Whether you're just starting out or relaunching: the complete checklist to make your guests feel like they're in a hotel, and to keep those 5-star reviews coming.
The first impression forms within thirty seconds of the guest stepping inside. A clean, uncluttered, well-lit and welcoming space puts them immediately at ease, and that confidence translates directly into a positive review. Conversely, a single overlooked detail can undermine an otherwise faultless stay: a stained duvet cover, a shower tray with visible mould, a Wi-Fi connection that drops. Here is how to get everything right, from the very first booking to the hundredth.
Cleanliness: the non-negotiable standard
Since Airbnb's 2025 algorithm update, the cleanliness sub-score is weighted twice as heavily as most other criteria in the ranking calculation. It is also, historically, the factor most frequently cited in negative reviews. Professional cleaning between every stay, two to four hours depending on the property size, is the minimum standard for any listing aiming for a score above 4.8. There are no shortcuts here: a single poor result resets months of accumulated goodwill.
The complete cleaning checklist between stays:
- Strip and completely replace the bed: sheets, pillowcases, duvet if needed
- Wash and fold bath towels, hand towels and kitchen cloths
- Deep-clean the bathroom: tiles, grouting, taps, mirror, toilet inside and out
- Descale the shower and taps regularly, limescale is an immediate visual red flag
- Disinfect the worktop, sink, hob, microwave interior and fridge interior
- Vacuum and wash all floors, including under furniture
- Restock consumables: soap, shampoo, shower gel, at least two rolls of toilet paper, washing-up liquid, new sponge
- Empty, clean and reline all bins
- Test every appliance: Wi-Fi, air conditioning, shutters, washing machine
Linen: the difference between amateur and professional
Linen is the single element that most clearly distinguishes a professionally managed property from an amateur one. Creased sheets, rough towels or a greying duvet signal a lack of care that guests notice immediately and mention in reviews. Investing in hotel-quality linen, 180-thread-count cotton, white or off-white, pressed or air-dried flat, pays back within a handful of additional bookings.
The rule used by professionals is simple: every bed receives entirely fresh, pressed linen between each stay, without exception. The same applies to towels: at least one large bath towel and one hand towel per person, plus a clean bath mat. Waterproof mattress and pillow protectors are a sensible investment: they protect your property and silently reassure guests.
The welcome: turning an arrival into an experience
The welcome shapes the first minutes of the stay, and the first minutes shape the whole experience. Whether you check guests in personally or via a coded key box, the objective is the same: the guest should feel expected, not merely permitted entry. A printed or handwritten welcome note, personalised with the guest's first name and left on the kitchen table, transforms the tonality of the arrival completely.
An effective welcome basket (budget: €8–€15):
- A bottle of chilled still water (or local spring water if one is nearby)
- A few local specialities: Marseille navettes, Aix calissons, Provence nougat, matched to the city
- Coffee capsules or an assortment of teas (four to six portions)
- A small artisan Marseille soap, a symbolic gesture that international guests particularly appreciate
- A welcome note with the Wi-Fi code, the key box combination and your three unmissable recommendations
Technology for guest comfort and easier management
Connected devices simplify management and improve the guest experience simultaneously. A smart key box (Keynest, Igloohome or Master Lock Select Access) removes the need for in-person handovers and eliminates the stress of late-night arrivals or delayed check-ins. The code is changed between stays via an app, in seconds, from anywhere.
Wi-Fi is the first amenity most guests check on arrival. A fibre router delivering at least 100 Mb/s download speed is now the expected standard for any quality Airbnb listing. Advertise the speed in your description, it is an increasingly used search filter, especially among digital nomads and guests travelling for work. Reversible air conditioning is non-negotiable in Marseille from May to September: Mediterranean summers make an uncooled flat genuinely uncomfortable and generate systematic negative reviews on that criterion alone.
The local guide: your most powerful differentiator
A well-designed welcome booklet answers 90% of the questions your guests will send you, and prevents the 10pm message asking how to turn on the induction hob. It should cover two categories of information: practical property details (access codes, appliance instructions, house rules, bin day, emergency contact) and your personal local recommendations (restaurants, markets, beaches, transport, things to do).
It is the recommendations section that makes the real difference in reviews. Airbnb guests are not looking for an anonymous hotel room, they are looking for a local experience. Sharing your favourite neighbourhood bakery, the wine bar you frequent, the Sunday morning fish market on the Vieux-Port: these details turn a pleasant stay into a memorable one. The reviews that result are consistently among the most enthusiastic.
Legal requirements: what cannot be overlooked
Mandatory safety equipment under French law:
- Working smoke detector on each floor (mandatory since 2015, test the battery regularly)
- Fire extinguisher accessible and clearly indicated (often required by co-ownership rules)
- Emergency numbers posted visibly (18, 15, 17, 112) : best placed in the kitchen or entrance
- Registration number from the town hall displayed on every Airbnb listing (mandatory in Marseille and Aix)
- Record of nights rented, kept up to date and available to municipal inspectors on request
The super-host secret
Property owners who use a professional concierge service get all of this automatically: standardised cleaning checked after every stay, personalised welcome, a local guide updated each season, and 24/7 management of equipment and unexpected issues. Average result: an Airbnb score above 4.85 and occupancy rates 15 to 20 percentage points higher than self-managed properties.
Elyos
