General News
Meropi Kyriacou Honored as TNH Educator of the Year
NEW YORK – Meropi Kyriacou, the new Principal of The Cathedral School in Manhattan, was honored as The National Herald’s Educator of the Year.
Amenities are crucial to travelers, as they shape the overall experience of a vacation. According to a consumer survey by Airbnb, an overwhelming 97 percent of US travelers surveyed say amenities impact their travel experience. Pools are the top amenity globally, while free parking and pet-friendly follow closely behind.
The survey by Airbnb reveals travelers from the United States rate amenities as second most important to vacation quality, just behind accommodations. These amenities are ranked higher in priority than shopping and dining experiences or location, and Airbnb hosts are profiting from a specific type of pool to boost their bookings and bank account.
Luxury Shipping Containers?
Modpools, the company that creates custom transportable backyard pools out of recycled shipping containers, has amassed quite a following on Instagram. Their versatile design can be sized to fit in almost any space while still allowing for luxury customization options.
In-ground pools can take a long time to build, but modular pools are much quicker, with a turnaround time of just eight to 18 weeks. For Airbnb hosts who want to add the most popular amenity for travelers worldwide, it allows them flexibility without losing an entire year of bookings.
For those properties without easy access to the backyard, Modpools can be craned into place without requiring heavy machinery. They are an ideal option for creating an inviting landscape surrounding the pool with minimal effort.
An Airbnb Asset
One of the most popular features of a Modpool design is the Instagram-worthy pool window. The 6′, 8′, or 10′ configurations are a big trend on Instagram.
Airbnb host Thomas Solorio comments, “It (the Modpool) does add HUGE value to our listing and to bookings.” His Modpool features prominently on his Airbnb listing in Desert Hot Springs, CA.
Properties don’t need to be modern in design. This Airbnb listing in Abbotsford, BC, boasts the Modpool with a window feature connected to a farmhouse retreat. Set on 13 acres, it offers a countryside getaway with upscale amenities to entice travelers to the listing.
Not all Airbnb hosts need to include the window feature add-on. This Airbnb superhost in Joshua Tree, CA, heavily markets its Modpool and even includes it in its listing title and description.
This Airbnb host in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, markets their Modpool as a “Kidquarium Indoor Heated Pool w Side Window.”
Rent Out Your Pool
Airbnb owners who have available dates without bookings can rent their Modpool out hourly on Swimply. It’s like Airbnb for pools, where people can browse nearby pools to use for an allotted period of time, and Swimply takes a 15% commission.
This Modpool owner in Utah rents out their pool for $75 per hour. Sonny Mayugba, Swimply’s Vice President of Growth, says, “Right now, we have hosts who are clearing well over $100,000 for the season.”
Swimply is the perfect example of how successful the sharing economy can be. The platform has over 20,000 pools available across all 50 states, Canada and Australia.
“As the largest swimming pool rental platform in the world, we see a huge market opportunity here as people seek experiences with their families and friends that they can’t get at home. In fact, our motto is ‘Escape Locally’ – offering unique access to nearby private pools,” continues Mayugba.
Production Times Are Decreasing
Future Airbnb hosts may be concerned about supply chain issues that face companies around the world.
Now that Modpools has opened a second manufacturing facility in Texas with ten times the square footage of its original factory in British Columbia, production is ramping up, and lead times are shrinking.
Increase The Value of Your Home
Airbnb hosts aren’t the only ones cashing in when adding a pool to their homes. A pool will increase your asking price when you go to sell your home. If you are paying less for a modular pool than you would for a traditional in-ground pool, you will reap the benefits when you put your home on the market.
“Sellers should see an increase in asking price, and those homeowners who are specifically looking to purchase a home with a pool will pay it. Of course, not all potential home buyers want a pool because of the maintenance costs associated with it. But those who do understand it is cheaper to purchase a home with an existing pool than to attempt to build one from scratch,” comments Real Estate Agent Andrew Karpiak.
Putting a swimming pool in your backyard might seem like a major indulgence, but it’s an investment that pays off in terms of lifestyle, health, and property value.
So if you’re looking for a way to add more value to your Airbnb listing and entice travelers with top-rated amenities, you may want to consider installing a Modpool in your backyard. You will have people booking in no time to get their Instagram selfies from your pool.
This post was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
NEW YORK – Meropi Kyriacou, the new Principal of The Cathedral School in Manhattan, was honored as The National Herald’s Educator of the Year.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) — It was in the den that Karen Goodwin most strongly felt her son’s presence: On the coffee table were his ashes, inside a clock with its hands forever frozen at 12:35 a.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A bus carrying worshippers on a long-distance trip from Botswana to an Easter weekend church gathering in South Africa plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass Thursday and burst into flames as it hit the rocky ground below, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.