Bedroom Necessities for Short Term Rentals
Here is a shopping list of my nit picky items for short term rentals, or even long term furnished rentals. I have been a SuperHost for many years and have furnished multiple airbnb’s, long term rentals, and staged homes for sale. Below is a list of items I have placed in those properties.
Many websites may provide you links to products and they do not explain why they even recommended them, it sort of makes me question the recommendation all together. When I was searching for products I did a few various things. I first researched them, then took those recommendations and asked other hosts about them. If other hosts seemed happy with them I would purchase it, or I would look at the recommendations the other hosts recommended and try those out instead. The second thing I did was, well…. Trial and error. I would buy stuff and if it was not good I would return and try another. This isn’t always the easiest thing to do if you are in a speed crunch, but if you are not then it might be a good idea to do that so you have quality items in your property.
Farzaneh.co is a participant in affiliate marketing programs, such as the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Farzaneh.co is not affiliated with Airbnb or any of its underlying companies in any way. However the content writer of this blog is a host on airbnb, but has not been paid or is being paid to post this article. She is simply sharing her opinions and experience as a host. Please also note that information on these products may change, and the content provided may not be up to date if the manufacturer has changed their offerings.
Love your neighbor as you love yourself. When I think about furnishing a short term rental, I think about what I would want there and what I wouldn’t want there while traveling. The recommendations I list may not be the cheapest items, I also don’t recommend very expensive items either for obvious reasons. I do feel it is important to get items of decent quality and good standards. For example I try to select non toxic items and if possible maybe even items from brands that are less toxic on our environment as well. This may not always be the case as many items might just be random off brands, but when given the choice in a reasonable price range I do usually opt for the responsible brands.
With all that’s said and done. Let’s get on with it. Starting with the Bedroom. Of course the first thing that comes to mind is the mattress. The first thing I look at is if they mention that the mattress is CertiPur Certified. What that essentially means is that the foam of the mattresses are made without ozone depleters. Made without PBDEs, TDCPP or TCEP (“Tris”) flame retardants. Now keep in mind that some mattresses may need to put fiberglass inside of their mattresses for flame retardation instead, they should have a barrier between that and what touches your skin. You may be able to find ones that are CertiPur certified and do not use fiberglass in a layer of the mattress, but you would need to read the details of each mattress or call the manufacturer to find out more. I personally have thankfully been happy with the mattress we selected, some have fiberglass and some do not, but since they are in a lower layer we have not noticed a difference.
The first one I would like to mention is the 
IYEE NATURE Cooling-Gel Memory Foam Mattress Bed in a Box
I bought one of these for my Dad. He loves this bed, and now tends to complain when sleeping over other places because he misses his comfortable bed. Anyway, in my opinion this bed has a good blend of supportive firmness and that memory foam soft feeling. The listing mentions it is free of fiberglass for added peace of mind, although some people said it does. I am not entirely sure. I chose the one with the gray strip because I feel that the one with the black strip may show hairs and imperfections easier. Although a mattress cover is used anyway. Why not still pick the best shade?
LinenSpa 8 Inch Memory Foam and Innerspring Hybrid Mattress – Queen Mattress – Bed in a Box – Medium Firm Mattress
In the secondary bedroom we used a Queen bed, I felt it was nice to use a few different types of mattresses so guests can choose their comfort level. This mattress is what I would grade as a medium firmness. It is not as plush, maybe because I purchased the 8 inch. I consider it to be comfortable, but it feels a bit different than the memory foam ones. It is easier to move than the thicker memory foam ones, so that is a plus. Some people like the spring mattresses.I feel it is more breathable as well. The con’s of this mattress may not really be a con, but I am not too fond of the blue embroidery around it, I feel like things can get stuck there.
Zinus 12 Inch Cooling Copper ADAPTIVE Pocket Spring Hybrid Mattress / Moisture Wicking Cover / Cooling Foam / Pocket Innersprings for Motion Isolation
If you have a short term rental in a hotter climate, this may be one to consider. It has cooling copper technology and a moisture wicking cover. They also claim that it has motion isolation so the partner on the other side will not wake you up. I do feel that it does do that. Overall this has a lot of features, and the mattress itself is just pretty to look at. I purchased the 12 inch one because I felt this type needed to be on the thicker side. The only con about this mattress is that the edges seem a little soft, maybe the coils are placed too inward? So if you try to sit on the very edge it feels like you don’t have enough support on the edges. Other than that people seem to be pretty happy with this.
Signature Sleep Contour 8″ Reversible Mattress, Independently Encased Coils, Bed-in-a-Box, Twin
Many short term rentals have a room dedicated to kids, maybe with bunk beds or trundles. Sometimes hosts don’t focus on comfortable beds in these rooms. I feel it is important to have comfortable beds for our little guests too. Think about it, if they sleep well they enjoy their time more, are less cranky and that results in the parents being more relaxed. The Signature Sleep Contour has a bunch of good reviews, so I felt I couldn’t go wrong with that one. I feel like it really has the best consistency, people who want firm or plush will be happy with this mattress as it is neither too firm or too plush. So it is just going to keep everyone a happy camper in my opinion. What is nice about this mattress is that it can be flipped, so if for any reason one side gets damaged the other side will be good as new. Both sides are just as comfortable. We have had many adult guests also use these and they were happy with the comfort level. So you never know who will end up sleeping on the twin, better get comfy ones like these. This mattress and all the mattresses recommended above are made without PBDEs, TDCPP or TCEP (“Tris”) flame retardants, ozone depleters, mercury, lead and heavy metals. Foam is low in VOC emissions for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 PPM). Made without phthalates regulated by the Consumer Safety Product Commission. The mattresses above are ones that I have purchased, so I hope that the tips will be helpful to you in selecting a mattress for your short term rental.
SafeRest Mattress Protector – Queen – College Dorm Room, New Home, First Apartment Essentials – Cotton, Waterproof Mattress Cover Protector and Encasement
One thing you should absolutely not forget when you order a mattress is a mattress protector! At first I had ordered white mattress protectors, they works great and protecting the mattress however, you could basically see the stains on the protector that it protected the mattress from. This may not be an issue for short term rentals that are renting out their places for a few days, since the guest will not likely remove the sheets. However if you are renting out your space for extended periods of time where a guest may want to change their sheets, it is sort of gross to see the stains on the mattress protector. You can obviously buy new ones or try bleaching them, but I have switched to dark gray mattress protectors. They even have a little bit of plush on top for added comfort. I will list the links below to both mattress protectors I have bought. I liked both so whatever color works best for you, go with that. One other thing that is nice about the white one I listed is that it is cotton. That may help with increased breathability. Many people feel hot when sleeping, so having an airy mattress, mattress cover, and linens can help your guests feel really comfortable. Plus cotton is better for our environment as polyester causes a lot of plastic to end up in our oceans. That being said it can be challenging to find Cotton bedding these days for an affordable price.
Since I feel like the mattress cover obviously shows the stains it protects your mattress from, the next time around I opted for a dark gray cover, because this way the stains don’t show as much and guests don’t get grossed out if they change sheets. They might not be cotton, but they do have a plush topper to them to add increased comfort to the mattresses.
Homelike Moment Down Feather Pillows King – 2 Pack Feather Bed Pillows for Sleeping King Size Pillow Set of 2 Cover 20×36 Inch
Mattress are very important, but some hosts skimp on pillows. Why? Why spend so much on a everything and then skimp on pillows? Pillows are everything, I mean come on, that is when they are laying their head down to rest. Let’s use the best we can afford. If you are concerned with them getting damaged, get pillow protectors just like mattress protectors. I really enjoy the down filled pillows, there may be reasons why some people don’t use them, but I feel they make your guests feel luxurious. If I went to an airbnb that had down pillows I would feel pampered. I feel each Queen or King bed needs at least 4 appropriate size pillows. If you don’t want to splurge on down pillows you can get 2 down and 2 cheaper ones, so this way your guest has at least two options.
Baltic Linen Jersey Cotton Sheet Set, California King, White, 4 Piece
Sheets, sheets, sheets. Everyone asks the question what are the best sheets to buy. Well, I don’t know. I really buy what I like for myself and find a way to make that work. Personally, polyester sheets are not my favorite. They do not feel cozy to me or breathable. I prefer cotton sheets, and if you really want to talk about cozy I love jersey sheets, although they may not wear as well as traditional cotton.
Premium Hotel Quality 1-Piece 100% Cotton Fitted Sheet, Luxury & Softest 800 Thread Count Egyptian Feel Sateen Weave Bottom Sheet, Deep Pocket up to 18 inch, King Size, Ivory
These worked out well for us, especially for the thicker mattresses. If you have a thin mattress then you will need to look for one that does not have deep pockets. I feel the title was true to what I received. They did feel luxurious and continued to feel luxurious after many washes.
King Size Fitted Sheet White, Soft, 100% Cotton, 400 Sateen, No Pop-Off Elastic, Deep Pocket, Durable Fitted Sheet with Head & Foot Tags (King, Pure White)
I have also bought multiple of these because many of the cotton sheets sell out of white, so I get these. They seem to have rave reviews. They did the job. So it stays on the list.
Deluxe Hotel 3-Piece Bed Sheet Set – Dobby Stripe – 100% Cotton Sateen – 300 Thread Count – Twin – Burgundy
I used these sheets in burgundy on a floor mattress. The style of the room was sort of Moroccan. I wanted sheets that looked like a little more than just standard sheets, without being overpowering. These had a stipes that wer subtle and were beautiful in detail. The sheets wore very well, and stayed in great shape after many washes.
King Linens 100% French Linen Pillow Shams Basic Style – Pack of 2 – Washed Solid Color Natural Flax Soft Breathable – White, 20” x 26”
Most pillow covers will come with the sheet set. However since I like to put 4 pillows on the bed, I usually buy an extra set of pillow covers. I believe textures really show your attention to detail and make for better photos too. These linen pillow covers are just lovely. They give the bed a French country vibe. They can work for all sorts of looks, boho, western, cottage just about anything. I suppose they wouldn’t be needed for ultra modern space but most places I feel could benefit from that additional vibe this creates.
Comfort Spaces Kienna Quilt Set-Luxury Double Sided Stitching Design Summer Blanket, Lightweight, Soft, All Season Bedding Layer, Matching Sham, Seafoam, Coverlet King/Cal King(104″x90″) 3 Piece
I usually put cotton sheets on the beds, however finding cotton quilts, blankets and comforters take a bit more effort. Especially if you don’t want to spend several hundreds of dollars for each bed. The process can become even more challenging when you are looking for specific colors or trying to go with a theme of some sort. So in this case I went ahead and went with a non-cotton quilt. The home this went in, was a beach theme so I needed a coastal color that was happy and vibrant. Overall the blanket has washed well, still looks good and came with shams.
Bedsure Fleece Blanket Twin Blanket Teal-300GSM Soft Lightweight Plush Cozy Twin Blankets for Bed,Sofa,Couch,Travel,Camping,60×80 inches
Another non cotton blanket, this was for a room that was south western. There were colors that had burned oranges and I was looking for turquoise blankets. This blanket has lasted well and the color still looks awesome. It also is very cozy and does well at keeping people warm.
Don’t forget the little touches. Who doesn’t fresh breath? I sometimes place chocolates or mints on each pillow in the master bedroom, and any other bedroom where it seems it would be for adults and not kids. These are actually xylitol based which has been said to prevent cavities. So this is totally a great mint to have before bed. Guests will appreciate the thought.
Farzaneh.co is a participant in affiliate marketing programs, such as the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Farzaneh.co is not affiliated with Airbnb or any of its underlying companies in any way. However the content writer of this blog is a host on airbnb, but has not been paid or is being paid to post this article by Airbnb. She is simply sharing her opinions and experience as a host. Please also note that information on these products may change, and the content provided may not be up to date if the manufacturer has changed their offerings.
