How We Designed This South Florida STR to Stand Out

South Florida is crowded with short-term rentals.
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Everyone claims to be "close to the beach." Everyone mentions their "sunny backyard." Scroll long enough and the listings blur together.
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This Hallandale Beach house had good bones, but nothing about it made guests stop scrolling. When a property blends in with every other option, hosts end up competing on price. That's a race nobody wins.
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We gave the house something the market wasn't offering: a clear visual identity guests could recognize in three seconds.

Here's how we built it.

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How we turned the backyard into the main booking driver

In competitive markets, outdoor space usually gets treated like a box to check. Pool, some chairs, maybe a grill. Done.
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We turned this backyard into the reason people book.
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Heated and chilled cowboy pool. Firepit tucked under the palms. Lawn games that work for kids and adults.
Tropical plants staged to photograph well. Seating zones that make groups want to hang out instead of just pass through.
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The goal was simple: make guests picture themselves spending time here before they even check availability.

Why we used bold murals in this South Florida STR

Most listings in South Florida lean neutral. Beige walls, white furniture, safe choices that photograph fine but don't register.

We went the opposite direction.
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Bold murals in the common areas. Tropical wallpaper that reads instantly on a phone screen. Colors that create contrast and make the space easier to remember.
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The murals gave each room a visual anchor so guests could tell them apart when flipping through photos.

Small Airbnb design details that create big impact

USB ports at every bed. Blackout curtains in all bedrooms. A coffee station staged to look like it's ready to use. Outdoor string lights that photograph well at dusk.
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These aren't the things that get mentioned in reviews, but they're what make a space feel intentional instead of thrown together.
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Why bold design works in competitive short-term rental markets

When dozens of listings look similar, guests default to price comparisons. They pick the cheapest option that checks their boxes.

When a listing has a distinct look, the decision changes. Guests stop asking "is this worth it?" and start asking "is this available?"
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This house doesn't blend in. It shows up in the first scroll. It gets sent to the group chat. It becomes "the one with the colorful backyard" instead of "option #6."
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That's how you stop competing on price.

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The STR design decisions that stopped guests from scrolling

Committing to color early

We didn't hedge with neutrals. The house needed to own a lane, so we picked bold tropical and built everything around it.

Making the backyard the hero‍

In South Florida, outdoor space is expected. We made it the experience instead of an amenity.

Placing murals where they'd show up in photos‍

Not tucked in hallways or secondary bedrooms. In the living room and main gathering spaces where the first five photos get taken.
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Staging spaces to look ready to use‍

Guests imagine themselves in spaces that feel lived-in, not staged. Coffee ready to brew. Games ready to play. Firepit ready to light.

How distinctive design affects Airbnb bookings

We can't give you exact revenue numbers on this property. But we can tell you what happens when a listing stops blending in.
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It gets shared more. It gets remembered longer. It shows up in more group chats. And it stops competing purely on price, which gives hosts leverage in negotiations and repeat bookings.
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The design doesn't have to be tropical or bold to work. It just has to be specific enough that guests recognize it immediately and can picture themselves there.
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Final thought

This house works because we committed to a direction early and built everything around it.
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No hedging. No "let's keep it neutral just in case." We picked a lane, designed for a specific guest, and made sure every photo backed up that vision.
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If your property is sitting in a crowded market and blending in with the comps, the fix usually isn't adding more amenities. It's giving guests a reason to choose you that has nothing to do with price.

That's what we do. If you're ready to figure out what that looks like for your property, let's talk.