Turning Unique Amenities Into Revenue: Why Your Escape Room Is More Than Just a Perk

This week on the Hosting Hotline, listener Mike from Hocking Hills, Ohio, called in with a smart question about whether he could sync his Airbnb listing calendar with an Airbnb Experience. Mike recently added a full escape room to one of his properties, and wanted to open it up to guests even on days the cabin wasn’t booked.

Here’s the short answer: No, Airbnb currently doesn’t allow calendar syncing between listings and experiences.

But the real opportunity here? Rethinking what a unique amenity can do for your business.

If you’ve created a stand-out feature for your STR—whether that’s an escape room, pizza oven, wine tasting room, or backyard putting green—you don’t have to wait for Airbnb to help you monetize it. You can build your own ecosystem of guests, events, and marketing strategies to drive traffic and revenue on your own terms.

Some of our favorite ideas from the episode:

• Host special event weeks focused on your feature (like escape room week for corporate teams or families)
• Use the amenity as a loss leader—draw people in with the experience, then get them excited to book an overnight stay
• Create a waitlist for the feature and open limited availability to generate buzz
• Remarket to past guests who loved the amenity, or offer referral incentives
• Partner with local influencers or communities to spread the word outside Airbnb

The key takeaway? Don’t just think like a host—think like a business owner. Your unique features deserve to be seen, shared, and monetized. This episode is your permission slip to get creative.

Resources

• Mike’s Instagram (@hillsideamble): Follow to see how he markets his cabins and escape room in Hocking Hills, Ohio.
• Thanks for Visiting Bootcamp: Learn how to optimize your listings and increase revenue with smart pricing, calendar management, and creative marketing. thanksforvisiting.com/bootcamp

Have More Questions? We’d love to hear from you! Submit your hosting questions to the Hosting Hotline and tune in to the podcast for answers. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for more tips: @thanksforvisiting_.

Download a transcript of this episode.

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