Our electric bill went through the roof last month (3x the n...
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Our electric bill went through the roof last month (3x the norm!). I can't even imagine what guests were doing except crankin...
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We wanted to add a little bit of decor to our guest apartment - some lights and wreaths, maybe. Another host told me that Airbnb advised against it because so many guests might find it offensive. What are your thoughts? What have you done that worked well? Many thanks in advance.
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I really don't understand the whole getting offended thing. I celebrate Christmas, not because I am overly religious, but because it's a beautiful season. Why are white twinkling lights and balsam so offensive? If a friend sent me a hanukkah card, why would I be offended? I would think to myself Thank you for thinking about me during this special time of year.
As a guest I personally would enjoy it but as a host I think that there are too many possibilities for people to get offended and so for that reason I wouldn’t go out of my way to decorate just for my guests. If you were decorating anyway then feel free but pay a little extra attention to what goes up and consider letting your guests know or asking prior to their stay.
Good advice, thank you Annette!
@Erin443 if you are renting a room in your home, you should do What you normally would do in your or shared space. I feel that for the guest only space I personally should follow the hotel lead of being neutral. That goes for holiday decorations, personal photographs etc
Okay, it's good to know how everyone handles it. 🙂 Thanks!
We put up a little snowman figure in each of our Airbnb kitchens. Is small & non offensive since we are in our winter season & snow is all around us. Guests have never been offended with that & it makes them smile 🙂
It's hard to be offended by a cute little snowman! 🙂
@Erin443 We put some minimal decorations inside the airbnb..red bows, bowl full of ornaments, etc. but they aren't religious in nature, however, if someone is going to be offended by Christmas decorations, they should stay in a hotel, IMO.
I really don't understand the whole getting offended thing. I celebrate Christmas, not because I am overly religious, but because it's a beautiful season. Why are white twinkling lights and balsam so offensive? If a friend sent me a hanukkah card, why would I be offended? I would think to myself Thank you for thinking about me during this special time of year.
Emilia, THANK YOU, exactly! I'm just happy to be remembered!
A wreath on the entry door, battery operated button lights in a decorative bowl on the dining room table, dollar store "seasonal" note pads in the kitchen. As a former elementary school teacher, I have a love/hate relationship with holiday/season decor....less is best.
Emily, this: "As a former elementary school teacher, I have a love/hate relationship with holiday/season decor." I'm laughing and nodding my head in empathy. We room mothers just gang-decorated our third grader's room, and the teacher said, "It looks like Christmas threw up in here."
@Emilia42 @Erin443 I don’t think it’s a question so much of why people are offended. Just doesn’t matter why. The question is, being in hospitality industry, do you want to be offending anyone? If you can easily avoid that? Of course, if it is super important to you – you should decorate and not care what anyone thinks. Just like some travelers may feel that non-Christian believes should be respected in a form of lack of religious decor, I feel at the same time you should have the right to display your believes. Having said that, being Jewish, it is sometimes difficult to be around nativity scenes, angel holiday ornaments and have to explain things to my kids in a way that still respect their Christian friends but also uphold our believes. So I feel like I do best in more neutral situations. We actually do put up a tree at our home because that’s a Russian tradition for a new year. So I would feel that decorating inside of a room I am staying at (not common space or someone’s own home) is a bit of having it in my face. Think about how you would feel if you ended up in the room covered with stars of David, kiddush cups and yarmulkes on display and were supposed to live among those things for a few days.
@Inna22 I suppose what I am trying to say is that I would not be offended in a room covered in the stars of David, kiddush cups and yarmulkes. I would think this person sure likes to decorate but I in no way would think that it was offensive, mean spirited, or spiteful. I guess I'm not easily offended 🙂
@Emilia42 I agree that it is overboard to be offended but I think it is ok to be uncomfortable