end service with your Airbnb.

Airbnb high-end amenities ideas

Private Infinity Pool: A stunning pool with an infinity edge offering breathtaking views.
Hot Tub or Jacuzzi: A private hot tub or Jacuzzi for relaxation.
Home Theater: A dedicated space with a high-quality audiovisual system for movie nights.
Private Chef Services: The option to have a personal chef prepare gourmet meals in the rental.
Concierge Services: Access to a concierge for booking reservations, arranging activities, and more.
Wine Cellar: A well-stocked wine cellar or wine tasting experience.
Luxury Transportation: Private chauffeur or exotic car rentals.
Spa Bathroom: A bathroom with a spa-like atmosphere, complete with a sauna or steam room.
Yacht or Boat Access: Properties with private docks or access to luxury yachts.
Private Beach Access: Direct access to a secluded beach or a private stretch of coastline.
Personal Gym: A fully equipped fitness center with the latest equipment.
Butler Services: A dedicated butler to attend to guests’ needs.
Helipad: Properties with a helipad for convenient arrivals and departures.
Designer Furnishings: High-end, designer furniture and decor throughout the property.
Art Collection: A curated art collection or access to local art galleries.
Smart Home Features: State-of-the-art automation for lighting, climate control, and security.
Gourmet Kitchen: A chef’s kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances and cookware.
Private Gardens or Estates: Vast, landscaped gardens or private estates for a serene environment.
Gated and Secure: Properties in exclusive gated communities with enhanced security.
In-House Spa Services: Access to professional spa treatments and massages.

What Amenities Should an Airbnb Have? – The Ultimate Guide