Best guests ever

[Katrina79]

I can’t help myself but to report on such a positive experience I’ve been having. I think I have the best guests ever...and I have had many guests. These guests have come across the globe and were referred (not sure by what previous guest) to stay at my place. I was so unsure as they are staying for a month but have turned out to be so clean, communicative and just an all around lovely family! I’m so happy to have the interaction and ability to welcome them from another country. To me this is what Airbnb is all about! I feel quite fortunate to have this experience. I’m quite gutted they will be leaving in a couple days. 

[Sarah977]

@Katrina79  How nice to read a non gloom and doom guest story. Although I haven't hosted my home share since March, due to COVID, I get consistently lovely guests- never had one that caused any major issues and most I'd give 10 stars to if I could.

[Katrina79]

@Sarah977 It is so nice to have lovely guests...and they are not staying in my house but we have some really good interactions! Hopefully soon you will be able to host some wonderful guests in your home. I also have a home share listing and I’m missing the interaction these guests provided. It’s so nice when you get to host more than a “guest” and you connect. I’m so happy for this family and hope the best for them! 

[Ann72]

@Katrina79  Such a happy story - thank you!

[Fred13]

@Katrina79 Great of you to take the time, to reminds us of some of the many great guests we all have had, but didn't take the time to write about them.

[Robin4]

@Katrina79 

I am sure many hosts around the world are hurting just now.....this pandemic has played havoc with so many hosts, and those of us it has not affected are walking a tightrope thinking it is only a matter of time before the reality of COVID-19 comes close to us.

I had a guest last week who has waited most of her 67 years to become a grandmother. It happened two weeks ago but, the birth was in a state where the pandemic is running rampant at the moment, and there is no way she can cross the border and hug her daughter and her first grandchild. To complicate things still further the birth was not regulation and the grandchild has issues which require medical support.

I wished with all my heart I could make a difference and reunite this mother with her daughter and grand daughter in their time of need. It is not a matter of money or desire, we simply have no control over our current situation. 

This has never happened before in our lifetime! We could always make a judgement call.....hop on a plane and within a couple of hours be where we were needed! It broke my heart that for the first time in my life there was nothing I could do, no help I could offer, no way I could make this situation better!  

Katrina, we need posts like yours at the moment, to tell us it's okay.....we are entitled to have a downer every now and then......the upside is, there are posts like yours that make us feel good about something. 

Thanks so much for telling us of your experience.....I don't want to rain on your parade but almost all my guests have fitted that category, they have been wonderful.

I am sure Airbnb did not engineer this.....but they have been responsible for it.....it's just a by-product of what they do!  

All the best possum!

Cheers.......Rob

[Helen427]

@Robin4 

Sorry to hear of your guests predicaments.

Please be mindful that there's provision under laws to return to one's state / home that come under international Human Rights.

We had huge issues here in New Zealand with people stuck in Quarantine hotels/ motels not able to see their loved ones before dying or attending their funerals that was legally challenged with a Judicial Review which comes under "Compassionate" circumstances.

The Courts ruled twice against the Director General of Health, and put some into line as the Public Health Act restricting people is for an Infected person not those who are not infected. 

Look up Tony Christianson & Graeme (?)Hattie Judicial Reviews through Google NZ to understand the angle to approach it as it's pretty much the same laws internationally.

You may have also read my post about the Andrew Borrowdale JR that the New Zealand Law Society are also involved in - the submission papers  are on the Law Society website & worth while reading to help understand our legal rights & the legal fraternities concern about the blanket approach that's been taken & if the Director General of Health has the powers to act in the manner he has.

There's also a JR that ruled in favour of the people in Pretoria, South Africa about freedom of movement.

Check if there's any Coronavirus / Covid19 Judicial Reviews currently in the Courts or previously been heard in Australia using Google & Australian Legal Institute databases.

We all still have our legal rights.

Hope this reaches you, Addie & family including your ABB families well

 All the best from across the blue seas & skies in Auckland, New Zealand 

[Helen427]

 It's fabulous to read of another person @Katrina79 who has had the surprise of another guest recommend one's place.

I have had that occur a couple of times & asked who it was that recommended my place as their profiles state the country of origin / birth place which isn't New Zealand but they are now working & living here.

They have been super lovely guests.

Some of us keep in contact now btwn visits.

 On our walks out and about we have oft stopped and wondered which country those whose homes are empty & dark night after night are stranded in & if they are camped out in an ABB somewhere.

All the best

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Katrina79 

Your experience should be expected and not an exception,  but great news you had the best guests ever! More guests like those please.

How did you manage to avoid all the Covid cancellations over there, you look to only have been affected in May. Were you affected by any cancellations?

[Katrina79]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 I got hit hard with cancellations! One of the places I was hosting sold in March so that was a blessing. The remaining places I got lucky and found month or longer stays. I’ve only put one suite back up starting in June. Soon I’m transitioning to put another place up in September. I had so many cancellations in March that I decided to cancel all my reservations until September when Airbnb allowed the host to cancel without penalty. That freed up my calendar to find longer stays. 
I was able to find some bookings through word of mouth, some through a buy/sell and others that needed a place for 14 day isolation. It was in my best interest to cancel all my remaining reservations as guests were painfully optimistic and sitting on the dates but inevitably would cancel a week before check-in. 
Most of the guests I host are here for work, school, visit family, shopping or relocation. When our government opened up the economy again things went back to normal and people started to need a place to stay. Now, if we have to shut down again I will be back in the same boat! One thing I have noticed is most of the home shares have disappeared and that means less places are available in my city. 

[Huma0]

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@Katrina79 wrote:

It was in my best interest to cancel all my remaining reservations as guests were painfully optimistic and sitting on the dates but inevitably would cancel a week before check-in. 

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It's interesting you mention this, because I also found that guests were being rather optimistic or blasé about the whole situation in the beginning. Not a single guest I had booked in for stays after the pandemic was announced contacted me. 

I started contacting them straight away asking if their plans had changed, what did they want to do etc.? They all wanted to wait and see... They were coming to do courses or start new jobs, but none of them had thought to contact their colleges or employers to find out if it was still possible. They only did this when I suggested it and, lo and behold, all this stuff had of course been cancelled!

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Katrina79 

It seems that you've coped with a lot more than just Covid, so you deserve a good guest!

It's interesting to see worldwide what's happening with cancellations, here in the UK it was four months of cancellations and guests were just sitting on dates. Early on there was no need to cancel yet guests were encouraged to with encouraging offers and emails. At that time there was an advantage to running to the 7 day cancellation to obtain 50% cancellation fee - until Airbnb caught on.

Today I find out that "attest" cancellations are to continue until to the end of October, this with guest fighting over dates up until then !

I don't know how your groups might work out, but I'm finding that smaller groups are an absolute doddle to deal with. Normally we accommodate 8, but of late it's been 4's and 6's. These are so much easier! I could cope with more of those, but unlikely as the demand for accommodation has been such that those numbers just failed to have enough supply.

[Huma0]

On a happier note, I've just hosted a lovely guy for one month. He was my first guest in months and I was a bit nervous given that I've kind of got used to NOT having guests and it was going to be a big readjustment if he turned out to be weird or difficult, but he really couldn't have been much easier to host, so respectful, polite and undemanding.

He accidentally broke something small. I'm just pleased when a guest tells you they have broken something and offer to pay for it, as many won't. Not only did he do that, but he went out and got the replacement and fixed it himself. He also offered to help me with some DIY jobs in the house, but I didn't take him up on the offer.

Anyway, he may well return in a few weeks time if he still hasn't found a permanent home. He would definitely be most welcome.