While most Airbnb hosts avoid party-going guests like the plague, Airbnb Superhost Walter McCormick welcomes them. In fact, he caters specifically to bachelor and bachelorette parties at his charming, historic property in the Ohio City area of Cleveland.
Walter began hosting in June of this year, and after receiving an abundance of requests from bridal parties, he designed a business model tailored specifically for that niche audience. He takes a number of precautions to mitigate the risk associated with hosting parties, and to date he has accommodated 30 bachelorette parties without incident.
Walter seeks to create a memorable experience for his guests, and he credits the rare character of the house with encouraging their best behavior. Today he shares the unique way he fell into hosting bridal parties, his strategies for maintaining his property, and how he vets potential guests. Listen in to understand how Walter handles events, and hear his advice about finding your niche as an Airbnb host!
Topics Covered
The unique features of Walter’s Airbnb
- Property built in 1855, historic Ohio City area of Cleveland
- Beautiful, exposed brick
- Rooftop patio, enclosed backyard
- 5 minutes from heart of city, 15 minutes from airport
How Walter discovered the bridal party niche
- Began Airbnb in June 2017
- Abundance of requests for bachelor/bachelorette parties
- Opportunity to design business model around specific audience
- Hosted 30 bachelorette parties to date
- Partnership with The Knot
Walter’s strategies for maintaining his property despite hosting the ‘party crowd’
- Great cleaning service, charges cleaning fee
- Clear expectations, checkout system
- Conversation with guests prior to booking
- No items that could present safety issue
- ‘Special place’ inspires best behavior
How Walter ensures that guests are properly vetted
- Airbnb system
- Common sense, intuition
How Walter handles large parties
- Listing includes up to 12 guests
- Charges additional fee for additional guests ($50 each)
- ‘Event fee’ to cover additional traffic
- Requires respect for neighborhood (no deejays)
Walter’s advice for aspiring Airbnb hosts
- Find a way to stand out
- Ask what neighborhood is missing
- Craft unique naming convention
Connect with Walter
Resources
Connect with Jasper
Email: jasper@getpaidforyourpad.com
Twitter: @GetPaidForUrPad
Instagram: @GetPaidForYourPad
Facebook: www.facebook.com/getpaidforyourpad
This episode is sponsored by Hostfully.com where you can create a custom digital guidebook for your guests!
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