Please help with this review

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

So, I had guests, a couple in their 60-es. They were nice and have a lot of nice reviews but there are a few things future hosts would like to know. I am not sure how to wrap it in cellophane so I would appreciate your help. (They didn't review me yet but if they will I know it will not be 5* for sure)

They shortened their reservation 2x (3 nights in total) at the last moment bc their business plans have changed. I was partially able to rebook. OK.

They said they couldn't sleep because they are used to very firm matrasses and mine are too soft for them so they have back pain. They also prefer thin pillows. They didn't ask about beds before arrival and they told me about it halfway into their stay. They refused my offer to buy top mattresses bc it was already just a few days until check-out.

They came with and used their own bedding because they said they are allergic to laundry detergents so they always bring their own towels and blankets. (They didn't mention it before arrival but halfway into their stay. Our bedding is washed by professional laundry service with mild detergents but they didn't want to risk it.)

They left the window open after check-out (we told them specifically they should close the windows when they are not present or sleeping because we are on the ground floor and exposed to burglary. We also have this written in our house rules, house manual, check-out instructions on the door... and there is also a note on the window seal.

They asked for the iron although it is not listed in our amenities ( I don't offer an iron anymore bc guests burn the cord regularly by wrapping it around the hot iron. But I made an exception and gave them one)

I would like my review as short, polite, professional... but also suggest they should send an inquiry about beds and bedding instead of instant booking and give the future host a chance to decline if he thinks his listing isn't a right fit.

Unfortunately, they booked instantly and if I knew then what I know now I would tell them to cancel. Our budget-friendly studio is not comfortable enough for elderly couples, especially not for 2-weeks long stay.  And yes, I included this now in my listing's description.

[Ted307]

Nice to know that the poster is a woman. It is difficult to tell sometimes here. The style of the old twins that push together is pretty uncomfortable to us. My husband will not sleep on the guest room's foam mattress, it is just not what he is used to. We did put a large mattress & box spring queen size bed in the AirBnB trying to appeal to those typical Americans from Phoenix that are our guests. If I were lucky enough to stay with @Branka-and-Silvia0  in their apartment, I might only book for a day or two as she has suggested!

Chris

[Sarah977]

@Ted307  Oh, I agree that the gap that's created when twins are pushed together is not a comfortable situation, and there are actually things you can buy now designed to fill that gap so it feels seamless.

I'd say if a couple wants to sleep together, though, they should book a place with a bed they will be comfortable in, not a place where they need to push two twins together, and then complain about it, no?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Ted307 @Sarah977 

Zagreb is full of Airbnbs, (just in my small building there are 4 of them) and most of them are studios and most of these studios have 1 queen or king bed. Our studio is in minority with 2 twin beds, suitable for 2 friends or family members.

I am always surprised when it gets booked by a couple and they request joined beds. To make things worse, wooden headboards are wider than beds so if pushed together there is at least 10 cm (4 inches) gap in between. I do have the thing Sarah mentioned but it doesn't help much. It is not suitable for couples and anyone with some common sense would know it by just look at the first photo in our gallery 🙂

Btw, I didn't buy beds and a wardrobe, it was already there when I bought the apartment. The previous owner also had Airbnb there.

[Ted307]

Hi, @Branka-and-Silvia0 

We as a couple have stayed in places like yours, or one time even a tree-house! Just to go to a great place we wanted to go. I would not think to ask you to join those beds, it still is not a king size bed. I have stayed in places when I am traveling by myself that would not be OK with my other half. Our listing is under the category of "Tiny House" so that I can weed out people who want a big fancy place. I think it has helped, along with declining some clueless requests. We are still pretty new at this as hosts, we will see how things are in a few more years! Have they reviewed you on their stay?

[Sarah977]

@Ted307  Two twins pushed together is actually the same width of a standard king. But unless they are extended length twins, it won't be as long as a king.

We're talking US and Canadian bed sizes, though. Standard bed sizes vary throughout the world. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Ted307 @Sarah977 

our beds are common size for EU , mattresses are 90 x 200 cm ( 35,43 x 78,74 inches)

in another apartment we have mattress 140 x 200 cm ( 55,12 x 78,74 inches)

What would you call it? Tweens and queen?

I looked on the internet but it is confusing and different in each country.

We use just two names for beds: single and marital bed.  We do have different sizes of course but we don't have a different names for each size.

Ted, no reviews yet

[Sarah977]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  That's the thing- different countries have different size beds that don't correspond to the sizes elsewhere exactly. 

Twins in Mexico are a meter wide by 190 cm long. Your 200 cm long twin would be called an extended twin, suitable for taller people.

A US or Canadian double bed is 137 cm wide by 190 cm long. In Mexico they call a double a "matrimonial" and it's only 132 cm wide.

So all you can do is approximate when calling them by name as opposed to giving the actual size.

[Brian2036]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

Changing their plans twice after checkin and then moaning about trivia?

These people shouldn’t be allowed to IB.

 The whole “I changed my mind and that’s your problem” thing really annoys me. If people want to do it one day at a time they need to go to a hotel.

 I hope you give them a low enough score to keep them off IB.

 I would bet that if they aren’t too lazy to review they will give you a wretched one also.

[Kevin1322]

Perhaps the dreaded  "nice people but better suited to a hotel"  review? 😬

[Laura2592]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 I would say:

'These guests are lovely people but our space was perhaps not the best fit for their needs. As a host, I wish I would have known what their bedding and laundry requirements were prior to booking, so I would encourage other hosts to contact them and find out if they book with you. Pleasant overall but there was an issue with securing the space upon check out. We would recommend to on site hosts who can provide the bedding and laundry services these guests require. '

This puts it on the future host to find out what the deal is without blaming the guests for being picky and non communicative. If I saw it, I would know I couldn't accommodate this group comfortably.  

[Ted307]

@Laura2592  @Branka-and-Silvia0 

We are on-site hosts, and I have never had such bedding and laundry issues. We would decline to book after reading this review. We have a low acceptance rate already, 78%, and the reason is because we do decline bookings from people with low reviews and poor communication. We give the reason that we are uncomfortable with the guest. Air BnB penalizes for many things, but so far we have not been penalized for this.

Chris