In the world of short-term rentals, there are hosts, and then there are hosts like Becca Schulman Havemeyer, the creative force behind Beach Plum Properties. Her journey into the world of short-term rental hosting began in 2021. She used her passion for restoring historic homes to renovate her first property, "Bayside," a serene Cape Cod retreat. In the last two years, Becca has acquired and renovated her second STR property, “Mileaway,” in Stowe, Vermont, and is currently working on a “fabulous renovation” of her Cape Cod property.
The life of a remote host comes with its own set of challenges, but Becca's attention to detail shines through. With a commitment to delivering consistently outstanding experiences, she collaborates closely with her dedicated on-site teams to ensure that her properties are spotless and welcoming with touches like personalized cards and locally curated baskets. These thoughtful touches are a testament to her commitment to crafting unforgettable guest experiences.
Q: How long have you been a short-term rental host?
A: I started hosting in 2021, after purchasing Bayside, a home in Cape Cod near one of my favorite beaches.
Q: What inspired you to get into STR hosting?
A: I had been renovating and reselling historic homes on Cape Cod and in the Greater Boston area for a number of years, and had thought about experimenting with long or short-term rentals. Like many folks, the pandemic-related changes in the real estate market gave me the confidence to try something new.
Q: How many short-term rentals do you operate?
A: Currently two:
1. MileAway in Stowe, Vermont
2. Bayside in Orleans, Massachusetts
I am beginning a significant and fabulous renovation of Bayside as we speak and it will be available for rent again in spring 2024!
Q: What are your biggest pain points as an STR owner?
A: I manage my listings remotely, but I’m a pretty detail-oriented person, so I work hard with my amazing on-site teams to ensure that the look and feel of the properties is consistently fabulous from turnover to turnover. It’s not always easy to convey these details, so I’m learning to make my cleaning and turnover guidelines as clear and as user-friendly as possible, while at the same time understanding the time pressures my teams are under. With the size of my properties (both homes sleep up to 10 guests with bunk rooms and TONS of linens and towels to change), I want to streamline processes and make turnover as straightforward as possible without sacrificing quality.
My ultimate goal is to create a feeling of welcome and belonging as soon as the guests step through the doors. Some of my key tools are personalized welcome cards, a plentiful and locally curated welcome basket, a great smell (I love using Pura diffusers), and a sparkly clean environment. Guests love these elements and I really enjoy getting feedback about the special touches they appreciated the most.
Q: How have you tried to differentiate your properties from other STRs - how do you make them stand out?
A: I’m grateful for my experience in construction and interior design when pulling together spaces, as it gives me the confidence to try new things that other folks might be afraid to take a chance on. For instance, at MileAway, I leaned into creating themed spaces such as my teen bunk room with custom vinyl record wall art, or my rainbow bathroom. Not only are those spaces totally unique and cool, but they also function very well, with ample storage space, lighting, and luxury details like incredible linens (from Parachute Home), heated floors, and towel racks. I’m modeling my properties on my favorite boutique hotels. Ideally, I always want to have a dedicated full bathroom for each bedroom, thoughtful design, space for privacy for each guest, and room to gather as a group like you would in a hotel lobby. I love that I can be really adventurous with my STR designs, unlike my resale property staging or client interior design work, where I have to play it a little safer.
Q: What's your favorite thing about being an STR host?
A: I’ve found that I really love working with guests to plan special experiences or events ahead of their visits. We’ve been fortunate to host 50th-anniversary celebrations, birthdays, and family and friend reunions, among other gatherings. I feel so honored to be able to help make these moments happen in one of our properties and I want to do everything I can to ensure that the events are meaningful and successful for our guests.
Q: What is the #1 most important thing for STR hosts to get right, in your opinion?
A: Cleanliness, absolutely. If your property isn’t spotless or smells stinky, your guests won’t notice ANYTHING else.
Q: What products do your guests love the most?
A: I’ve gotten the most requests for information about our gorgeous bed linens from Parachute Home, which Minoan helped us source quickly in time for our first guests at MileAway. They’re a really sumptuous cotton percale that never feels too hot or too cold, which is great given our year-round guests and the New England weather!
Q: What are your favorite Minoan brands?
A: In addition to Parachute, I love my Polywood curve-back Adirondack chairs and benches, which are all over the outside spaces at MileAway. Much of our furniture is Article or West Elm and was purchased through Minoan. We stock Two Leaves and A Bud tea in our welcome baskets, and all of our bath and hair products are from Ursa Major. As a host and developer committed to climate-friendly practices, I love that Minoan gives me lots of options that allow me to reduce my use of single-use plastics and support brands that have similar business missions.
Q: How has Minoan helped you with your short-term rentals?
A: First and foremost, the people at Minoan have been incredibly helpful and kind. I LOVE your staff! Like many folks, I experienced a number of supply chain challenges when setting up and furnishing my properties, and had a lot of questions about purchasing since I have such large quantities to shop for. One example is sourcing my bed linens. Just at MileAway, I have 10 individual beds in every size (king, queen, full, and twin), and I like to have three full sets of linens for each bed to make turnover simple and have enough backup. That is a TON of linen. Charlotte on your team worked painstakingly with me to price out a wide variety of styles and options before we settled on Parachute. I truly could not have made that purchase without her support.
Q: What's one thing you know now that you wished you knew when you first started setting up your STRs?
A: I wish I’d known how challenging it would be to find consistent cleaning support. Everyone is struggling to hire and keep employees, and my properties are ones I can’t turn over on my own, so I very much rely on my cleaning team. I truly value their support and don’t take their partnership for granted, I couldn’t operate my rentals without them!
Q: Any other tips for your fellow hosts?
A: Always seek out guidance, inspiration, and new ideas. I’m a big believer in having a growth mindset and embracing lifelong learning. I love following other hosts on social media, visiting other rental properties near and far, and listening to design and STR-related podcasts, especially No Vacancy with Natalie Palmer (Natalie provided some one-on-one coaching to me early on in my STR journey, before her podcast launched, and it was such a huge help as I got started!). I also recommend Domino’s Design Time podcast, especially the episode with Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky.
Becca recently hosted some of the Minoan team at her property in Stowe, and it was the perfect backdrop for their annual leadership retreat!
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