The Wisdom of a Great Airbnb

The more Character you have, the more magnetic you become.

I stayed at probably the best Airbnb I’ve ever stayed in during a recent trip to Menorca. It wasn’t the best because it had high-end design or fancy amenities. It was the best because it was full of Character.

Places with Character are really the holy grail on Airbnb. It’s the vision of traveling we were sold when it was founded in 2008. Unfortunately these types of places are harder and harder to find on the platform these days, replaced with Ikea-clad, soulless spots in central locations that jack-up the home prices and kick out the locals.

Places with Character are usually the ones that are booked up first. The reason they’re popular is the same reason each of us should develop our Character… you become magnetic.

Below I explain what Character looks like in Airbnbs and then map it onto how I think about personal development, alignment, and fulfillment.

1. An Airbnb with Character will reflect the vibe of your location.

The steps up to my Airbnb, above my host’s home in typical Minorcan white-washed building.

The property will show the flavor of the local culture through architecture, furnishings, and decoration, because Character is grounded in authenticity. When a listing doesn’t have this there is a sense of ‘otherness’ from the location you’re exploring.

Hilton Hotels, for example, are not authentic to the place you’re visiting. They’re intentionally designed to feel the same in every location, making them devoid of Character; Conrad Hilton thought this would make you feel ‘at home’ wherever you went. The result, of course, means your space is incongruent to the location around you.

Certainly for the early to mid 20th-century traveler this may have been desirable. The world was much bigger in the sense that cultures were more distinct and the world operated in bubbles. No internet, no Google maps, no Google translate, no Uber, no Google reviews, etc. This made traveling more difficult - but also arguably more mind-altering. These days, with so much of the global culture coalescing into one big mono culture, people crave authentic travel experiences. Airbnb was designed to serve the modern traveler, the one that wants regional authenticity so they don’t feel like a tourist.

Here are some other photos from Minorcan listings that are super authentic to the vibe of the island. Check out the captions.

This home mirrors the hand-built stone walls you find all over the island.

The shape and style of this door is authentic to the island.

And here’s an example of a listing in Menorca that could be located anywhere in the world. When things are super simplified they lose their locational authenticity. Some people like super modern, of course. But spots like this are devoid of the local flavor and therefore less authentic.

This place has significantly less local Character than the places above. I feel bored when I look at it.

2. An Airbnb with Character will have a personality.

My Airbnb host painted this on the side of the home. The fish flag on the upstairs balcony adds a playful touch. It’s not fancy, but it’s charming and represents her personality.

A great Airbnb won’t have a perfectly designed aesthetic with everything perfectly in its place. Instead it will showcase unexpected, quirky, or unique details. These twists give the place personality, and personality is at the heart of Character.

When a place is decorated with everything in the same style with the same palette it can be technically stylish or zen, but it lacks Character. Character is decidedly individual, meaning it doesn’t fit neatly into a box or get easily picked up by an algorithm. It isn’t single-minded. It’s the unexpected details that makes things interesting.

Here’s some other photos of locations that have personality. Check out the captions.

The cut-outs on the cabinets signal hand-made craftsmanship. They’re unique. The mix of styles and materials in this space - concrete and metal with a hand-crafted wooden table and woven chairs create a more individual aesthetic.

The chairs have a 80s post-modern vibe, giving an unexpected twist to the outdoor space.

Now compare the photos above to the listing below. This place is well-appointed. Time and care has been taken with someone who has some aesthetic sensibility. However, this place is not at all unique. It’s trendy and of the moment. It’s nice, but it lacks personality, and thus Character.

There’s no personality in this place. Too much generic trendiness leads to a vanilla feeling.

3. It will feel like a real home.

I wish I’d taken more photos of the space, but you can see here there are candles and incense. There is a water filter. The mushroom next to the filter is a mood lamp for the evening. There’s a coffee table, blanket, extra pillows, a fruit bowl. She also had a beach umbrella, cooler, snorkels and fins, a mosquito net over the bed, lavender sachets in the closet, olive oil and vinegar and spices, an ice-cube tray, all the utensils and flatware you needed, etc.

Here’s a picture of my spot, which felt lived in. Like a real home. When an Airbnb has Character it will come outfitted with the extras that make the space feel lived in. This means a fully equipped kitchen, hooks and tables and storage in all the right places to support hanging out, coming and going. If you’re by the water maybe there’s an umbrella and cooler for the beach. There’s bags for your supermarket haul, etc, etc.

A place with Character is comfortable in its own skin. When an Airbnb doesn’t have this element but lets say has at least been intentionally designed, you get this sort of uncanny valley feeling. It looks like a home but something feels off ... you know it’s not real, so your body doesn’t relax in the same way. It’s annoying because you don’t have a proper nightstand or there’s nowhere convenient to hang your towel or there’s not enough storage in the bathroom or there’s not a coffee table or you have to rent an umbrella at the beach, etc.

Even though the place above is not fancy, it feels comfortable, playful, and homey. You don’t need money to have Character. Compare that to these places…

I love the authentic Menorcan design of this place and it feels chic but it is not set up comfortably. There’s no coffee table. There are no touches that say someone has actually lived in this space. I feel uncomfortable when I look at this picture.

This place is not authentically Minorcan. It has no personality. It’s not lived in - where is the coffee table? I feel cold looking at it.

We can take these concepts of what drives Character in an Airbnb and apply it to ourselves.

1. Be authentic. It takes less energy to be yourself. Just like an authentic Airbnb helps the traveler connect to the location they’re visiting, your authenticity helps other people connect to you… how else can they really get to know you if you aren’t true to yourself? You want to emit a signal that is pure and clear. When you only present a part of yourself you can never attract the most aligned people and opportunities. Instead, you’ll be attracting whatever signal you’re putting out, which will make relationships and career paths always feel at the very least a little bit heavy or off.

2. Embrace all the parts of yourself, even the unexpected, left field ones. This gives you personality. The unexpected is attractive. She works in investment banking but also has a jewelry line? Cool. He was born and raised in Chicago but also spent 10 years in Jakarta? Tell me more. She dresses in stilettos and lipstick but is also a massive gamer? Do go on. It’s your quirks, polarities, and idiosyncrasies that make you interesting, display them proudly!

3. Do the work so you feel comfortable in your own skin. The more at home with yourself you feel, the easier it is to navigate any situation and build towards your biggest goals and dreams. Can you share your mistakes, struggles, and vulnerabilities openly? This projects confidence. Other people will feel safe to be themselves around you which means they’ll want to spend more time with you. Your comfort with yourself is a magnet.

Character means being true to yourself, showcasing all the parts of yourself, and doing the work to feel comfortable with yourself.

When you build your Character, life starts to flow. You become a magnet for the people and places that fit you best. It’s how you create an energizing career you love, it’s how you build a supportive community, it’s how you attract an amazing partner, it’s how you unlock your deepest dreams and desires.

In an age of AI, algorithms, Ikea, and Amazon basics, I hope this article has inspired you to break from the mold, and build your Character instead. It’s your compass to everything you want.

Anne. x

PS. If you want help building your Character - across career, style, community, and personal development - I offer customized coaching programs to help you do just that.