Cancellation during check in

[Kathy1136]

Hi, I had a guest who was checking into my condo today at the beach. I received a message that they would not be staying in my condo since it wasn’t as she expected. 
I asked for her reason since I know the photos and description are all very accurate and other guests had even commented it was just as shown on Airbnb. Her reply was that she was embarrassed to admit it but she’s a condo snob. The condo is tastefully decorated,  very clean and has all luxury plank flooring and updated bathrooms. It’s not the ritz Carlton but it’s lovely, and I’d consider myself a snob too when it comes to travel. Am I supposed to refund her money? 

[Anonymous]

@Kathy1136  Here is the official refund policy for guests:  https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2868/airbnb-guest-refund-policy

No, you don't have to refund anything just because the guest considers herself too snobby to stay there. That's all on her; presumably, she's already found a Ritz-Carlton in your neighborhood to relocate to. If you'd like to free up the calendar for re-booking, you can encourage her to complete the cancellation process by offering a partial refund for rebooked dates. Or you can just let it go.

You and the guest will still be able to review each other, but handing money back to guests doesn't necessarily result in a better result. 

It appears that you allow stays as brief as 1 night, which might be worth reconsidering. Guests with super-short or last-minute bookings don't tend to put much thought or commitment into their selection often turn out to be a huge waste of time. And one of the most common reasons people abruptly abort their check-in is discovering that they can't get away with the wild party they were planning (which a house by the beach will attract a lot of).

[Kathy1136]

Hi @Anonymous Andrew and thanks for your reply. She booked 4 nights back in December so now I don’t have time to replace the booking. 
she sent me a message that I had been great and she was not going to write me a bad review. Bad review? For what? Why even mention that. The condo pics and description are very accurate. 

[Anonymous]

@Kathy1136   Since the guest hasn't asked for anything, there's no reason to mention refunds or reviews. It's weird, but it happens more than one might think, that people just up and change plans and throw away their money when they arrive at their destination. You want the communication to be in the Airbnb messenger just in case you need a paper trail later, but it sounds like this one has worked out to be a little bit of easy income for you. 

I swear, no matter how painstakingly accurate your listing is, there will always be people who aren't paying attention or reading the info when they're shopping online. Some hosts  embed little Easter Eggs in their listings asking guests to mention a password in requests to show that they've actually read the text. Not a necessity by any means; it's just one of many ways to vet the guests for their expectations.

[Kathy1136]

@Anonymous  All good points. I’m not going to mention a refund. Will see how she proceeds. Thanks again 

[Sarah977]

@Kathy1136  While I wouldn't overthink this, or her reason for cancelling ("condo snob" is a not a thing I've ever heard of), you might consider replacing some of the photos that elongate and distort the rooms. I've read posts by guests saying they really dislike those types of photos, as they give the impression of the space being much larger than it actually is. It's tempting to want to get all of a room, or show the layout in one photo, but not necessarily a good idea. Normal photos where things appear realistically are better, rather than a bed looking like it's wide enough for 6 people 🙂

[Kathy1136]

@Sarah977  The photos are normal photos and represent the condo accurately. The condo is almost 1000 sq ft and there are pics from every angle. 
my guess is that the exterior of the building wasn’t to her liking. 
I’m an interior designer and this unit has been updated (new bathrooms all new floors, no carpet) new furnishings and very tastefully done. 
the exterior of the building is nothing fancy. I hope she’s Not expecting a refund since I had no time to replace that booking.