The #1 Hosting Hack: Sleep in Your Own Airbnb (And Find Out What Guests Really Think)
You check your cleaning reports. You skim the 5-star reviews. Everything looks great on paper, right? But let me ask you a question, host-to-host: when was the last time you actually slept in your own short-term rental? I’m not talking about popping in to drop off new towels. I mean packing a bag, showing up after dark, and actually spending the night.
If the answer is “never” or “not since I listed it,” you are missing the single most important piece of data in your entire business: the truth. You’re flying blind, guessing at the guest experience, and I promise you, you’re leaving 5-star raves on the table.
The “Complaint Gap” Is Costing You
Here’s a hard truth: A lot of guests will not complain.
They won’t text you at 10 PM to say the pillows are as flat as pancakes. They won’t message you to say the “ambient” lighting in the bedroom is actually a flickering, annoying streetlamp bleeding through the cheap blinds. And they might not even tell you the shower pressure is just a sad little trickle.
Why not? Because they’re on vacation! They don’t want to be “that guest.”
They just… put up with it.
And then they either leave a 4-star review with a vague comment like, “Nice place, but…” or they leave 5 stars (because they’re nice!) but they never, ever book with you again. And they certainly don’t recommend you to their friends.
That’s why you have to sleep in your own short-term rental. You have to be your own toughest critic.
My New Non-Negotiable: The “Guest Experience” Audit
This isn’t a one-time “oops, I found a problem” fix. This is a core process in my business.
I’ve made it a non-negotiable part of my management to sleep in my own rental – and yes, that includes all the properties in my portfolio, even the ones I manage for other owners.
Why? Because you can’t manage what you don’t measure. And you absolutely cannot know a guest experience until you live it.
This is how you find out the truth. It’s how you know if you really have the right number of spoons for a group of four. It’s how you discover that the can opener is dull, or the “fully stocked” kitchen is missing a spatula, or that the pans are all wrong for the stovetop.
I’ll always go through the full routines. I’ll make a pot of coffee and a full breakfast.
- Are the coffee filters easy to find?
- Is there a cutting board and a sharp knife?
- Can I find the spatula, the whisk, and the right-sized bowl without a 10-minute scavenger hunt?
If I get frustrated hunting for a simple kitchen tool – and I know the property – you can bet a guest will, too. They won’t complain. They’ll just feel that tiny moment of friction.
This proactive audit is the difference between a “nice place” and a “flawless, 5-star stay.” It’s how you iron out all the wrinkles before they ever reach a paying guest. This isn’t about finding embarrassing mistakes; it’s about professional, obsessive quality control.
Why You Must Sleep in Your Own Airbnb or Short-Term Rental
When you stay the night, you stop managing your property and start experiencing it.
You finally notice:
- The Sounds: Is the fridge humming like a 747? Does the A/C unit clank loudly every time it kicks on? Is there a dripping sound coming from the bathroom?
- The Feel: Is the mattress actually comfortable, or has it developed a human-sized sinkhole? Are the “luxury” towels soft, or do they feel like you’re drying off with sandpaper?
- The Flow: Is the coffee setup intuitive? Are there enough outlets by the bed to charge a phone?
- The Sights: Does that streetlamp really blast the bedroom at 3 AM? Is the hallway light bulb that’s still burned out casting a gloomy shadow?
According to data reported by Forbes, a staggering 96% of unhappy customers don’t complain… they just leave and never come back.
The only way to find these “invisible” problems – the ones people don’t complain about but definitely notice – is to sleep in your own rental.
How to Be Your Own Secret Shopper
Ready to find out the truth? Here’s your new annual tradition.
Step 1: Seriously, Go Sleep in Your Own Property
Book yourself on your own calendar. Pack a bag with clothes and toiletries, and show up like a guest would – preferably after dark, when you’re a little tired and less forgiving.
Step 2: Use Your Own Instructions
Don’t use your owner’s key. Use the code from your check-in message. Does it work? Are the instructions clear? Can you find the light switch when you walk into a pitch-black unit?
Step 3: Live Like a Guest
Don’t just sleep.
- Take a shower. How’s the water pressure? How long for hot water?
- Make coffee in the morning.
- Connect to the Wi-Fi. Is the password easy to find? Is the signal strong in the bedroom?
- Unwind. Try to watch Netflix. Find the wine opener.
Step 4: Keep a “Fix-It” List
Use the notes app on your phone. Write down everything that is even slightly annoying, confusing, or “just okay.” And I encourage you to be ruthless here. If it’s not an enthusiastic “YES!” then it’s a “NO.”
That squeaky door? That wobbly chair? That confusing remote? Write. It. Down.
Step 5: Fix It. Immediately.
The next day, take that list and get to work. Don’t put it off. This is the highest-leverage thing you can do for your business. Order the new pillows. Replace the showerhead. Buy the new blackout curtains.
Stop Guessing. Start Knowing.
You can have the best interior design and the best location. You can bring in the bookings with incredible photos. But the real 5-star experience is in the details. It’s in the experience. It’s in the comfortable bed, the silent night’s sleep, and the feeling that your host thought of everything.
You can’t guess your way to that kind of excellence. You have to experience it.
So go. Book your stay. Sleep in your own rental.
It’s the single best way to close the gap between the experience you think you’re selling and the one your guests are actually getting.
Ready for the Playbook of the Pros?
This one hack will change your guest experience, but trust me, it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Running a 5-star, profitable, and sustainable short-term rental business isn’t about one single tip – it’s about having the right systems, the right community, and the right support.
If you’re done with guesswork and ready for the proven roadmap, I want to personally invite you to the place where you level up. Inside the STR Sisterhood premium membership, you get actionable, high-level strategies just like this (and so much more) every single week.
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