How to write a holiday-let description that books more stays
Your photos and title earn the click. Your description is what closes the booking. By the time a guest is reading it they are interested — your job now is to remove their doubts, paint the stay, and make booking feel like the obvious next step. Here is how to write one that does that.
What a description actually has to do
Three jobs, in roughly this order:
- Reassure — confirm the place is as good as the photos and that you are a reliable host.
- Inform — answer the practical questions before they have to ask.
- Differentiate — make clear why this place, over the dozen similar ones they are also looking at.
A structure that works
Guests skim, so give the description a shape they can scan:
- A strong opening line.Lead with the single best reason to stay — the view, the location, the character of the place — not “Welcome to our property.”
- The space. Walk them through it: the living areas, the kitchen, the bedrooms and bathrooms, and the outdoor space. Be specific and concrete.
- The area. What is nearby and what the location is good for — beaches, walks, pubs, the station, family attractions.
- Practical info. Check-in, parking, Wi-Fi, pets, accessibility — the things that decide a booking.
- Who it suits. A line that helps the right guest picture themselves there: couples, families, dog owners, remote workers.
Write for skimmers
- Short paragraphs — two or three sentences, not walls of text.
- Use the platform’s sections and headings where they exist.
- Pull key facts into a quick list so they are scannable.
- Front-load each paragraph with its most useful sentence.
Lead with benefits, not just features
A feature is what the property has; a benefit is what it does for the guest. Pair them. “Wood burner” becomes “a wood burner to come back to after a cold coastal walk.” “Fast Wi-Fi” becomes “Wi-Fi quick enough to work or stream on.” The feature earns the filter; the benefit earns the booking.
Answer the questions guests would otherwise ask
Every question a guest has to message you is friction — and many will not bother; they will just book somewhere clearer. Pre-empt the common ones: Is parking included? Is it suitable for young children or older guests? Are dogs really welcome, and how many? How far is the nearest shop? Is there air conditioning, or a fan, in summer? Answering these in the description removes hesitation and cuts your admin.
Honesty prevents bad reviews
It is tempting to gloss over the steep stairs, the lively street, or the small second bedroom. Don’t. Setting accurate expectations attracts guests the place genuinely suits and avoids the disappointed review that costs you far more than the one booking. Frame honestly, not negatively: “a cosy second bedroom, ideal for a child” tells the truth and sells it.
A note on each platform
- Airbnb splits the description into sections (the space, guest access, other things to note) — use them rather than dumping everything in one box.
- Booking.com and Vrbo give you a longer property description; the first couple of lines still matter most, so lead strong.
Common mistakes
- Opening with “Welcome to…” instead of your best selling point.
- One unbroken wall of text.
- Listing features with no sense of what they mean for the guest.
- Vague filler — “perfect for a relaxing getaway” says nothing.
- Leaving obvious questions unanswered.
Pre-publish checklist
- Does the first line give a real reason to book?
- Can a guest skim it in fifteen seconds and get the gist?
- Are features tied to benefits?
- Are the common practical questions answered?
- Is it honest about the quirks?
- Does a clear type of guest see themselves there?
Get yours scored
LetMomentum’s free teaser audit reviews your description alongside the rest of your listing, flags where it loses guests, and gives you rewritten copy you can paste straight in. See the full listing checklist for how the description fits with everything else.