We rent out our cabin, which is located in a very remote place. You have to drive several hours from the nearest airport to get there. Parts of the road are very poor but mostly passable most of the year. The cabin is relatively modern and well equipped with most things you would find in a typical home, with electricity, water, a good bathroom, and a very well-equipped kitchen. But it is located on an island (bridge connected) where few people live, there is a limited selection of what you can buy at the local store and as I said, at the very edge of the world… but very close to the sea!
We love the place and try to be there as much as we can during the periods when we don't have to pay attention to work and other obligations. We bought the cabin in the fall of 2017 and me and my wife had a few rounds of discussions about whether we should try to rent it out via Airbnb or not. We chose to do it as a pilot project but doubted if there were so many who wanted to come to us as guests… and in addition, had to pay for it.
It took several months before we got the first booking. A wonderful young couple from Austria. After that, it quickly escalated and ran in with bookings; actually, we had to close the calendar in between bookings to make room for ourselves and necessary maintenance. After about a year and a half, we had guests from 15 different countries. How could this happen? At least something we must have done right.
From the very first moment, we agreed that we had to give our guests a good first impression when they arrived and at the same time provide the feeling of hospitality and also the sense of having come to a place where you are welcome. Fresh flowers on the table is mandatory to everyone who comes to us. We always offer a personal letter on the table with the welcome greeting and some local snacks for each individual. One must never underestimate the good feeling for the guests to feel welcomed. After having travelled a long journey where one along the way may have begun to doubt whether that journey into the unknown yet was so wise. In fact, we have had guests who have been emotionally touched by finally arriving at the cottage and discovering that it is so nicely prepared for just them, with a personal and thoughtful touch.
We also saw that we had guests from major cities such as London, Munich, Berlin, Singapore and other densely populated areas in Europe and the rest of the world. Everyone loved to come to such a place where one can really "hear" and enjoy the silence. Yes, some were willing to travel to the other side of the globe to experience this, and after a long flight than sitting for hours in a car and driving from the airport on bad and bumpy roads and driving conditions that were completely new and unknown to them.
Since we are located far to the north in the Arctic, the dream for many of our guests is to experience the Northern Lights. In addition, we have invested in an outdoor jacuzzi which is the ultimate highlight if, with the perfect conditions, you can sit there in the polar night with the Northern Lights dancing across the sky.
Our decision to share our dream place with total strangers from around the globe was finally making sense, and all this is possible for our guests and us due to Airbnb. To be able to share a place with these facilities entirely off the beaten track, in almost total silence, actually turns out to be attractive to people from all over the world's corners. Our guests just love to come to a place where it is possible to let go of all unnecessary sounds - even if it is only for a few days.
I once asked one of our guests who had booked a long and expensive stay with us, how he could do it without having a single question in advance about the place. He replied "I looked at the pictures, read some of your reviews…. And thought that if half of it was true ,,, well then it was worth taking the chance…." He was also pleased that they thought the place was even nicer than they had expected when they arrived and checked in.
From the very beginning, we have always been honest in all our descriptions and the listing of our place, also when communicating with potential guests. It is a great responsibility for us hosts to be honest in the presentation. And if it turns out that the guest's expectations are met and maybe even a little more. Well, then the foundation has been laid for a brilliant review and 5 stars.
It's so wonderful to be able to make other people happy!
Thank you, Airbnb for the opportunity you gave us.
Some of my favorite review quotes:
"If Super Hosts go on holidays, they stay at Finn's"
"I haven't slept this well since I was a kid"
"Get ready, this place is going to make an everlasting impression on you"
"Finn and Marianne have created the most magical Airbnb stay"
Happy new year to everyone…!
