AUGUST 19, 2025
#146 Emotional Design for Guest Experience: The Hidden Shortcut to Guest Loyalty in Your Airbnb
What if the key to repeat bookings, raving reviews, and lifelong guests wasn’t a fancier coffee maker or five-star linens—but the chemicals in your guest’s brain?
Sounds wild, right? But when you understand emotional design for guest experience, everything changes. We’re talking dopamine, oxytocin, and all the beautiful brain chemistry that drives human connection, trust, and memory. And when you learn how to intentionally tap into that? You don’t just create a pretty place. You create unforgettable experiences.
In a powerful conversation with Dawn Asher—founder of The Olive Jar—we explored how neuroscience and hospitality collide. And let me tell you: this episode will transform the way you design, host, and connect.
Luxury Isn’t What You Think—It’s What They Feel
We’ve been conditioned to think luxury means “expensive.” But the truth? Luxury is about how people feel in your space. It’s about safety, comfort, belonging—and that magical sense of being seen.
Emotional design for guest experience is how you create those feelings. It’s not about adding more stuff or chasing trends—it’s about designing moments that activate trust and emotional connection in the brain.
Every scent, sound, texture, and message matters. When guests walk into a space that feels familiar yet elevated, their brain releases chemicals that say: I trust this. I like this. I want more of this.
And that’s when you move from a one-time stay to a lasting relationship.
What Emotional Design for Guest Experience Is Not
Let’s bust a myth right now: emotional design does not mean cluttering your space with gadgets or Instagrammable decor.
It’s about intention—not excess.
Think:
✔ A cozy throw that reminds them of home
✔ A familiar scent that sparks comfort
✔ A handwritten note that makes them feel like more than a reservation ID
As Dawn so beautifully put it, some of the most impactful guest memories are created in the smallest, quietest details. It’s less about showing off and more about showing you care.
Design for the Human—Not Just the Algorithm
Sure, aesthetics matter. But emotional design for guest experience is about designing for the human experience—not just for likes or SEO rankings.
When your space makes someone feel safe, valued, and understood, it lights up their hippocampus—the part of the brain responsible for memory. That means your STR isn’t just remembered. It’s relived in stories, reviews, and return bookings.
And that? That’s what builds brand loyalty.
So here’s your challenge: Are you designing your space for social media—or for the soul?
Emotional design for guest experience is more than a trend. It’s a timeless strategy rooted in how we’re wired. And when you apply it with purpose, you don’t just create a space to stay. You create a space to feel.
And when people feel something, they don’t just come back.
They tell everyone they know.
HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY POINTS:
[01:14] A short introduction about our guest Dawn Asher and introduces her creative studio that enhances the guest experience through immersive marketing and storytelling
[03:33] Dawn explains the science behind memorable guest experiences and how hosts can use neurological triggers to build trust and emotional connection
[09:32] Dawn and I discuss the myth that five-star reviews stem solely from luxury items and consider where emphasis should be placed to ensure guest satisfaction
[13:10] Dawn’s advice to decoding guest identity to create deeper brand resonance
[17:10] How hosts can uncover what their ideal guests want and use it to create emotionally resonant experiences
[22:30] Why emotional intelligence is the real driver of STR success
[29:25] How thoughtful post-checkout nurturing helps to shift from transactional stays to lifelong touchpoints
[33:34] Dawn dives into the often-overlooked treasure trove of travel content and inspiration that exists online
[36:11] Dawn talks about how to use AI as a brand amplifier
[37:47] Dawn reveals how hidden design details spark memorable dopamine hits
[42:25] Dawn shares the importance of listening to your turnover team as a key source of insight into what guests actually use and what might just be taking up space
[45:53] The lightning round
Golden Nuggets:
- “The more that you do to build that trust with your traveler, when those bumps come, there is going to be less friction.”
- “If you’ve been nurturing that relationship long before they arrive, you’re activating that hippocampus to tell them you’re safe. I’ve got you. I’m gonna get this taken care of.”
- “The best way to get five star reviews, we have to actually provide five star service, and the rest will follow.”
- “If you’re in this business, you have to invest in yourself personally. You have to care about that traveler that you’re serving. And if you don’t, you will keep hitting this wall.”
- “It’s about creating an experience for a guest that they’re going to remember and come back to us. And we don’t do that through the bottom line of a P& L.”
Let’s Connect!
Website: www.theolivejar.co
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theolivejar.co/
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