We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lauren Noble. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lauren below.
Lauren, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
In 2019, I took a risk by applying for a home remodel television show called “Cash Pad” that I had seen advertised on social media. The premise of the show was to take a homeowner’s unused space and turn it into a short term rental. My husband and I were trying for our first baby, without any luck, and had a very busy calendar, but I said let’s do it anyways, knowing there’s no way we’d be chosen. We quickly filmed a video on our iPhone and filled out the application on a Friday evening. The next week while on vacation in San Francisco, we go a phone call from the production studio that we were chosen for filming! We were in disbelief. We had a large empty space above our detached garage and to be honest, we knew we’d never get to remodeling it. It would become a placeholder for junk. A month and a half later, and about a dozen trips downtown to the city permitting office, the crew was here and we were filming. It was insane! We honestly felt so awkward around the cameras, especially since we are pretty boring in real life. The process took exactly 1 week to film. After it was TV ready, we had to finish all the little details while the crew was away. The entire process took several months, but by August of 2019 we had a fully permitted Short Term Rental, commonly known as an Airbnb, and we got our first booking! I was desperate to get someone in there for a positive review and was willing to let just about anyone stay. Our very first guests are now some of our best friends. That’s how the ATX Boho Bungalow was brought to life!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was an ICU nurse in Austin for 8.5 years. I started hosting my garage apartment while I worked in the hospital. After having my second child, I decided to stay home with the baby because the long hours and weekend and holiday shifts were wearing on me. I wanted more flexibility. That’s when I started to dive more into short term rental hosting. I love providing my guests with a quality stay and great communication. Communication is so key when people are renting a place! I miss taking care of people like I did in the hospital. While this is very different, I always want to make sure those that stay at my homes enjoy their time and feel at ease. I run a social media account for my garage apartment, @atxbohobungalow, since it was on the television remodel show and that has really allowed me to meet a variety of people. It has been so fun! I have expanded this property to allow for daytime event bookings as well, like baby and bridal showers, client meetings, and even brand photoshoots. The role I hold now gives me more flexibility than my previous 12 hour shifts at the hospital.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
When I first started renting out the garage I did all of the cleaning, guest communication, repairs, and I only listed the place on Airbnb. I’d work a 12 hour shift then come home and clean and do laundry so the space would be ready for the next guest. Then I got pregnant and realized I needed help. I hired a turnover team, one of the most vital components to your short term rental business but continued to do the laundry. I didn’t realize how many clothes a baby went through, and I couldn’t keep up! Eventually, I had the turnover team handle everything, which allowed me to do same day check-outs and arrivals. It was a game changer! I kept thinking, “Why didn’t I do this earlier?”. In 2021 during the pandemic, we impulsively bought the country home in Lexington. It took us a long time to get it remodeled and up for bookings. In the future, we definitely won’t remodel a home. We aren’t made for that game! I expanded to VRBO and tried to find ways to capture guest bookings without going through a platform. I quit my nursing job in 2024 to stay at home with my second baby. I focused on being a mother and running 2 rentals “for fun”. Just this past winter, a friend asked me to help her with her property so I decided to give it a try. That’s where Paloma Hospitality Company was born! Now I run a total of 4 short term rental listings. 3 of the spaces are in the Austin area, and 1 is about an hour outside the city in a small town called Lexington. The Austin properties are small places ranging from a studio to a 2 bedroom with an office. All of them are for rent on Airbnb, VRBO, or through my direct booking website. I run all of them by myself and truly care about guest experience and property upkeep.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
The Austin short term rental market is tough. It is currently oversaturated and despite that, the ATX Boho Bungalow has survived for almost 7 years as a top performing rental. I think what helped me build this reputation is that I put my heart into hosting. I actually care about my property and ensuring the guest has a good time. For me, it’s less about “heads in beds” and more about creating an environment that people enjoy and want to return. This has allowed me to turn many guests into repeat guests and earn so many high scoring reviews. At the end of the day, the space is small and can only accommodate 4 guests, but it is a very desired spot!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://palomahospitalityco.directstays.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atxbohobungalow/
Image Credits
Ashley Woldman
Anne Epperly-Spotlight Real Estate
Guillaume-Family Photography 30A