How Hosts Can Get the Most Out of Stays

Step 1: Get on Stays and Apply

The Stays is a bit exclusive. It requires application acceptance before it can be publicly listed on our platform. To ensure we can provide a high-quality, curated directory for a audience of travelers, we only accept the top ~10% of vacation rentals nationwide.

Any host can create an account, but then they must submit an application for each property they want to have listed. Once submitted, applications are reviewed by Stays for property quality and fit with our audience of travelers. 

Create an account

Head to stays.co/hosts/org/sign-up and create your free account. This gets you into the Host Portal where you can start an application.

Submit an application

Fill out the application for each property you want listed. You can add multiple properties from one account (more on multi-property management later).

Tips for a strong application:

• Use your best photos. First impressions matter. Stays reviewers are looking at design, condition, uniqueness, and whether the property tells a story. Blurry or low-resolution photos hurt your chances.
• Write a real description. Skip generic copy like "beautiful home with all amenities." Say what makes YOUR property different. Is it the view? The design? The location? The story of how you built it? Whatever makes it distinctive, lead with that.
• List all real amenities and features. Underselling your property is as bad as overselling. If you have a hot tub, sauna, private beach access, or dedicated workspace, name it.
• Be honest about the vibe, setting, and usage. Cozy cabin, luxury villa, off-grid escape, group-friendly beach house, etc. Being clear about who your property is for helps travelers self-select AND helps reviewers understand where you fit in the curated directory.

Step 2: Build a Listing Page That Converts

Your Listing Page is the anchor of your Stays presence. It's essentially the landing page for your property that you can plug anywhere: on social media, in emails, in ads, even link via QR code on business cards. Getting it right is the single highest-leverage thing you can do on the platform.

Check the 'live view' of your Listing Page

Your property’s Listing Page on Stays is initially created using the information and media added on the application. So, once approved, you’ll want to check like “live view” of your Listing page to see what actual travelers and page visitors are seeing.

Check the following:

• Photos:
• • Ensure that all photos load and look sharp and are formatted optimally
  • Are they in the best order or display? If not, adjust ordering in the ‘Media’ section of the Stay Dashboard.
• Details:
• • Double check and ensure the property name, location, and basic details are correct.
• Location:
• • Take advantage of the ‘What’s Nearby’ area in the ‘Location’ section. Hosts can add up to five (5) local attractions/destinations. Be sure to add desirable destinations here.
• Links:
• • Test all the links you added; booking links, links to social media profiles, etc.
• Amenities, Experiences, and Other Information
• • There’s a lot of descriptors and information to attach to your property. Make sure your Listing Page accurately reflects it; the setting, vibe, experience, activities, etc.
    

Optimize your booking links

Stays lets you display multiple booking options on a Listing Page. You may attach links to direct booking via your own site, Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, or wherever your property is listed to book.

Within the Stay Dashboard, hosts can to go to the ‘Links’ section where they can use the drag-and-drop organization to control the display order of the booking links, and make one link as the “best value”.

Two tips:

1. Put your preferred booking option at the top. Most hosts want direct bookings, so that goes first. If you don't have a direct booking site, put the OTA where you get the best guest experience or lowest commission at the top.
   
2. Use the "Best Value" star strategically. When the ‘star’ icon next to the booking link options in the ‘Links’ section is selected, it will result in that booking option to display a “best value” tag on the Listing Page. This is a visual cue for travelers scanning the page. Most hosts put it on their direct booking link because that's usually the cheapest option for the guest. If you offer an exclusive discount on direct bookings, the "Best Value" tag reinforces that message and can help drive conversions.
   

Test the ordering yourself. Click through as a traveler would. If the flow feels natural and the "best value" option is obviously your preferred one, you've set it up right.

Use the ‘More from Host’ links

The ‘More from Host’ area in the ‘Links’ section with the Stay Dashboard allows hosts to plug other means of capturing audience members and customers.

• Waitlist enrollment: Let travelers get on a list for cancellation openings or new date releases. If you have one, be sure to plug it here. 
• Newsletter signup: Many established hosts already have an newsletter or email marketing enrollment option. If so, plug the signup link here so you can grow an owned audience you can email whenever you want.
• Gift card sales: A stay at your property makes a great gift; plug the link and make it easy to viewers to buy one, if you have a sales page for them.
  

Leverage ‘Host Recommendations’ strategically

Host Recommendations (the area within the ‘Links’ section where you can plug your favorite local restaurants, coffee shops, hikes, activities) is one of the most underrated features on the Listing Page. 

Travelers love it because it helps guide their trip by seeing personal recommendations from a trusted source. But it can do more than that.

Two ways to use it:

1. Traveler utility. Recommend the places you actually love. Guests get a curated list from a local, which builds trust and makes their trip better. Happy guests leave good reviews and come back.
   
2. Business relationships. Reach out to the local businesses you're recommending and see if they'll cross-promote your stay in return. For example, offer to feature a local restaurant prominently on your recommendations if they leave your Stays flyer on their bulletin board or mention you to guests asking about accommodations.
   
3. Paid referrals. Maybe you have a referral code for a local business in town. Maybe you have an affiliate relationship with a trip insurance company. You can use the ‘Host Recommendation’ links to plug information around whichever products, services, or attractions that you’d like.
   

The Host Recommendations area is a real marketing lever, not just a nice-to-have. Use it as a tool for not only improving your property desirability and improving the guest experience, but for building strategic relationships with local businesses and/or generating more income.

Step 3: Set Up Your Marketing Tools

Once the foundation of your Listing Page is dialed in, the next step is to use the tools within Stays to create a mini marketing engine for your property.

Claim a custom URL

By default, your Listing Page URL looks something like stays.co/2434322353453494. That's not memorable and it looks terrible in an Instagram bio.

Go to the ‘Links’ section of your Stay Dashboard and claim a branded URL (stays.co/yourstay). Something short, memorable, and on-brand like: stays.co/flyingdiamond or stays.co/grpenthouse

Custom URLs are first-come, first-served, so grab yours early. This becomes the URL you use everywhere your property shows up online. 

Add 1-2 Offers to Listing Page

Using the Offers feature to display a special deal or discount on your Listing Page is totally optional.However, doing so is highly suggested as it gives travelers a real reason to book with you (or through your preferred channel).

You can be creative here. A few examples:

• "10% off direct bookings"
• "Free late checkout on 3+ night stays"
• "Complimentary bottle of wine for anniversaries"
• "Free early check-in when available"
• "Bring your dog free (usually $50 pet fee)"
• "20% off Sunday-Thursday stays"
  

At any one time, Stays allows two (2) Offers to be displayed at one time on a Listing Page. So take advantage of the two available slots. Mix and match different offers and see what travelers seem to be most interested in.

Be sure to refresh your Offers seasonally or when your booking calendar has gaps. A "20% off April stays" offer posted in February can be effective in helping to fill your softest month. That some offer displayed in June won’t do much for you.

Make sure you have social profiles

Cross-platform plugs let travelers who discover your property on Stays follow you on Instagram, TikTok, or wherever else you post. This is how you turn a one-time discovery into a long-term follower who eventually books.

Add every social channel where you actively post. If you have a Facebook page, add it. If you're on TikTok showing behind-the-scenes stay content, add it. 

Don’t have active social media? We’d suggest starting at least an Instagram account and linking. You don’t need to have a ton of followers, but have at least provide some basic info and make a few posts showcasing your property, behind the scenes, owner interviews, and/or customer reviews. Just something to help establish credibility and trust for future guests.

Use Promotions and Giveaways strategically

Stays has two options for additional marketing support that expands outside of the platform itself: Promotions and Giveaways. These are explained in detail in other place, so if you’re unsure about how those work, look into our Help Center guides for each.

Honest thoughts about Promotions and Giveaways?

Promotions: These won’t always result in an immediate 1-for-1 return or better on your investment. If you’re a brand new host and don’t have a additional funds to invest into long-term marketing and growth, Promotions aren’t going to be your best option right away. Promotions are a healthy tool to use if you have a somewhat successful property that you want to slowly develop into a nationally-known, bucket list destination. 

Giveaways: The success (resulting participation, gain in followers, bookings, etc.) of Giveaways typically depend on the desirability of the property. Better stays will have better Giveaways. So, if you have an amazing stay and want to get it in front of more people, doing a Giveaway 1x a year is a super savvy idea. And doing it in partnership with Stays is the best route as we can maximize the reach and participation you get from it.

Big picture? Even just one Promotion and/or Giveaway per year can keep your property and brand relevant, discoverable, and desirable on social media. The exposure often pays for itself in bookings, direct guest inquiries, and audience growth on your own social channels. For most properties, if your Promotion or Giveaway produces even just one additional booking at some point down the road, it pays for itself. 

Step 4: Use Your Stays Page in the Wild

Building and fine-tuning your property’s Listing Page can do more than help viewers who discover you by browsing the Stays Directory. 

Using it in your day-to-day marketing is where the real value shows up.

Replace your Linktree (or link in bio) with your Custom URL

This is the single biggest change most hosts should make. If your Instagram bio currently points to a Linktree, hoo.be, Beacons page, a generic "link in bio" tool, or worse, just your Airbnb URL, replace it with a custom link to your Listing Page on Stays. Even if you currently link it to your private website, your Stays Listing Page could be a better option. It’s designed to display information, showcase your stay, and provide next step options (links, contact info, etc) most effectively compared to normal webpages.

Why plug your Stays Listing Page vs anything else?

• It looks professional and while still maintaining simplicity
• It’s been specifically engineered for travelers browsing vacation rental options
• It gives visitors a full visual preview and summary of your property
• It can clearly showcase offers to incentivize bookings 
• It plugs all your booking options in one place, letting the traveler compare options and ultimately choose the route they are most comfortable with.
• It still allows you to plug newsletters, waitlists, and other links.
• It lets you track click data across every link on the page, so you can see which booking options travelers actually pick, which Offers get clicked, and which social channels get followed

Step 5: Analyze the Analytics 

Every property listed on Stays comes with analytic reporting. Knowing how to review the analytics turns your Listing Page from a digital billboard into a robust marketing insight tool.

Check your dashboard weekly, or at least monthly. Look for:

• Total views: How many people are landing on your Listing Page
• Booking link clicks: Which booking option travelers pick most
• Offer clicks: Which Offers actually convert attention into action
• More from Host and Host Recommendation clicks: which call-to-actions are viewers clicking on and which recommendations seem to be of most interest.
  

A Few Advanced Tips

One or multiple units under one property listing?

Each property listing on Stays is really designed to be for just a singular unit/rental. However, on some occasions, it can make sense to have multiple units encompassed under one Listing Page. For example, a boutique hotel with multiple rooms or a property with two similar tiny homes on them. 

In most cases, it will be better if each separate unit has its own Listing Page, thus requiring its own application. So if you own or manage more than one unit (even if it’s technically on the same physical property), just create applications for each and have them all listed separately in your Organization within Stays.

By doing this, you'll be able to manage everything from a singular Host Portal. You’ll be able to easily access the Stay Dashboard of each property listing, and manage each of them to their individual needs. 

This is a massive hack for property managers, growing teams, and multi-property owners.

Refresh your content periodically

Listings that never change get stale. Update your photos seasonally when you can. Rotate your Offers. Add new Host Recommendations as you discover new local spots. Even small updates signal to travelers (and to Stays' algorithm) that this is an active, cared-for property.

When you make updates, travelers who ‘favorite’ your property will see these updates within their Traveler Portal (launching Fall 2026). Think of it as a mini social media feed for their favorite stays. It’s a place where they can see all the latest photos, updates, and offers from the stays they love. So as a host, take advantage of this!

Cross-link Stays back to your own channels

Once your Stays page is live, add it to your email signature, social media bios, blog posts, etc. Every touchpoint is a chance to bring someone back to your Stays page, capture the user, and build the direct relationship with them.

When in Doubt, Reach Out

The Stays team is small, hands-on, and genuinely invested in helping hosts succeed. If you're stuck, unsure about a feature, considering your first Promotion, or just want a second opinion on your Listing Page, reach out. Email hello@stays.co or DM us on Instagram. We'll try to help.

Stays is a marketing platform, but the real thing we're building is a community of hosts who feel empowered to control their marketing. The more you use the tools on Stays, the more you'll get out of it.