Are you ready to turn your short-term rental from basic to breathtaking—and bankable through strategic short-term rental design? In this high-impact episode, I sit down with Ishita Lalan, a powerhouse designer who's redefining what it means to design for profitability. With a background that spans architecture, Bollywood set design, and over 300 short-term rental design projects, Ishita brings a unique, globally inspired approach to transforming properties into wealth-building machines. We explore how intentional short-term rental design can dramatically boost your property's value—sometimes by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Ishita shares the story of a once-overlooked Asheville home that skyrocketed from $850,000 to $2.1 million in just four months through targeted design upgrades. But this conversation goes way beyond aesthetics. From maximizing "heads in beds" to leveraging market-specific design strategies, Ishita reveals the behind-the-scenes decisions that separate top-performing rentals from the rest. She also unpacks the costly mistakes investors often make—and how to avoid them if you want real ROI. If you're ready to see your short-term rental as both a stunning space and a serious investment, this episode will show you exactly how to design with purpose, power, and profit in mind. HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY POINTS: [00:59] A short introduction about our guest Ishita Lalan and shares the foundation of her work as both an investor and a designer [03:12] Ishita shares how short-term rental design makes it the perfect culmination of her life experiences and professional passions [08:36] What are some of the best upgrades that Ishita is seeing to drive impact when it comes to return on investment with property upgrades these days [15:11] How Ishita manages multiple projects across different geographies successfully and opens up about a challenging project in Tennessee that didn’t go as planned [19:03] Ishita breaks down how thoughtful design, strategic layout changes, and underutilized space conversions can unlock major equity gains and long-term wealth [27:09] What are some of the most common mistakes that Ishita is seeing these days in short term rental design [31:34] Ishita shares how strategic design—even within the confines of a small condo—can create impact, boost functionality, and help listings stand out [37:52] Ishita shares how thoughtful, minimalist, and upscale design plays just as vital a role in urban rentals as it does in vacation properties [43:22] Ishita explains the importance of the design process should be collaborative, phased, and tailored—not a one-size-fits-all handoff [45:52] Why Ishita encourages getting a designer and emphasizes the importance of designing with detachment, market appeal, and long-term goals in mind [48:49] The lightning round Golden Nuggets: “Short term rental has been a game changer in my life as an investor. It has literally changed our lives, not only my own, but it had a ripple effect in our family's life as well. We are able to have financial freedom.” “We need to be able to be in constant communication with our contractors. And setting expectations for those contractors is absolutely critical.” “I'm a big believer that a vacation should start from the minute your guest steps in on your doorstep, and they should feel like that's where the vacation starts.” This episode is brought to you by ⁠Lodgify⁠! Ready to take control of your vacation rental business? With Lodgify, you can build your own direct booking website and manage all your reservations in one place — no middleman, no extra fees. 👉 Use the code STRSH20 at checkout for 20% off any yearly plan and start owning your bookings today. 🔗 ⁠Visit Lodgify.com Let’s Connect! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ishita.interiors Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ishita.nagda/ Enjoyed the show? Subscribe, Rate, Review, Like, and Share!