Amenities That Actually Increase Airbnb Revenue: Ranked by ROI Data

I have a confession. I used to think the amenity arms race was mostly marketing theater. Another hot tub, another fire pit, another listing photo of artisanal soap. How much could any of it actually move the revenue needle?

Then I looked at the data. And the data changed my mind.

It turns out that specific amenities have measurable, sometimes dramatic impacts on nightly rates, booking frequency, and guest satisfaction. The difference between a property that earns $2,000 a month and one that earns $3,500 often comes down to strategic amenity investments that cost far less than the revenue they generate.

Let me rank them for you, from highest ROI to “nice but not necessary.”

Tier 1. The Revenue Multipliers

Pet-Friendly Policies

This is the single highest-ROI amenity decision you can make, and it costs essentially nothing to implement.

The data is unambiguous. Pet-friendly listings command an average of $17.41 more per night than comparable non-pet-friendly properties. That is over $500 per month in additional revenue at average occupancy, and it comes with zero capital expenditure.

The demand side is equally compelling. Sixty percent of pet owners say they want to travel with their pets, and the majority report difficulty finding suitable accommodations. By accepting pets, you are not just raising your rate. You are accessing a segment of travelers who have fewer options and are willing to pay a premium for the ones that exist.

Implementation is straightforward. Charge a pet fee ($50 to $150 per stay or $25 to $50 per night), invest in durable flooring and furniture, add a pet waste station outside, and stock a welcome basket with treats and a water bowl. Total setup cost: under $200. Annual revenue impact: potentially thousands.

The counterargument is always damage risk. In practice, pet damage claims are relatively rare and are covered by pet fees and security deposits. The revenue uplift far exceeds the occasional cleaning surcharge.

Hot Tubs

If pet-friendly is the cheapest revenue boost, hot tubs are the most reliable capital investment. Properties with hot tubs consistently command 15 to 25 percent higher nightly rates than comparable properties without them.

Installation costs range from $3,000 for a quality portable unit to $15,000 or more for a built-in model. Maintenance runs $100 to $200 monthly including chemicals, water, and electricity. At a 20 percent rate premium on a $200 ADR property, you are looking at an additional $40 per night, which means even the expensive installation pays for itself within a year.

The key insight is that hot tubs are not just an amenity. They are a search filter. Guests actively filter for hot tubs on every major platform. If your property does not have one, it literally does not appear in those search results. You are invisible to an entire segment of high-intent bookers.

Larger Properties (5+ Bedrooms)

This is less about adding an amenity and more about understanding where demand is growing. Properties with 6 or more bedrooms saw 12.61 percent booking growth over the past year, significantly outpacing the market average.

The driver is group travel. Multi-family vacations, friend groups, corporate retreats, and wedding parties all need space that hotels cannot efficiently provide. A 6-bedroom home that sleeps 12 to 16 guests at $500 per night is often cheaper per person than individual hotel rooms, while offering a qualitatively different experience.

If you are evaluating property purchases, this data argues strongly for larger homes in markets with group travel demand.

Tier 2. The Competitive Advantages

Pools

Pools are the most requested amenity in warm-weather markets but have a more complex ROI profile than hot tubs. Installation costs are significantly higher ($25,000 to $60,000 for in-ground), maintenance is substantial ($200 to $400 monthly), and liability insurance increases meaningfully.

The revenue impact is real. Properties with pools in Texas, Florida, and Arizona markets command 20 to 35 percent rate premiums during summer months. But seasonality is the catch. In markets with a 5-month swim season, you need the summer premium to offset the year-round maintenance costs.

If the property already has a pool, maintain it impeccably. It is one of your strongest differentiators. If you are considering adding one, run the full-year numbers including insurance, maintenance, and the realistic swim season for your market.

Professional Interior Design

This one surprised me, and it should not have. Professionally decorated listings earn approximately 10 percent higher per-booking revenue than comparable self-decorated properties. Across a year of bookings, that 10 percent compounds into a significant number.

Professional design is not about spending $50,000 on furniture. It is about cohesion, photography, and the algorithmic reality that platforms reward listings with higher engagement. Better photos lead to more clicks, which lead to better search placement, which leads to more bookings at higher rates. The interior design investment is really a marketing investment.

Budget $5,000 to $15,000 for a professional designer to furnish and style a 2 to 3 bedroom property. Pair it with professional photography ($300 to $800). The combined investment typically pays for itself within 6 to 12 months through rate and occupancy improvements.

Outdoor Living Spaces

Fire pits, outdoor dining areas, string lights, quality patio furniture. These elements transform a property from “a place to sleep” into “a place to experience.” The data shows that listings highlighting outdoor living spaces receive significantly more saves and shares on Airbnb, which drives the platform’s search algorithm in your favor.

The investment is modest. A quality fire pit runs $200 to $800. A well-furnished patio setup costs $1,000 to $3,000. String lights and landscaping lighting add $200 to $500. The total investment of $1,500 to $4,000 creates listing photography that dramatically outperforms properties relying solely on interior shots.

Tier 3. The Emerging Differentiators

EV Charging Stations

Electric vehicle ownership is growing at 30 to 40 percent annually, and EV drivers actively seek accommodations with charging capability. A Level 2 charger costs $500 to $1,500 installed and adds a genuine differentiator that very few STR properties currently offer.

The direct revenue impact is still modest. Most hosts include charging as a complimentary amenity rather than a fee-based service. But the indirect impact on booking conversion is meaningful and growing. As EV adoption accelerates, this shifts from “nice to have” to “expected” within the next 2 to 3 years.

Game Rooms and Entertainment

Dedicated game rooms with pool tables, arcade machines, or home theaters drive bookings for family and group properties. The investment ranges from $2,000 (quality pool table and board games) to $10,000-plus (full entertainment room with theater setup).

The ROI is strongest in properties targeting group stays and family vacations. A game room gives guests a reason to stay in the property rather than going out, which reduces noise complaints and increases satisfaction scores. Win-win.

Health and Wellness Amenities

This is the frontier. Eighty percent of travelers now say they want health-focused amenities in their accommodations. The specifics range from practical (water filtration, blackout curtains, quality mattresses) to aspirational (saunas, cold plunge tubs, yoga spaces, circadian lighting).

The practical items are low-cost, high-impact. A water filtration system ($200 to $500), blackout curtains ($100 to $300 per room), and a premium mattress ($1,000 to $2,000) improve guest comfort and review scores with minimal investment.

The aspirational items command premium positioning but require larger markets to justify the investment. A barrel sauna ($3,000 to $8,000) or cold plunge setup ($2,000 to $5,000) can become a defining feature for luxury listings.

The Amenities That Do Not Move the Needle

Not every upgrade is worth the money. Based on the data, these investments have minimal impact on revenue:

• Smart home automation beyond locks. Guests appreciate smart locks. They do not care about your smart thermostat or automated blinds.
• Excessive kitchen upgrades. A functional, clean kitchen matters. A $5,000 espresso machine does not meaningfully change booking behavior.
• Brand-name toiletries. Clean, quality basics outperform expensive brands. Nobody books a property because of the shampoo.
• TVs beyond a certain point. One quality TV with streaming access is essential. A TV in every room is wasted money.

The Strategic Framework

If I were advising an STR investor on amenity strategy, here is the priority order:

1. Go pet-friendly (immediate, near-zero cost, highest ROI)
2. Professional photography and design (one-time investment, compound returns)
3. Hot tub (if market and property support it)
4. Outdoor living spaces (fire pit, patio, lighting)
5. Health basics (great mattresses, blackout curtains, water filtration)
6. EV charger (future-proofing at low cost)
7. Pool or game room (market-dependent, higher investment)

The common thread is that the best amenity investments improve either your search visibility (filters, algorithm engagement) or your rate premium (differentiation, guest willingness to pay). Everything else is decoration.

For more on optimizing your STR revenue through technology, our comparison of dynamic pricing tools and our look at AI adoption in STR management cover the software side of the equation.

Run the Numbers

Wondering how amenity upgrades would affect your property’s revenue potential? Our free StaySTRA Analyzer pulls real market data so you can model different scenarios and estimate the impact on your bottom line.

Modeling amenity ROI requires solid baseline revenue data. Compare StaySTRA and BNBCalc to see which gives you more accurate projections to build on.

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