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The original space already contained strong natural light and proportion. The renovation focused on creating a calmer and more welcoming atmosphere for guest stays.
Case Study - Zagreb
A centrally located one-bedroom apartment developed from an overlooked property into a calm, design-led short-term rental.
An example of how vision, positioning, design, guest experience, pricing, and daily operations can work together to create stable long-term performance.
Context
The property
A 40 sqm one-bedroom apartment located in Zagreb’s Lower Town, designed as a calm city-centre home for short stays, business travel, and longer visits.
Located in Zagreb's Lower Town, along one of the city centre's historic residential streets, the apartment sits within a neighbourhood shaped by late 19th-century architecture, walkable streets, and a quieter urban rhythm.
The space accommodates up to three guests and attracts couples, digital nomads, business travellers, and families with children.
Before it became a short-term rental, the apartment was not an obvious choice. Its potential was quiet rather than immediate.
Recognition
Seeing the direction before it was visible
The development of the apartment began before design, furnishing, photography, or pricing. It began with recognising what the property could become.
Its value was not only in location or square metres, but in the possibility of creating a clear experience: quiet, warm, composed, and comfortable to return to.
This early direction shaped every decision that followed.
Positioning
Positioning before presentation
The apartment was not positioned after it was finished. Its positioning was built into the process from the beginning.
Design was not treated as decoration. It was used to express what kind of stay the apartment should support, what kind of guest it should attract, and what kind of expectation it should create.
The material choices, colours, lighting, furniture, amenities, communication tone, and operational routines were all developed to support the same impression.
The apartment did not become coherent through later optimisation. It was developed coherently from the beginning.
Development Study
Developing the apartment
The apartment was transformed through renovation and careful preparation for guest use. The goal was to create a space that felt calm, warm, and considered from the first moment of arrival.
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The kitchen was reshaped to feel lighter, calmer, and more connected as part of the overall guest experience.
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Furniture, textures, and materials were selected to create a softer and more welcoming atmosphere throughout the apartment.
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Every part of the apartment was gradually brought into the same visual and atmospheric direction.
Foundation
How the property was developed
The apartment was developed through a layered approach, where design, positioning, guest experience, and operations were considered together from the beginning.
Pricing decisions were shaped through eight years of hands-on experience, building a practical understanding of demand patterns, seasonal pacing, and the relationship between positioning and rate.
Over time, that experience became an operational framework supported by tools, but never dependent on them.
From spatial design and amenity selection to communication tone, calendar strategy, and daily oversight, the property was shaped to function calmly and reliably across seasons.
Studio Work
What was implemented
The work focused on refining and connecting every part of the property:
- Positioning refinement emphasising calm, design-led city stays
- Listing optimisation across structure, language, and search visibility
- A pricing framework grounded in market experience and later supported by analytical tools
- Consistent communication standards
- Seasonal operational routines
- Development of a digital guide and experience layer
This included a digital guest guide designed to make the stay feel easier and more complete, helping guests feel supported in an unfamiliar city through clear arrival information, practical recommendations, neighbourhood guidance, and carefully selected local places.
Rather than treating these elements separately, the work focused on continuity - ensuring the property felt consistent from first impression to check-out.
Guest Perception
What guests continued to notice
Across guest feedback, the same themes appear repeatedly: calmness, light, comfort, thoughtful furnishing, and clear communication.
These are not separate compliments. They show that the intended atmosphere of the property was being perceived in practice.
“You can tell a lot of care and attention has gone into every detail, everything was spotless and very well organised, which made us feel comfortable from the moment we arrived.”
What to say about this place,it’s the perfect place in Zagreb and may be one of the best places I have lived as part of my travel.
“Definitely the best accommodation on a three-week trip across Europe, one of the best Airbnbs I have ever stayed in.”
“The apartment is beautifully decorated, bright, and incredibly cosy. Dijana is a wonderful host - warm, communicative, and always ready to help.”
Results
What the data showed
Over time, the property developed a pattern of steady performance supported by consistent guest experience.
4.99 rating
180+ reviews
Consistent year-round occupancy
Stable pricing structure
Stable low season
The apartment maintains a 4.99 overall rating, with reviews repeatedly highlighting the atmosphere of the space, attention to detail, and the clarity and warmth of communication throughout the stay.
Occupancy remains consistent across most of the year, while pricing stays stable relative to demand - allowing the property to perform without relying on aggressive adjustments or reactive discounting.
Low season continues to generate stable visibility and bookings through clear positioning and search optimisation.
Guest feedback continues to reflect the original intention of the space: a calm environment where guests feel cared for, guided, and at ease throughout their stay.
Operationally, this created greater confidence in pricing decisions, fewer reactive interventions, and a structure that could be delegated without weakening the guest experience.
The outcome was not a peak in isolated moments, but reliable performance across time.
What this case shows
Performance as a result of consistency
This example shows that strong short-term rental performance is rarely the result of one isolated decision.
It is shaped through many smaller decisions made consistently - from the moment a property is selected to the way it is designed, equipped, communicated, priced, maintained, and reviewed.
When those decisions are made with care and continuity, the property can operate with greater stability and less friction.
While this apartment was originally managed end-to-end by the founder, its processes were intentionally documented and translated into systems, this principle now guides the Studio’s work.
Our Approach
Thoughtful positioning. Structured operations.
The Armonia Studio partners with a limited number of properties where thoughtful oversight can support stronger long-term performance.
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