Introducing Elsie and John Duronville, a North Carolina couple that is building a short-term rental business for their family. A couple that always had a passion for real estate, they seized the opportunity to create a legacy for their children, naming both of their properties after their kids — a piece of their family's story etched in every stay. They’ve even used their personalities to inspire the decor and vibe of each namesake property.
The Duronvilles's commitment to unique experiences doesn’t go unnoticed. The meticulous selection of furnishings and decor brings a distinctive touch to each property, with Minoan acting as their ‘friend in furnishing’ throughout their journey. From the sleek Breville Espresso Machine to the timeless Crosley Turntable, Minoan has been a trusted partner in helping them craft spaces that really stand out.
Their dedication to the details extends past a comfortable stay – they even take the time to leave local recommendations and handwritten notes. This couple is a testament to the joy and positive impact building a legacy with your family can bring!
Q: How long have you been a short-term rental host?
A: We have been a short-term rental hosts for about a year and a half, since April of 2022.
Q: What inspired you to get into STR hosting?
A: We love to travel and visit unique destinations. We’ve used STR platforms since 2013 for many of our trips. We also have a passion for hosting friends and family at our own home for dinners or weekend getaways at “La Casa Duronville”. In 2021 after reading multiple books on real estate investing, we realized we can merge our love of hosting, travel, and now real estate into being STR hosts. Also, this presented an excellent opportunity to work as a team. Our whole family takes part in the process!
Q: How many short-term rentals do you operate?
A: We currently have two properties that we use as short-term rentals. We’ve named them after our children with the intention to leave the properties for them as a piece of legacy.
- “The Regal Abode” in Winston Salem, NC, is named after our youngest, our daughter, Regal. https://airbnb.com/h/theregalabode-winstonsalem
- “The Honor Escape” in Black Mountain, NC is named after our second child, our son Honor. https://airbnb.com/h/thehonorescape-blackmountain-nc
- Noble, our eldest, is next in line to have a home and STR named after him (to be continued…)
Q: What are your biggest pain points as an STR owner?
A: One challenge is dealing with any unexpected house maintenance issues that require rapid troubleshooting before a next check-in. The upside of this is it forces you to learn how to solve complex problems very quickly! We definitely have some great stories to tell.
Q: How have you tried to differentiate your properties from other STRs — how do you make them stand out?
A: To start, naming them after our children is one way of giving them a unique touch. Their personalities have inspired our decor and the vibe that we are trying to create with each space. We also want to provide the highest quality when it comes to furnishings and items we have in the home. Minoan has been a tremendous partner in helping us accomplish this goal. From the chic Breville Espresso Machine to the classic Crosley Turntable, Minoan has been a huge asset to our varied stylistic proclivities. Finally, we just started offering our guests a personal chef that provides a 5-course culinary experience with locally sourced ingredients from the mountain region.
Q: What's your favorite thing about being an STR host?
A: We love providing a unique experience for our guests! We try our best to focus on even the small details like having every kitchen tool you could possibly need to host a phenomenal dinner to sharing our favorite local coffee from Bean Traders in Durham, NC. We also enjoy communicating with our guests and providing tips about the local surroundings or leaving them handwritten notes to welcome them to our home.
Q: What is the #1 most important thing for STR hosts to get right, in your opinion?
A: Ensuring that your space is spotless!! This also means taking your time to choose the right decor to enhance the five-star appearance of your abode.
Q: What products do your guests love the most?
A: Our beds…from the mattress, bed frame and linens, we wanted our guests, their worries, stress, or tension to melt away with every night’s rest. Thank you Rove Concept and Minoan for ensuring restorative sleep.
Q: What are your favorite Minoan brands?
A: Rove Concept, Arhaus, West Elm, Crate & Barrel and CB2
Q: How has Minoan helped you with your short-term rentals?
A: To start it saved us over $9,000! And introduced us to awesome brands that elevated our decor and allows our guests to shop our home with Minoan’s unique QR code displayed in our home. We also accidentally ordered 64 bowls (8 sets of 8) instead of 8 bowls and Minoan’s customer service was helpful in correcting this error.
Q: What's one thing you know now that you wished you knew when you first started setting up your STRs?
A: We wish we knew about Minoan [upon starting] our first property, but it really came through in a big way for “The Honor Escape”, our luxury mountain retreat.
Q: Any other tips for your fellow hosts?
A: It's important as hosts to try out your properties as guests in different seasons or letting friends try it out in order to fine-tune the guest’s experience. You’ll be amazed at what you discover.
Would you like to be featured in our host spotlight series?
Email us at host-spotlight@minoanexperience.com
