We love a good vacation this time of year! This week’s guest is Airbnb super host, Tori Bolt. We have previously mentioned why we love renting homes while on vacation versus staying in hotels (with Bricia recently launching her own rental property on Airbnb), and after our conversation with Tori, we know we’ll be adventuring in rental homes for more vacations to come. Tori explains how she and her husband created Bolt Farm Treehouse, what it takes to be a great rental host, and how faith guides her and her husband in all that they do. She has such a calm yet adventurous spirit, and we’re ready to book our next experience in one of her special homes!
More about Tori: Tori Bolt is co-founder of Bolt Farm Treehouse, an inspiring place to reconnect with nature, the people you love, and your purpose, and the leader in luxury outdoor travel. What started as a treehouse for Tori & Seth’s wedding day quickly became, under Tori’s marketing & PR prowess, a nationally recognized brand featured on Netflix, a celebrity hot spot, and named the most popular Airbnb in South Carolina by Buzzfeed.
Before building treehouses and operating these one-of-a-kind boutique hotel-vacation rental hybrids, Tori was a news producer and entertainment reporter, which is how she met her husband, Seth, founding member of the band Needtobreathe. Now, Tori leads the Bolt Farm Treehouse team and utilizes her passion for PR while Seth, the company’s visionary, dreams up future designs. Her mission is to create intentional, inspiring environments that help travelers reconnect, and to inspire female entrepreneurs to chase their dreams, live their best life as they pursue meaningful work & meaningful relationships.
Expectations as a Short Term Rental Guest (from Superhost Tori)
The fewer rules, the better. No one wants to read a giant binder of rules, just mention the important ones.
You attract people in the way you write your description. I.e. If you don’t want party people, don’t describe your space as “great space for entertaining,” etc.
Highly recommend a personalized welcome video! Explain a few rules, how to use certain things like hot tub, tv, etc.
Tips for guests so they have the best stay. It keeps that personal touch.
Tori’s NUMBER ONE pet peeve as a guest: “Don’t give me a long list of check out instructions especially if you’re going to have a high cleaning fee.”
3 things hosts can do to motivate guests to leave reviews
Ask them! Send a follow up message once they check out.
Do the work for them. If they say something kind to you, remind them that they can copy and paste it into their review.
Give them an incentive. Maybe a coffee mug, discount off their next stay, t shirt, etc. People love a good freebie!
Pick or Tip of the Week
Bricia’s husband gifted her an Oura Ring for Mother’s Day and she’s obsessed with all the information it provides. It tells you when you might be getting sick, tracks your period, when you get good sleep and what you did that day that made a difference in your sleep. She’s learning so many things about her daily habits that she never noticed before!
Since Paulina is still on her journey or reorganizing her home, she is loving these Ziploc Space bags. She’s packing away all the winter coats, big comforters, and they really are saving her space in the cabinets!
Links
Connect with Tori on Instagram @toribolt and follow her journey at @boltfarmtreehouse
