Our member, Mercedes, CEO and Founder of MBXHomes recently completed our member spotlight interview! Mercedes sent in pictures of her stunning properties that are filled with discounted product from our HostGPO partners. We trust our interview with her will interest our readers and hopefully give our members some good architectural and decor ideas for their own vacation rentals.
How many years have you been in the short term rental industry and how did you get started?
We have been in business for just under 2 years. I actually began my STR and hospitality journey by working at Four Seasons Resorts in the Sales and Catering Department for about 6 years. Simultaneously, I was managing my uncles Airbnb in Los Angeles. Long story short, one client lead to another and here we are today with 27 Airbnb Properties!
What do you find most rewarding about your career?
When our guests truly enjoy their vacation and have to thank us for such a comfortable and enjoyable stay!
What is your favorite rental property you have and why do you love it?
Although I have to say I love all of my clients homes, this one home really stands out to us. This particular owner, found us on TikTok this past July, and scheduled a consult. He said that the family had owned the home since the early 90’s and it was sitting vacant for years. Long story short, he had the home gutted from the inside out, with the idea in mind to entertain guests. Myself and my team were involved in the final construction stages, as it was truly made to entertain and make all guests feel comfortable in their home away from home, in LA!
What’s the craziest story you have from hosting?
As Los Angeles hosted the Superbowl in 2022, this was the hottest weekend for all Airbnb owners and property managers! On the Friday morning of Superbowl weekend, we received an odd text from our guests, who was suppose to check-in, Saturday of Superbowl weekend. It turns out the guest had entered the Airbnb one day before! Little did she know, that we had a bunch of goodies for her, repping her team and we had not even placed the clean towels or removed the previous guest name from the welcome chalkboard yet! She had checked in, a day early, into a half cleaned Airbnb, on total accident. I quickly called her and she was totally mortified, and it all worked out (luckily, we did not have a guest the before her). To add icing to the cake, she was the mother-in-law to one of players, and with all the stress and excitement she had booked the wrong dates.
What’s one “pro-tip” you’d be willing to pass on to the community?
My Pro-Tip, is to decorate and furnish the Airbnb, as you wish! There is someone out there with similar style and taste. So please yourself, as this YOUR invest and don’t go too cheap, it will ALL pay off!
