Guesthouse hosting / decorations

[Jennifer3217]

Hi! 

I just had a couple questions as being a first time host. 

This might be an odd question but we have a guesthouse that we have listed, so we are on the property. We let our dog out to use the bathroom or might do some yard things where guests may see us on occasion. If I happen to see a guest outside, should I wave or just completely ignore them? I don't want to seem rude, but I also want the guests to know that they have complete privacy and I won't bother them. What is your opinion?

I also had my first listing where someone is going to stay with a friend for their birthday. Should I offer to decorate with a happy birthday banner for them? Should I do it anyway? or not do it at all? This is what I love about hosting and why I wanted to do this in the first place. I love to make people feel welcome and make the best of it. This made me stumble on to thinking about decorating for big holidays. Do you all decorate for Halloween/Thanksgiving and for Christmas? I've read up on it a bit, and I know people have different religious backgrounds to where they may not appreciate this, so I wasn't sure. 

Thank you!

[Sarah977]

@Jennifer3217  One thing I would advise is for you to move your on-site host info up into your description introduction, rather than where it is now, as many guests do not read through everything.

They will then be well-aware they would see you out in the yard sometimes. Guests who want zero to do with the host, to the extent that they would be offended by a host waving or saying good morning,  should not book a listing with a onsite host they share a yard with 🙂

As a home-share host, I take my cue from guests and don't find it that hard to tell if a guest welcomes interaction or prefers to keep to themselves. 

I certainly wouldn't "ignore" a guest if I saw them out in the yard in your situation, neither would I feel the need to always wave or greet them. I had a guest who had stayed at a guesthouse just before staying with me, and said the host completely ignored her as she was walking back to the guesthouse, even though the host was out watering the garden and my guest had to walk right past her. My guest said that made her  feel quite uncomfortable, as if the host resented her presence. So it's a matter of striking a balance between making a guest feel welcome and making them feel like the host is intrusive.

I wouldn't overthink it, but let it be an organic thing. If you're out in the yard busy and the guest is also outside doing their own thing, unless you make eye contact, both you and they might just go about your own business. 

You may even find you have chatty guests who wander over to engage in conversation with you if they see you outside. Just play it by ear- there's no right or wrong with this stuff. 

As far as decorating goes, some hosts do and some don't. Usually it's a good idea to ask when it comes to holidays like Christmas- as you say, not everyone celebrates the same way, or at all. 

For something like a birthday or anniversary, I would keep an acknowledgement simple- you don't want to make a guest feel uncomfortable that you went into "over-the-top" mode when they just planned a quiet day and evening with their friend, sharing good food and a bottle of wine.  A banner might be a bit much, a Happy Birthday helium ballon or a 'Welcome and happy birthday' card left on the table, seems about right to me.

[Debra300]

@Jennifer3217,

We also have a guesthouse, and live on site.  We always greet our guests if we see them, because it is customary in the Caribbean to greet everyone whenever you enter a common space, regardless if you know them or not.  We  limit the conversation to quick pleasantries like, "How are you doing?", "Did you sleep well last night?", "Do you need anything?", "Have a good time.".

Although Christmas lights are becoming more popular, we don't think it's the best use of energy on an island that's prone to outages.  Besides, all of our money went into the renovation and new furnishing of the guest suites.  That's the special something that guests get to enjoy.

[Anonymous]

@Jennifer3217  If guests will be passing through the yard during their stay, I suggest making more explicit mention of the dogs in your description. People with an aversion or fear of dogs should not book. I think it's always a good idea to wave or smile when your guests pass by, to at least show that you're approachable. Most people will give some kind of cues about whether they'd rather make small talk in passing or keep to themselves.

I wouldn't go so far as doing up banners or balloons for an adult birthday. A nice handwritten note and maybe a small locally produced treat can go a long way as a thoughtful gesture without hitting the button too hard. 

[Jennifer3217]

 they won’t actually pass me nor do we share a yard. They’re behind me and a good 80 feet away, plus, he’s 100% leashed and in the front yard. 

as for the birthday, I just didn’t know if I should offer. I noticed they were fairly young, and I didn’t know if it was something other people had offered to do for their guests.