MORE COVERAGE: 20 unique ‘staycation’ Airbnb spots near Bloomington-Normal
BLOOMINGTON — Five years ago, Marie Poundstone and Andy Battey of Bloomington began constructing their first Airbnb — both from the ground up, and from the inside out — with one theme in mind: “eclectic.”
“Music, movies, vintage arcades, things that you don’t normally expect to find in an Airbnb … we want to offer something different than what others are doing,” Poundstone said.
From the curb, the single-family home largely blends in with the surrounding scenery, with the exception of a bright pink door and revamping renovations livening its exterior.
But with one step inside, guests are transported to the time periods and destinations of their imaginations, from a 1920s movie palace to a scene straight from Super Mario.
The pride and joy of the “Arcade House” owners, though, is a separate structure off the main home that houses a host of arcade and table games, with walls covered in colorful memorabilia and custom décor spanning decades, located just across the Hawaiian resort-inspired backyard.
All of the amenities are intended to create a memorable experience for guests, with the owners suggesting that the space works well for intimate gatherings such as birthdays and bachelorette parties.
The property is among hundreds of short-term rentals listed on Airbnb by owners across Central Illinois. They range from cabins, lakeside cottages and entire homes to single rooms, with prices that range accordingly.
As people seek out post-pandemic travel — or just an opportunity to get out of the house — San Francisco-based Airbnb and the traditional hospitality industry have both reported signs of recovery. Airbnb made the first full-year profit in its history last year with $1.9 billion. The company has also benefited from the remote work opportunities created during the pandemic; listings outside of major metro areas rose by nearly 50% between the second quarter of 2019 and 2022, it said.
For hosts, Airbnb can provide a way to earn extra income by renting out a room in one’s own home, a vacation house or an investment property. Some owners, like Poundstone and Battey, take things a step farther, seeking to provide a one-of-a-kind getaway — whether the guests come from out of town or are natives looking for a change of pace.
For Aly and Parker Timmerman, hosts of “The Alice” on Bloomington’s southeast side, the vision of what to offer guests was the exact opposite of Poundstone and Battey’s: a “muted and moody” mid-century modern oasis that similarly did not exist in the local Airbnb marketplace.
“We tried to make a little niche there of something that was homey and cozy as a home-away-from-home,” Aly Timmerman said.
The couple, who purchased the property last July, spent around six months renovating the home before listing the rental on Airbnb last January. Viewing the renovation process as a means to expand their horizons, the Timmermans remodeled the property’s floor plan, renovated the bedrooms and bathrooms, and invested in amenities including a work-from-home space and new kitchen appliances, Aly Timmerman said.
“We took the bones and structure that were here, and enhanced it with modern features,” she said.
During the rental’s second month on Airbnb, a guest booked the property for an entire month. Now, Parker Timmerman said, the property is booked almost every weekend, with an overall occupancy rate of around 70%.
“We love this city. It has a lot to offer; there’s a lot of attractions here,” Aly Timmerman said. “You’ve got the colleges, you’ve got a lot of families that will come to visit, and you’ve got people coming for weddings, funerals, events like that.”
While the couple was concerned that business would slow down at the end of the school year, the rental’s first summer on the market has instead served as a “big swing,” with an uptick in both renters and revenue.
“Airbnb has been great for us, and we have a ton of people coming to stay,” Aly Timmerman added.
Themes can serve as a draw. Host Ryan Curtis said his themed “House of Arcade” in Bloomington attracts more guests than the other two short-term rentals he offers in the area.
“It’s been pretty much a hit since it started,” Ryan Curtis said. “We’ve stayed pretty occupied pretty much every single weekend since we’ve opened, and then also during weekdays as well. Comparing that to just a normal furnished Airbnb that’s not themed, you see a little bit less occupancy than you do on something like this.”
The Curtis’ themed rental, which was listed on Airbnb in August, includes a basement arcade with both classic cabinets and a virtual board game table, as well as a video game console room. The property also includes a Pac-Man bedroom and mural designed by a local artist, as well as a restocked classic Coca-Cola cooler and ice cream freezer.
Ryan and Tori Curtis, inspired by their love of gaming and arcades growing up, spent six months renovating the property, and experienced their “best month ever” this past June.
However, hosting a themed Airbnb requires more than an initial idea, investment and renovations, Ryan Curtis said. The role of an Airbnb host differs from that of a typical property owner, he said.
“You’re not just a landlord; all of a sudden, now you’re in the hospitality business, which is a very different thing,” he said. “Being in the hospitality business, you want to cater to your clients more in-depth and try to make sure they have a great experience overall.”
In addition to maintaining communication with guests throughout their stay, Poundstone, Battey and the Timmermans said their properties require constant upkeep.
“Collectively, we’ve put a lot of time in here every week to keep it maintained and up to the standards that we would expect in a short-term rental,” Battey said.
With consistent investment required, Poundstone said the “ups and downs” of occupancy, depending on factors including the economy and a property’s seasonality, can shape profits.
Pam Kowalewski, who serves as host of the Vrooman Mansion and Carriage House, in Bloomington, has experienced these fluctuations in demand firsthand.
The mansion, a traditional bed & breakfast, is often rented out as an event space for weddings and other gatherings, Kowalewski said. However, the mansion grounds must be continuously maintained, with staff prepared to welcome the next guests, regardless of the number of bookings, she said.
“We actually have somebody here on staff that would come and greet the guests, show them around, show them some of the amenities we have,” said Kowalewski, who serves as innkeeper at the mansion. “We’re also on staff all night to answer any questions that they might have. So it’s not just a find your way, find the light switches by yourself, lockbox type of a situation.”
The Vrooman Mansion, which has five guest rooms, and the Carriage House, which guests can rent in full on Airbnb, became available for booking around 15 years ago. Built in 1869, the mansion has likely seen visitors including former presidents Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt, who are believed to have possibly attended social events hosted at the historic Bloomington mansion, Kowalewski said. The Carriage House, which offers renters a stay in a “less Victorian” and “more cabin-like” setting, features amenities including gourmet breakfast, bath packages and chocolate-covered strawberries with champagne delivered to the door.
“We’ve had people from Bloomington come and stay here that think this is a getaway,” Kowalewski said. “It’s a staycation. They feel like they’re actually getting away from their house.”
In providing guests with thoughtful accommodations and personalized attention, Bloomington-Normal Airbnb hosts are able to provide a “fun-filled, unique experience here in town,” Curtis said, “whether that’s a staycation … or if they’re just traveling through the area.”
Poundstone said the “uniqueness” of the Arcade House sets it apart. They strive to offer guests “a bunch of things that you can do with your family and friends to create memories that will last a lifetime,” she said.
“You wouldn’t get that if you were in something like a hotel.”