Shooting room photos on a phone and writing homestay descriptions that get booked
HostBooking · · 7 min read
Good room photos do not need an expensive camera: shoot in daylight with every light on, hold the phone level at chest height, use a moderately wide lens and clear away personal things. Put the best photo first, then follow the path a guest walks in. The description should answer the questions guests usually ask.
Before you shoot
- Prepare it as if a VIP is arriving: flat sheets, even pillows, folded towels, no cables, bottles or bins in the frame.
- Pick the hour: rooms with windows look best in soft morning or afternoon light; avoid harsh sun that burns out patches.
- Turn every light on, desk lamps included, so the room looks warm and evenly lit. Switch the TV off.
- Wipe the phone lens: fingerprints make photos hazy and flared.
- Add one or two real touches: a tea tray, a book, flowers. Do not stage things guests will not actually get.
Shooting on a phone
- Shoot landscape: most booking sites and websites show horizontal photos. Take a few vertical ones for Zalo, Facebook and Reels.
- Hold the phone at chest height, about 1–1.2 m, and keep it upright so walls do not lean. Turn on the camera grid to line up.
- Stand in a corner and shoot diagonally towards the window to show two walls and depth.
- Use the 0.5x lens with restraint: too wide makes the room look bigger than it is, and guests will be disappointed on arrival.
- Flash off, HDR on; tap a mid-bright area to focus and nudge exposure up a little.
- Shoot details: the bedding texture, the desk corner, the shower, the balcony view.
Edit lightly: brighten, set white balance so white walls look white, straighten vertical lines. Do not change the sky or erase power poles or the building next door: photos must match reality, or reviews will say so for you.
Photo order
The first photo decides whether a guest clicks. The rest should retell the guest’s path from arrival to bedtime:
| Position | Photo | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your best shot: a bright bedroom, or the view if the view is why people come | Get the click |
| 2–3 | The whole bedroom from two corners | Size and layout |
| 4 | Bathroom | Many guests’ first question |
| 5–6 | Balcony, view, shared lounge, kitchen | Why you rather than a hotel |
| 7–8 | Front of the house, entrance, parking | Finding it, feeling safe arriving |
| 9+ | Details, amenities, the neighbourhood | Extra information, not a replacement for the main shots |
Give each room type its own set. Using a double-room photo for the family room too is the fastest route to a complaint.
Writing the room title
A good title says the three things guests filter on: room type, what is different, location. Drop words everyone uses, like “beautiful”, “cosy” or “super cheap”.
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Beautiful room nice view cheap!!! | Double room, balcony over the pine hills, 5 min walk to the night market |
| Homestay A - Room 3 | Family room for 4, two beds, private kitchen |
| Cozy room | Quiet single room with a desk and fibre Wi‑Fi |
Writing the description
Guests skim on their phones. Keep it short, one idea per paragraph, frequent questions first:
- One opening line on who the room suits: “For couples who want quiet and wake up to pine hills.”
- Hard facts: maximum guests, bed type and size, floor area, which floor, lift or not.
- Bathroom: private or shared, hot water, tub or shower.
- Amenities you really have: Wi‑Fi, air conditioning or fan, kitchen, washing machine, motorbike or car parking.
- What to know first: steep stairs, an alley cars cannot enter, quiet hours, no smoking. Saying it upfront saves a bad review.
- Check-in, check-out and cancellation: link to the full policy. See homestay cancellation policy.
Before and after
Before: “Spacious airy room, fully equipped, beautiful view, close to the centre, friendly host, reasonable price. Contact us for details.”
After: “22 m² double room on the second floor, balcony facing the pine hills. 1.6 m bed with a medium-firm mattress, up to 2 adults. Private bathroom with a hot shower. Fibre Wi‑Fi; no air conditioning since Da Lat is cool all year, a heater for cold nights. 5 minutes’ walk to the night market. Note: the stairs are steep and there is no lift. Check-in from 2 pm, check-out by noon.”
The second version is a little longer but answers eight questions guests would otherwise have messaged you. Add an English version if you host foreign guests, and check every number matches the photos.
Reuse on every channel, and keep it consistent
The same photos and description belong on Airbnb, Booking.com, Google Maps and your own website. When furniture or prices change, update everywhere the same day; guests compare and will ask why things differ. Your Google profile also needs fresh photos regularly: see adding your homestay to Google Maps.
On your own booking website
In HostBooking each room type has its own photos and descriptions in Vietnamese and English, and you edit the home page yourself: swap photos, rewrite text, preview on a phone, then publish. Guests see open dates straight away and book with a QR deposit on the page. No commission per booking. See booking website and the guide to building a booking website.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a professional photographer?
Not necessarily. A recent phone takes good enough photos if the room is clean, well lit and the phone is held level. A photographer is worth it for unusual spaces or high rates.
How many photos per room?
Enough to show the bedroom from two corners, the bathroom, the view or shared areas, the entrance and a few details. Duplicates do not help; each photo should show something new.
Is a wide-angle lens a problem?
It is fine in moderation. Photos that make a room look bigger lead to “smaller than the photos” reviews. State the floor area in the description so guests picture it correctly.
How long should a room description be?
Long enough to answer the usual questions: guests, beds, bathroom, amenities, what to know first, check-in and check-out. Usually five to eight short sentences.