In the early days of Airbnb, a clean bed and a functional kitchen were often enough to secure a five-star review. But as the short-term rental market has matured, guest expectations have shifted. Travellers are no longer just looking for a place to sleep; they’re looking for an experience. This shift has given rise to the Airbnb concierge service – a premium layer of hospitality that bridges the gap between a standard holiday let and a luxury hotel.
In this guide, we’ll explore the nuances of concierge support, how it differs from traditional management and how digital tools like Touch Stay can help you provide a 5-star experience at scale.
- What is an Airbnb concierge?
- What core services are included?
- Benefits of a concierge
- Concierge vs. standard host support
- Digital tools for concierge touch
- How to offer concierge services
- Pricing & cost models
- When concierge makes sense
- Key takeaways & summary
- Frequently asked questions
Want to elevate the guest experience while boosting your revenue?
What is an Airbnb concierge?
To the uninitiated, the term ‘concierge’ might conjure images of a white-gloved professional in a grand London hotel lobby. In the world of short-term rentals, the role is similar in spirit but different in execution.
Definition
An Airbnb concierge is a service (either a person or a dedicated team) that manages the ‘human’ element of the guest journey. While a property manager focuses on the bricks and mortar – maintenance, listing optimisation and cleaning schedules – the concierge focuses on guest delight, logistics and personalised care.
Hotel-style support for short-term rentals
The goal of an Airbnb concierge is to provide the level of attentiveness found in high-end hotels. This includes everything from coordinating airport transfers to stocking the fridge with a guest’s favourite organic snacks before they arrive. It’s about being proactive rather than reactive.
Concierge vs. basic property management
It’s easy to confuse the two, but the distinction is important…
Property management is functional: Is the house clean? Is the boiler working?
Concierge service is experiential: Does the guest know where to find the best coffee? Have they been given a warm, in-person welcome? Can they book a private chef through you?
Management keeps the business running; concierge service builds the brand.
What core services are included?
A concierge service typically covers the entire timeline of a guest’s stay, from the moment the booking is confirmed until the final checkout.
Pre-arrival communication
The guest experience begins long before the guest turns the key. A concierge handles the initial outreach, vetting guests, and answering specific questions about the local area. They might help plan an itinerary or coordinate special requests, such as a cot for a baby or a bottle of champagne for an anniversary.
24/7 guest support and resolution
In the middle of the night, if a guest can't work the heating or loses their key, they don't want to wait for an email. A concierge service provides a 24/7 point of contact, ensuring that small issues don't escalate into negative reviews.
Check-in and key coordination
While many hosts use lockboxes or smart locks, a premium concierge service often offers in-person greetings. This allows them to give a tour of the property, explain technical features (like the Sonos system or the Nespresso machine), and provide a human face to the stay.
Housekeeping and maintenance
While often outsourced to cleaning teams, the concierge oversees the quality control. They perform the ‘white glove test’ before a guest arrives, ensuring the presentation is impeccable – think perfectly fluffed pillows and curated welcome baskets.
Personalised extras and bookings
This is where a concierge truly shines. Need a table at a fully booked Michelin-star restaurant? A private tour of a local vineyard? A concierge leverages their local network to make the impossible happen for your guests.
💡 Pro tip: maximise revenue and guest satisfaction with the Touch Stay upsell widget
Benefits of a concierge
Investing in a concierge service isn't just about being ‘nice’; it's a strategic business decision with measurable returns.
Improved guest satisfaction
When guests feel cared for, they are more forgiving of minor mishaps. A concierge’s attention to detail creates a ‘halo effect’, where the entire stay is perceived as higher quality simply because the service was so attentive.
Higher nightly rates justification
If your property offers 24/7 support and bespoke local recommendations, you are no longer competing with the budget flat down the street. You are competing with boutique hotels. This allows you to command a premium price point.
Time savings for hosts
For many ‘accidental’ hosts, the constant ping of Airbnb messages can become a source of stress. Outsourcing this to a concierge team allows you to enjoy the passive income of property ownership without the ‘active’ headache of constant communication.
Competitive market advantage
In saturated markets like London, Edinburgh or the Cotswolds, having a dedicated concierge service listed in your property description can be the deciding factor for a guest choosing between two similar homes.
Better online reviews
In the world of Airbnb, reviews are currency. A concierge service is designed to generate ‘wow’ moments that guests feel compelled to write about. Five-star reviews lead to higher search rankings, which lead to more bookings.
Concierge vs. standard host support
What makes a concierge different from a host who just answers messages quickly?
Personalised and proactive help
Standard support answers a question when it's asked. A concierge anticipates the question before it's asked. For example, if a concierge sees a guest is arriving on a rainy day, they might message ahead to say, "I've left two umbrellas by the front door for you."
Full guest journey support
Standard support often ends once the guest has the Wi-Fi password. A concierge checks in mid-stay to see how things are going and provides "after-care," such as helping to recover a forgotten item left in the wardrobe.
Upsells and logistics
A concierge can be a profit centre. By offering add-on services like mid-stay cleans, grocery delivery, or guided tours, they can generate additional revenue that covers the cost of the service itself.
Automated messaging vs. human touch
While automation is great for ‘Check-out is at 10 am’, it can feel cold. A concierge service ensures that the automation is balanced with genuine, human interaction that makes a guest feel like a VIP rather than just a booking number.
Digital tools for concierge touch
You don't necessarily need a physical person standing in the hallway to provide concierge-level service. Technology has made it possible to provide high-touch support digitally.
Streamlining pre-arrival guides
The biggest hurdle to a smooth stay is information. If a guest has to ask how to turn on the oven, the concierge experience has failed. Digital tools allow you to provide all this information in a beautiful, accessible format before they even arrive.
Providing local recommendations
A physical concierge would tell you where to find the best hidden pub. A digital guidebook does the same, but with the added benefit of GPS links and photos. This is where Touch Stay excels. By creating a digital guidebook, you are essentially putting a concierge in your guest’s pocket.
You can curate your insider tips – the coffee shop that only locals know about, or the best route for a morning run – and present them in a way that feels personal and bespoke. This reduces the number of "What do I do here?" questions while significantly enhancing the guest’s sense of discovery.
Want to provide a concierge experience without the 24/7 phone calls?
Automation software integration
By integrating your digital guidebook with your Property Management System (PMS), you can automatically send the right information at the right time. For example, a link to the ‘Arrival’ section of your guidebook can be sent 24 hours before check-in, ensuring the guest feels supported without you having to lift a finger.
How to offer concierge services
If you want to start offering these services, you have three main paths.
Partner with local providers
You don't have to do everything yourself. Build a ‘black book’ of local partners – a reliable private hire driver, a local catering company and a professional cleaning service. You act as the coordinator, and they provide the service.
Use digital guidebooks and software
For most hosts, a digital concierge is the most cost-effective starting point. Using Touch Stay allows you to provide 80% of the value of a physical concierge (information, recommendations, and support) at a fraction of the cost.
Contract full concierge companies
For luxury, high-end listings, you might hire a dedicated firm. Companies like GuestReady or Hospitable (in certain markets) offer ‘boots on the ground’ concierge services that handle everything in person.
Pricing & cost models
The cost of a concierge service varies depending on the level of involvement.
Percentage of rental income (15-30%)
Most full-service concierge and management companies charge a commission based on your gross rental income. This usually ranges from 15% to 25% for urban properties and up to 30% for remote, luxury estates where logistics are harder.
À la carte or bundled packages
Some companies allow you to pay per service. You might pay a flat fee for a ‘Meet and Greet’ (£30-£50) or a ‘Fridge Stocking’ service (£20 plus the cost of groceries). This is often better for hosts who want to stay hands-on but need help with specific tasks.
Cost scenarios and inclusions
When evaluating costs, always ask what is included. Does the 20% cover the cost of the cleaning, or is that extra? Is the 24/7 support handled by a human or a chatbot? The cheapest option is rarely the best when your reputation is on the line.
When concierge makes sense
Not every property needs a concierge. If you are renting out a spare room to students, a concierge is overkill. However, it makes a lot of sense in the following scenarios:
- Premium or luxury listings: If you are charging £500+ per night, a concierge is an expectation, not a ‘nice to have’
- Competitive urban markets: In cities like London or Paris, you need every advantage to stand out in the search results
- Hosts scaling with multiple properties: Once you own three or more properties, it becomes physically impossible to be the ‘concierge’ for every guest yourself
- Desire for less hands-on involvement: If you view property as a passive investment, a concierge service is the "key" that unlocks your freedom
Key takeaways & summary
An Airbnb concierge service is the secret weapon of the world's most successful hosts. By shifting your focus from ‘managing a property’ to ‘curating an experience’, you can unlock higher revenue, better reviews and a more sustainable business.
Whether you choose to hire a physical team or use digital tools to scale your hospitality, the core principle remains the same: put the guest first.
If you are looking to provide a concierge-level experience without the overhead of a full-management firm, start with your information. A digital guidebook is the most efficient way to answer questions before they are asked and provide those local hero recommendations that guests love.
Ready to elevate your guest experience and save hours of time every week?
Join the thousands of hosts using Touch Stay to provide a 5-star digital concierge.
Frequently asked questions
Key takeaways & summary
An Airbnb concierge service is the secret weapon of the world's most successful hosts. By shifting your focus from ‘managing a property’ to ‘curating an experience’, you can unlock higher revenue, better reviews and a more sustainable business.
Whether you choose to hire a physical team or use digital tools to scale your hospitality, the core principle remains the same: put the guest first.
If you are looking to provide a concierge-level experience without the overhead of a full-management firm, start with your information. A digital guidebook is the most efficient way to answer questions before they are asked and provide those local hero recommendations that guests love.
Ready to elevate your guest experience and save hours of time every week?
Join the thousands of hosts using Touch Stay to provide a 5-star digital concierge.
CTA button: Start your free trial today [https://hub.touchstay.com/sign-up]
