How to Create an Airbnb Bedroom Guests Love

After a long day of travelling or sightseeing, the bedroom is often the room guests look forward to most.

It’s where they finally close the door, exhale, and discover whether the property only looked attractive in the photos—or whether it genuinely feels as comfortable as it promised.

A boutique-style bedroom isn’t about expensive furniture or a complete renovation. It comes from comfort, calm, a few thoughtful details, and removing the small sources of friction that guests notice without ever articulating.

Here’s how to create one.

1. Invest Where It Matters Most

The Mattress Comes First

If there’s one place in a rental property where I’d always spend a little more than feels strictly necessary, it’s the bed.

Not because guests walk in and inspect the mattress. But because a poor night’s sleep colours everything—their mood the next morning, their energy for the day, and ultimately how they remember their stay. A guest who sleeps well is far more likely to remember the entire experience positively.

Choose the largest practical bed for the space. In a small room, a queen can work just as well as a king if the room is thoughtfully arranged around it—but wherever possible, give guests room to stretch out.

For mattresses, medium-firm tends to suit the widest range of guests and holds up better over time. Protect it with a waterproof mattress protector, rotate it regularly, and vacuum it between seasons. If replacing the mattress isn’t in the budget right now, a good-quality topper can noticeably improve comfort—although it can’t permanently fix a mattress that’s genuinely past its best.

Quality Bedding Makes a Real Difference

Buy the best bedding your budget allows. That’s not glamorous advice, but it’s one of the most consistently true things I can say about creating a comfortable Airbnb bedroom.

White cotton sheets are a reliable choice—they feel clean, they look timeless, and they give even a modest bedroom a quietly hotel-like quality. Cotton percale or sateen both work beautifully for a polished finish. I chose white cotton sateen for our apartment in Trogir, and I’d happily make the same decision again. It looked elegant, held up well over time, and was surprisingly easy to maintain.

For pillows, offer at least two per guest with different levels of firmness. A softer pillow for those who like to sink in, and a firmer one for guests who need more support. Washable synthetic fillings are often a practical choice, especially because they can be cleaned at higher temperatures and are easy to maintain between stays.

And always keep spare blankets available. Some guests sleep warm, while others are happiest tucked under an extra layer. Giving them that choice costs very little, but removes one more small point of potential discomfort.

2. Create a Bedroom Guests Actually Want to Stay In

Layer Your Lighting

Lighting is one of the most powerful tools in any interior—and one of the most consistently underestimated by hosts.

A single ceiling light in the centre of the room is functional. But functional isn’t what we’re aiming for here.

Instead, layer your lighting. Combine overhead lighting with bedside lamps, and, if the room allows, consider adding a floor lamp or wall sconces. The goal is to create warmth at different heights, giving guests the freedom to adjust the atmosphere depending on the time of day and what they’re doing.

One of the purchases I’m happiest we made for our Trogir bedroom was a pair of dimmable IKEA TÄRNABY table lamps. They weren’t expensive, but they completely changed the feel of the room in the evenings. Guests could read comfortably in bed without flooding the entire space with bright light, and once the main ceiling light was switched off, the bedroom instantly felt calmer and more inviting.

It’s one of those upgrades that guests rarely mention directly—but they certainly notice the atmosphere it creates.

Keep Evenings Calm

Warm white bulbs—around 2700K—rather than cool or daylight bulbs make an enormous difference to how a room feels after sunset. Cold light feels clinical. Warm light feels restful.

If outside light could disturb sleep, blackout curtains or well-fitting blinds are absolutely worth the investment. They help guests settle more quickly and often improve the quality of their sleep without them even realizing why.

It’s also worth paying attention to the tiny details that become surprisingly noticeable at night. Alarm clocks, TV standby lights, chargers, or router indicators can all create little points of bright light that feel insignificant during the day but surprisingly distracting at three in the morning.

Keep the overall atmosphere calm, simple, and uncluttered.

The goal isn’t to create a room that looks like a lifestyle photoshoot. It’s to create one that feels like a retreat.

3. Leave Space to Relax

Storage Matters More Than Décor

Guests need somewhere to put their things.

It sounds obvious, but it’s one of the most frequently overlooked aspects of bedroom design in short-term rentals.

A wardrobe, a clothes rail, or a chest of drawers—whichever suits the room—should offer enough space for guests to actually unpack if they want to. Include enough hangers for a realistic number of guests, and consider adding a luggage rack or a simple bench so suitcases don’t have to live on the floor—or worse, on the bed.

For host supplies—spare bedding, extra pillows, or seasonal items—under-bed storage works beautifully while staying completely out of sight.

Personally, I love using rattan baskets, especially in bedrooms with a more natural or Mediterranean aesthetic. They’re practical, they look intentional, and they add warmth in a way that a plastic storage box simply never could.

Edit Instead of Fill

A bedroom feels more luxurious when it has room to breathe.

Remove anything from visible surfaces that doesn’t serve a clear purpose. Bedside tables, in particular, tend to collect decorative objects, extra books, and little items that are simply there because they’ve always been there.

Instead, keep only what guests actually need: a bedside lamp, somewhere to place a phone, perhaps a glass of water, and maybe one thoughtfully chosen decorative object.

Remove personal belongings entirely. Even if the property once was your own home, during your guests’ stay it should feel like theirs.

A few carefully chosen details will always have more impact than shelves full of decorations competing for attention.

4. Use Texture Instead of Too Much Decoration

Create Calm with Colour and Textiles

A neutral, soft colour palette creates a peaceful atmosphere almost automatically. Whites, creams, warm greys, muted greens, and natural wood tones help a bedroom feel calm without trying too hard.

Within that palette, add warmth through texture rather than pattern.

A linen throw at the foot of the bed.

A cotton cushion with a subtle weave.

A practical rug that softens a tiled floor and makes the room feel complete.

Mix two or three different textures within the same colour family. The result feels layered, welcoming, and quietly elegant rather than busy.

Keep your textiles easy to wash and maintain. One of the things I appreciate most about practical decorating is that beauty and functionality don’t have to compete—they can work beautifully together.

Add Character Carefully

One or two meaningful artworks will often do more for a bedroom than an entire wall filled with generic prints.

In our Trogir apartment, I decorated the bedroom with black-and-white photographs of the old town. They gave the room a genuine sense of place that mass-produced artwork simply couldn’t replicate. Guests weren’t just staying anywhere—they were staying in Trogir.

If you have the opportunity, visit local art shops or markets. You can often find unique pieces at surprisingly reasonable prices. Etsy is another wonderful source if you’re looking for something a little different.

For greenery, a convincing faux plant is a perfectly reasonable option in a rental bedroom. No wilting, no maintenance, and no risk of a guest accidentally killing something you’ve lovingly cared for. 😄

A large statement plant in the corner, a small olive branch in a ceramic vase, or just a touch of greenery on a shelf brings life into the room in a way that’s surprisingly difficult to achieve with furniture alone.

5. Thoughtfulness Is What Guests Remember

This is the section that’s hardest to systematize — and the one that perhaps matters most.

A neatly made bed creates an immediate sense of care the moment guests walk through the door. Towels arranged thoughtfully at the foot of the bed, or folded in the bathroom, signal that someone prepared this space with attention. A small chocolate on the bedside table, a handwritten welcome note, a local guidebook or two left within reach — none of these cost much. But they communicate something that no mattress or lamp can: that a real person thought about the people who were coming to stay.

Some of the reviews I was proudest of from our hosting years weren’t about the furniture. Guests wrote that they could feel everything had been thoughtfully prepared. That the space felt genuinely cared for. That everything had been done with love. That someone had wanted them to have a wonderful stay.

Those comments meant more to me than compliments about the décor ever could.

Because in the end, that’s what thoughtful hospitality is really about.

Not perfection. Not expensive design.

It comes from paying attention to the little things that make people feel welcome.

Final Thoughts

Creating a relaxing Airbnb bedroom doesn’t require a luxury budget or a complete renovation.

Start with what matters most: a comfortable mattress and quality bedding that guests will genuinely enjoy sleeping on. Improve the lighting so evenings feel warm instead of clinical. Create practical storage that allows guests to settle in without moving your belongings. Add warmth through a few carefully chosen textiles and meaningful decorative touches. And perhaps most importantly, leave a little breathing room—in the room itself, on the surfaces, and in the overall design.

Guests may not remember the exact sheets, the specific bedside lamp, or the artwork on the wall.

But they’ll remember how they slept.

Whether they felt comfortable.

Whether they woke up rested.

And whether, for just a brief moment before checking out, they wished they could stay one more night.

That’s the feeling every great Airbnb bedroom should create.

Want to Make Your Whole Airbnb Feel This Thoughtful?

A beautiful bedroom is only one part of creating a memorable guest experience.

If you’d like to discover a few more simple improvements that can make your entire property feel calmer, more polished, and more expensive—without a complete renovation—my next guide is a great place to start.

→ 4 Small Airbnb Upgrades That Make Your Space Feel More Expensive