A good description does two jobs: it convinces the right guest to book, and it stops the wrong guest from booking. The second matters as much as the first.
Lead with the reason to book
The first line should say what this actually is and why someone would want it. Not "welcome to our lovely home", which tells a reader nothing.
Compare: "Two-bedroom bamboo house, five minutes from Cloud 9, with a shaded deck and space for boards." That is a decision someone can make.
Be specific about location
Name the area, give a landmark, and say how far you are from where guests are heading. If the road in is rough after rain, say so. A guest who discovers that on arrival at night is unhappy; one who knew is fine.
Say what is included, and what is not
Especially on activities and rentals. Ambiguity about whether lunch, entrance fees or a helmet are covered is the most common cause of friction on arrival.
Be honest about the drawbacks
Counter-intuitive but true: mentioning the limitation gets you better reviews. Roosters at dawn, a fan-only room, wifi that handles messaging but not video calls. Guests forgive what they were told about and resent what they were not.
Write for someone who has never been here
They do not know how far General Luna is from Pacifico, that ATMs run dry, or that most places are cash only. A line of context is worth more than another adjective.
Avoid
- Empty superlatives. Stunning, perfect, unforgettable, world-class. They carry no information.
- Claims you cannot back. "Five minutes from Cloud 9" needs to be true.
- Long blocks of text. Short paragraphs and headings.
- Rules where description should be. Keep the essentials, drop the rest.
Practical structure
What it is and who it suits. Then the space or the experience in detail. Then location and getting there. Then practical notes: check-in, what to bring, anything they must know.
Read it back as though you have never been to Siargao. If a question remains, answer it.