DHC Member Heather Martin is Building a Short-term Stay Empire

Heather Martin used to be a product developer for a well-known furniture manufacturer. After taking some time away from that job, she received several offers to continue development work with other exciting companies. Thinking them over, she realized she was ready to carve her own path. 

Having already hung out her shingle with only a fuzzy picture of what her design business would become, Martin found just enough headspace to create its roadmap when her husband was away on vacation. Upon his return she said, “pack your bags, we’re sleeping at the neighbors.” She’d posted their historic row house in the heart of downtown Richmond, VA on Airbnb and it was already rented that night. 

Martin admits it took her a while to calibrate her nightly rate to be profitable, but once she got there, renting her home across several short-term stay platforms allowed her and her husband the financial freedom to acquire another property. And so it went. Now, Martin’s business, Metta Home, manages a total of 11 short-term rentals; some are her own and some belong to her clients. Metta- House, where it all began, remains her signature property and is the subject of most of this article’s photographs. 

Before I go further, I should say Martin does take design projects in the traditional way and says this occupies about 40% of her time. But what sets her business apart is a constant source of revenue from the rental spaces she designs and helps manage. In Martin’s words, “If you’re just looking for someone to manage your rental property, that’s not us. If you’re looking to maximize the potential of your space, we should have a conversation. The location of your place is really important, but there’s so much more we can do to draw visitors. What’s inside? Does it have comfortable mattresses and nice sheets and fresh towels?” Martin used to travel abroad frequently for work and recalls getting off 15-hour flights and just craving a comfy bed. 

With this need in mind, Martin works with property owners somewhat as she would with a typical design client. Some plan to stay at their place when it’s not rented and want to be more involved in the process and others just let her do what she knows will draw guests. The fee structure for these projects is totally different than it is for a typical client, though. Short-term rental clients agree to buy everything from Metta Home, including regular replacement towels, linens and pillows. Instead of a design fee, Martin charges a 25% commission on every night’s stay. Her business is responsible for ensuring the property is not only beautiful but always fresh and ready to host. 

When it comes to actually purchasing products, Martin’s clients can buy all the organic bedding, vegan towels, Kantha quilts and even mattresses they need directly from her site, metta-home.com. While Metta Home has all the hotel quality essentials covered, when Martin furnishes a new short-term stay or executes a full-fledged design project, she buys many of her bigger ticket items through Daniel House Club. 

Prospective guests can also book a stay at any of the properties Martin manages on the Metta Home website. In our latest conversation, Martin told me hotels shoot for 70% occupancy every month, but all her properties are booked regularly between 75% and 89% of the time. If you’re bound for Richmond, Virginia any time soon, I highly recommend Metta-House.