Introducing Dawn Asher, founder of The Olive Jar, a creative concierge service specializing in design, hospitality, and marketing for visionary Airbnb hosts. From a transformational travel experience in Italy to navigating the challenges of a global pandemic, Dawn’s path led to the creation of The Olive Jar in 2021. Under her vision, the Olive Jar has rapidly evolved, assisting over 13 short-term rental properties with a unique blend of marketing, design, and hospitality expertise.
Dawn started partnering with interior designer, Amy Reynolds, in early 2023. Together, they have elevated The Olive Jar's projects to new heights, offering a holistic approach that extends beyond the initial setup to provide ongoing support for hosts in the long game. Explore their favorite projects, including The Well at Palm Springs, where Minoan played a crucial role in bringing their vision to life. Keep reading for insights into their design philosophy, the importance of emotional intelligence in hosting, and the products that guests rave about!
Q: How long have you been a short-term rental designer?
A: I began my work serving brands and organizations in marketing, design, and hospitality. I have been an Experiential Designer for over 10 years and now serve STR hosts exclusively. I launched The Olive Jar in 2021.
Q: What inspired you to get into STR design?
A: You could say it was a transformational travel experience in Italy and a global pandemic 15 years later…
My story began fresh out of college while traveling. I found myself stranded in the middle of Sicily. Desperate, I begged my way onto trains. There’s one train attendant I’ll never forget. I was in tears, and we were lost in translation—but he knew my story. He kindly let me aboard, and I was thinking it was our last encounter. But then, he came back with a sandwich — distinctly made from home — unwrapped it, broke it in two, and handed me half. I was speechless. It was an extension of himself that needed no translation: You belong.
Fifteen years later (with a few careers along the way, from entertainment marketing to production design & event hospitality), I was running my own experiential marketing agency when a global pandemic hit.
As I watched the world spiral into isolation, Airbnb was the best answer for getaways to escape. That’s when I remembered my Sicilian train “host,” Salvatore...I opened The Olive Jar to offer a new answer for travelers seeking belonging wherever they go: Getaways to Reconnect.
In less than 2 years, I’ve begun scaling. My interior design partner, Amy Reynolds, joined me early 2023 and The Olive Jar hasn’t been the same since.
Amy says, "For me, it all comes down to marrying beautiful design details with incredible surroundings, good food, comfort, and amazing communal experiences. And that core passion right there is what also drew me to partner with The Olive Jar."
Q: How many short-term rentals do you serve?
A: In our short time since opening The Olive Jar, we have served 13 rental properties with various project scopes in marketing, design, and hospitality. We’ve coached hundreds of hosts via workshops and our monthly Creative Hospitality Mastermind.
We’re especially proud of THE WELL AT PALM SPRINGS, the first design project for which I relied heavily on Minoan. It’s a mid-term rental that launched on August 1, 2023. Within two weeks, it was already booked through July of 2024!
Q: What’s your favorite thing about being an STR designer?
A: Creating space for travelers to belong, no matter their distance from home. That we get to design experiences where a guest can say, “I feel seen and inspired” in their travels—is truly a gift. We’ve designed a “Sleep Guide” travel journal, for example, for hosts to gift their guests. It’s a practical way to practice presence in their travel experience.
Q: What are your biggest pain points as an STR designer?
A: Educating hosts that a marketable experience requires a real investment. You can’t treat “experience” like the buzzword it has become. You have to back it with layers of real engaging design details in the home that offer memorable moments and interactive amenities. It must spark an emotional connection—that’s what’s marketable. If you want to set yourself apart in this competitive market, you won’t regret making the investment it takes to deliver a true experience.
Q: What is the #1 most important thing for STR hosts to get right, in your opinion?
A: We believe there’s an emotional intelligence required for hosting. Be intentional to define the narrative you’re telling and identify the traveler who will connect with that story. Identifying and empathizing with the core emotional needs of every traveler, then responding with relevant design and amenities is a unique skill set you can’t fake, but can gain. Having full clarity on this 2-part puzzle will cut out the guessing work when it comes to selecting design details and offering amenities that matter most to that traveler.
Q: What products do your guests love the most?
A: The products that are called out in guest reviews usually have to do with amenities like the coffee bar with Fellow, guides like Wildsam booklets, and The Olive Jar custom details like our “Sleep Guide” travel journal.
Q: What are your favorite Minoan brands?
A: There are too many to list, and I’m not great with brevity! Here are my top 10 (at this moment on this day):
- Parachute
- Material Kitchen
- Fellow
- Burrow
- Urban Outfitters
- Anthropologie
- West Elm
- Gaiam
- Purple
- Wildsam
Q: How has Minoan helped you with your short-term rentals?
A: I appreciate that Minoan takes the role of a “concierge” or liaison between shopper and brand. When I’ve had questions regarding product details, exchanges, or returns, the Minoan team has gotten those answers to me in a timely manner and facilitated the next steps efficiently. They’ve also taken feedback. I appreciate that it’s a company willing to consider the user experience and evolve.
Q: What's one thing you know now that you wished you knew when you first started setting up your STRs?
A: Early on, I knew there were STR hosts who needed design help, but I didn’t realize how many lacked the framework of a real business venture that requires savvy marketing too. My background is in experiential marketing. As we’ve found more hosts along the way who can embrace that framework as a non-negotiable, we can more easily spot those willing to let their design take on a whole other dimension. Now we’re more selective with clients, working only with those who are all-in and willing to trust the value we bring.
Q: How have you tried to differentiate your properties from other STRs - how do you make them stand out?
A: We serve hosts with a whole-picture approach that informs everything from design to listing photography. Experiential marketing is the framework that guides us. It’s our nuanced skill set in juggling marketing, design and hospitality all at once that equips us to create memorable travel experiences that connect to the core emotional needs of every guest.
Because we serve hosts with the whole picture, we don’t just set it and forget it—we are onsite in photo sessions as your creative director—guiding our photographers to capture exactly what our target traveler desires most, setting up “moments,” food styling, etc. Our background in production design has set us up well for “styling for camera.”
Also, long after launch, we’re with hosts for the long game, identifying where they can build based on repeating pain points. We did this with The Cozy Cactus when we thought it was time to target moms with little ones (clear distinction). We designed a Family Travel Kit complete with the Movi Cocoon baby changing pad & Honest toiletries and rehabbed the primary bedroom closet into a reading nook for parents to snag a moment of relief—with the help of an updated elevated Fellow coffee bar. The Cozy Cactus got instant bookings from families with babies (plus guest feedback that it was due to amenities like the Family Travel Kit).
Q: Any other tips for STR hosts?
A: When it comes to photography, don’t cut corners and undermine your design investment! If you don’t give your travelers an experiential picture of your rental, your viewers will lack the visuals to imagine themselves in your rental. There’s styling to be done for the camera. Build your creative team to the max, hire professionals, and stay connected with industry experts (like Minoan).
Would you like to be featured in our host spotlight series?
Email us at host-spotlight@minoanexperience.com
Photo Credits:
The Well & The Cozy Cactus @thirdwallphoto
Luna de La Candela @junechoiphotos
