My input:
There were several small issues during both stays. First, not enough toilet paper. We were 4 people staying for two days, and we were left one and a (barely) half rolls of toilet paper. There were no supplies in the place, because we looked. We would simply have grabbed an extra roll if there was one in the house, and not mentioned it. We did end up buying some, and brought it with us when we returned (because we had it). For the second stay there was one roll and barely a quarter roll in the bathroom. We were 4 females, so definitely would require more than a mixed group of males and females.
Depending upon who they primarily cater to, some hosts provide enough TP to get you started when you first arrive, but after that leave it to guests to provide the rest. This may also be because of theft. While you may not have an issue with extra supplies disappearing, it may be a problem for others. I did learn early on not to leave too much "extra". For example, I had one guest wipe me out of my entire supply of teabags. Like 30-40 of them. No way an overnight guest will drink that much tea.
But this TP limitation should be disclosed in the listing. "We provide one roll of TP to get you started."
There were a couple of small things that could have been improved, that would not have cost much to fix. First, there was a rusty old medicine cabinet attached to the wall in the bathroom. It served no purpose- there was nothing in it, and it was definitely an eyesore. It could have been removed completely and that would not have affected the bathroom function at all.
That depends upon any drywall repairs that may be needed after removing the cabinet. Some of those "old metal" medicine cabinets are actually attached directly to the studs with no drywall behind them. The host might not be in a position to handle dry wall repairs. That being said, they could at least paint it to look nicer. But this really shouldn't be something that affects your stay.
The shower curtain bar was rusty. That's a cheap fix. The shower curtain liner was moldy, but that's a cleaning issue. Overall, the place was very clean, so I wouldn't have dinged her stars for that, but might have mentioned it in private feedback.
Yes, these are things that normally are best mentioned in private feedback. But if there are an excessive number of these things, then it should be mentioned in the review even if you choose not to dock stars as seems to be the case here.
One hook in the bathroom to hang a wet towel. We were 4???
Were there any towel bars you could have hung the towels back on? If not, then yeah, 1 hook isn't really enough.
Also, microfiber bedding but hey- I can't dictate what bedding other hosts should use- it's just a pet peeve of mine. But with no A/C, cotton would certainly be cooler on the skin.
Yes, this is personal preference and it is impossible as a host to anticipate everyone's preferences.
There was no A/C, which I was aware of when we booked. There were two tiny tabletop oscillating fans, that didn't do much to move air. No ceiling fans at all. The place was really hot and stuffy when we arrived, which could have been remedied by the host stopping in and opening some windows before we got there, but that didn't happen. Yes- there was a local co-host right in the area.
While there was a local co-host, if they were at work during the day, this may not have been possible. I know many places are dealing with excessive heat well above what they normally deal with. Living in an area with very high humidity and high temps (heat indexes often over 100 degrees in summer), leaving windows and curtains closed during the day keeps it cooler. Not less stuffy, but cooler.
My biggest problem is that the host asked repeatedly- in messages and her house manual, "Please leave us a 5 star review." Not, "please leave us an honest review, ", or "please let us know how we can improve."
I personally don't like hosts who "beg" for 5* reviews. I am of the opinion that if a guest wants to leave a review, they will. I'm not going to badger them. AirBNB does that enough for me. I actually had a guest mark me down because I "harassed" them for a review. Except it wasn't me; it was AirBNB. <face palm>
At this point, I haven't left a review. The overall experience was not 5 star. Something as small and inexpensive to fix, like enough toilet paper, definitely left a sour taste. As a host, I know I have definite ideas about what good hospitality entails, and I do realize that my standards may not necessarily align with those of other hosts, so I'm taking into account that I may just be too opinionated, and perhaps I'm not justified in my assessment of the situation. I had decided to not leave any review at all, but now I'm soliciting opinions. I don't know if I even want to make the effort to let her know via private feedback what a turn-off being asked for a 5 star review is.
I don't feel that these things are something that other guests need to be "warned" about, so I'm not feeling particularly guilty about not leaving reviews.
Thoughts from other hosts?
Kia
Well, there are two sides to this.
You could choose not to leave a review and simply send her a private message outlining your issues with your stay. Also take this time to mention your annoyance at being hounded for a 5* review. She may listen or she may blow you off and change nothing especially since your conversation would be private.
Or, you could leave a 4* review because honestly that is what it sounds like you experienced. Maybe not the begging for the reviews but something along the lines of, "Overall the home is clean and the host communicated well but there are some older, worn out items that are cosmetically unsightly and should be updated. The supplies the host provides are somewhat limited. Minor issues that would not deter me from staying again, though". And in the private feedback, mention the rusty shower curtain. Mention the medicine cabinet should be painted or removed. Mention more towel hooks would be helpful and mention that they could be a bit more generous with TP when it's more than 2 people staying.
As for the automated messages, I use this tool because it ensures that I don't accidentally forget to send information to my guests. There was more than a time or two where I *almost* forgot. As I live in a quirky old farm house with certain limitations, I want to make sure to convey these quirks/limitations to my guests. By automating them, I know I'm not forgetting something important. I do follow up with personal communication, but my booking messages, check in messages and check out messages are all automated. I never, ever ask a guest to leave a review, though.
