On a recent extended trip to Ireland, Scotland, the US, and Mexico that stretched over a five month period my partner and I stayed at 22 Airbnb locations and in approximately the same number of hotels. Our stays ranged from one night to one month and we had a variety of different experiences. Among them were a renovated farm house on 28 acres with sheep at our bedroom window, a stay in a Casino in Nevada, a coverted shed on a farm with horses, cows, and chickens (even fresh eggs were provided), a mobile home, a 12th floor luxury apartment in the middle of a city, and a home with pet chickens in the middle of LA. We stayed in private rooms in people’s homes as well as fully equipped houses. Our views included ponds, hillsides, cities, lochs, and the ocean. For the most part our hosts were very hospitable and did all they could to make our stay as pleasant as possible. Some accommodations were absolutely pristine and beautiful and some were - well, we would rather not go there.
Here are some things that we learned that we would like to pass along to our hosts. Kitchen equipment is important. Basics like a coffee maker, toaster, and can opener should go unmentioned but somehow they were forgotten in some of the nicest accommodations. If guests want to cook it is nice to have sharp knives, a garlic press, a cheese grater, and a colander. Ever try to drain hot pasta using only your fingertips? Even if you don’t have a washer/dryer, an iron and ironing board will keep your guests happy.
If your water is not good for drinking by all means provide bottled water and a dispenser. Kleenex, extra toilet paper, paper towels, and zip lock bags are all essentials. And extra light bulbs in case they burn out (and they do burn out). In many places we stayed we could tell that the hosts never consulted a “pre-flight checklist.” It made us feel as if nobody cared. We liked meeting our hosts but we also enjoyed our stays just as much when even though we didn’t meet it was evident that the host had taken the time to make sure everything was in place, then left us a code to get into the room.
Dishes and silverware. Just like Goldilocks - not too much and not too little. If you only provide two spoons, forks and knives, what do you do after dinner when you want dessert and everything is dirty? And if you want the dishes washed, you need to provide the tools to do that - particularly extra dish towels.
If you don’t have adequate electrical outlets then please leave a power strip or two so that things like computers can be charged. If pets have been in the space, please let us know in your profile so that we can choose if we want to follow them into our bed. More than one set of towels per person is also necessary.
And here is a biggy - the instruction book. It should include not only the best restaurants to visit, but also how to find the nearest pharmacy and the name of a doctor and a dentist in case of emergency. But more importantly it should include the how tos. Not only where you put the trash, where do we find the extra trash bags, but how do things work. Especially considering that travelers these days cross international borders and appliances don’t work the same way in a strange country - how do the washer/dryer, stove, hot water heater, coffee maker, microwave, wood stove, oven, dvd player, tv, and locks work? Including this information in your packet is so helpful. And a map of the area helps as well.
There are some food basics that are nice to have in the kitchen. As we traveled for some time on a motorcycle, we could not carry these basics with us. Salt, pepper, sugar, a small amount of flour and oil. Even a few spices and other condiments like mustard, mayo, ketchup and vinegar are useful. If you are a bachelor who has only made microwave popcorn and ramen noodles in the kitchen, don’t leave a packet of the stuff out as a welcome gift. Tea bags and coffee are essential as well. And, of course, we loved the stays where they left us cookies and candy and even a beer!
Every Airbnb host should stay in at least three Airbnb homes prior to hosting so that they can see for themselves what hosts include and what they fail to think about.
Our award for the best equipped in terms of food goes to Tim and Holly in Tucson who stocked the kitchen with canned goods and the refrigerator with absolutely everything you could possible need. We didn’t actually believe all this stuff was for us - pasta and sauce, soups of all kinds, milk, cheese, popcorn, the list went on and on.
Best selection of dvds award goes to Molly and Arthur in Baja. Best use of small space award goes to Sherry and Barry in Mancos. Best towels award goes to Aunt Bea in Buena Vista.
Our award for the best private room goes to Monica in San Diego. She even provided make up remover pads. The room was spacious, the bath delicious, the coffee fragrant, and the private entrance welcome. Although we never met Rani in LA, we loved the room and the chickens. Not only did Rani give us the names of the chickens but she explained to us their behavior so that we knew what to expect. Well behaved chickens in a very clean chicken house were fun to be associated with. Another close contender for best private room was Jan in Tiburon - the snacks were to die for.
Best complete house/apartment award and best award overall goes to Gordon and Maureen in Argyll, Scotland. We arrived after a motorcycle accident, surgery, and other losses. They were gracious and loving. Their studio overlooked a beautiful loch with many stone circles nearby. Maureen stocked the fridge with butter, cheese, bread, milk, and all the basics that we might need, including pleasant conversation and a healing presence. We were truly sorry to say good-by.
So there you have it, hosts. Thank you one and all for your hospitality and kindness, your comfy beds, and all the other amenities you provided for two travelers who set out to see the world and ended up back at home in Mexico, for the best place of all to be is always home. And the best you can do as a host is make your guests feel as if they are already there.
