The joys of hosting!

[Robin4]

In a way I am frustrated by my involvement here on the Community Centre because, all we see here are negative posts!

We don't get to see any of the nice side of being a short term rental host.

We are currently hosting Greg and Peta, and tonight we had them in for a drink and a chat, and we have had the loveliest night!

Sure we knocked off a bottle or two out of my cellar ......

But we invited them into our lives, and we into theirs.

It was a beautiful experience, and one that we have had so often with our guests.

Entertaining is hard for Ade, she struggles through each day with her MS, but we all enjoyed this evening and it made me acutely aware ....as hosts, we are only as good as our ability to interact with strangers! 

Cheers......Rob 

[Anonymous]

@Robin4   That's really nice, but are you 100% always getting your guests' explicit consent before you use their names and talk about them in a searchable public forum like this one?

To put it mildly, there are generational differences in the way people use the internet, but it's never safe to presume that anyone wants to be named as a character in your personal stories outside of the expected context of a review.

[Chris232]

@Anonymous 

I think @Robin4 was using aliases.

I thoroughly enjoy having guests and a chat over a glass of wine in the evening is a welcome break when you can be yourself.

Having brought up 2 boys on my own and seen them through university the house was so quiet and missed the laughter now they are making their own life.

If someone had said to me 8 years that I would be welcoming strangers into my home, i would have said no way, its not in my character.

And now a good friend said to me "Chris, you are about to retire and you have just found your niche in life"

Over a 1000 guests later from all over the world, it brings me great joy to welcome guests to my home, to such an  extent I have told my 2 sons that they can no longer just turn up .... they have to book

🙂

[Robin4]

@Chris232 

Chris, I learned early in my hosting to only ever mention guests by name with their approval.

There are a couple of reasons for this !

1/.....As @Anonymous says some people just do not want to be named publicly, they have their reasons for that and it is up to us to respect that.

2/.....It is not up to us as hosts to assume that the person accompanying the booked guest is in fact their 'significant other'! I found that out the hard way in the review process back in 2016.

I will never mention anyone who comes into my life by name unless specifically invited too!

We did have a good night Chris, just one of those experiences that pop out of nowhere, you can't manufacture them or predict them......they just happen!

One of the really nice parts about hosting!

Cheers.......Rob

[Helen744]

@Anonymous. Yes it is something to be aware of . If a guest inadvertantly leaves the hosts name or full address on a review that can also be a reason to have a review removed. Any anecdotes about guests good or bad should never mention names .I worked in radio for many years and the media . It is illegal to conduct and use an interview with another person in Australia without their knowledge . As in fact its border line to put someone on loud speaker while having a conversation ,without informing them These breeches of privacy and rights are everywhere and are becoming quite serious in many ways . H

[Sarah4651]

He didn’t give last names, and if you are like you…see if the named left a review and ask them.  Andrew, no one likes being called out plus just mind your own beeswax. He didn’t ask if he should of or not but wanted to share a joyful moment. And honestly, I’m sure their spy career is over thanks to two first named folks in this major searchable forum. 

To put it mildly, if pm is on here you could of asked direct or not of been so …nose up in the sir reply.

Hope this helps your future feedback, …

[Robin4]

@Sarah4651 

Hi Sarah, thanks for your support but what you must consider, this is a forum where we all get to have our say. @Anonymous was not being critical of me, he was making a very important point......we need to be careful when naming our guests publicly and I thank him for making that point.

You will notice from the most active posts here on the CC that Andrew has had a massive input over the past few years and he has helped in a really substantial way in solving many users issues.

He is someone I look up to and respect and whatever advice he has to offer I know it will be well thought out and constructive.

Don't be too hard on him Sarah, I am totally aware of what he is saying, but rest assured I would not have mentioned these guests by name if there was to be any conflict of interest.

The guests were indeed Greg and Peta and I am sure from this stay we have formed a friendship, and this meeting will not be the last between us!  

All the best to you Sarah.

Cheers.........Rob

[Lorna170]

@Robin4   I love reading your posts and seeing what you are doing with your property.  I also appreciate that you would like to see hosts posting about their good experiences with guests and less rants about poor guests or AirBnB's faux pas.  

We have been having a lovely spring/summer with our guests -- so many appreciate our cabin, waterfall and the associated peace and quiet.  We enjoy our quick meetings --  check-in okay? Do you need anything? We then leave our guests to enjoy themselves after reassuring them that we are just a text away.   I will have to give thought to promoting our good experiences on this forum.  My regards to Ade.

[Ruth413]

@Robin4   Totally agree with you.  There is so much doom and gloom we need a bit more sparkle.

Sometimes you just know when you are going to click with your guests.  I have had a couple arrive today with their friendly dog.  The have booked for 2 weeks.  We very rarely get people stay that long and it always make me a little unsure.  Are they going to be bored ?  Is the cottage going to suitable for them for 2 weeks - it is only quite small.  What could upset them ?

Anyway they arrived, they are lovely, we find out we literally lived 2 miles apart 30 years ago.  We both had ordered a supermarket delivery from the same supermarket for the same time today, which ended up a bit chaotic as 2 vans arrived at the same time.

So now, they are settled in and happy, their dog is happy and I am happy.

Small things but happy things !

[Sherrie58]

I have been hosting for 1 1/2 years and have maintained a Super-host rating.  I really love what we're doing, having a business that I enjoy which doesn't take much time, but also is very profitable. It's fun to meet people from all over the country and the world, to host them by providing a comfortable and memorable stay by offering a few luxurious appointments- bedding, robes and slippers; fluffy bath towels, Nespresso, etc; and of course a meticulous clean space. Living in Napa, we offer a bottle of wine and a welcome card I had printed with our message and listing photo and also decided to serve a light breakfast that I've developed so it is fresh baked but easy too.  Daily breakfast seems to be a favorite of our guests and it gives me another connection to serve and build rapport. Jim and I love sharing ideas when asked about touring and dining, and I enjoy looking for ways to make our guests stay memorable.  I worked for a 5-star resort for my career, and I'm enjoying trying to provide the extra touches people don't expect but appreciate and remember (and while not spending too much to do so).  Our house and location have proved to be perfect for our business while still enjoying it ourselves.

[Gwen386]

@Robin4 I really, really am happy you started this post. I’ve been hosting since March 2022 and was growing scared of my decision to host when reading negative posts about missing payouts, lax AirBnB customer service, the new AirBnB roll out, guests reviews, hosts concerns about reviews and/or losing super host status, and property damage not being covered, etc.

So far, knock on wood, I have not encountered any of this although the roll out got me worried. However, once I beefed up my property description, added weekly and monthly discounts, lowered my rates and added the flexible/non-refundable option, and included additional pictures of my property, the reservations started coming in. I am now booked to mid-September. 

I am a private person and am okay with not having to socialize with my guests. However, I am very friendly and personable, and readily available to answer guests’ questions and or concerns.

I really enjoy hosting and having the ability to offer part of my beautiful, cozy home to guests at a reasonable price and in a great location. I am also grateful that at this time in my life, hosting is akin to a hobby vs. an income, but is preparing me in case I need it to turn into an income that I can depend on when I fully retire in 2024. 

Yes, to-date, I’ve been very lucky and fortunate to have hosted guests that are respectful of my property and house rules. But I give myself kudos too because I provide them with a lovely, peaceful, relaxing, and clean/sanitize environment that’s their temporary home while they’re  away from home. 

So, it is good to hear the positive side and joy of hosting too. 

[Robin4]

@Gwen386 

Hi Gwen, and welcome to hosting....in particular Airbnb hosting. 

Don't be afraid, this community Centre frightens the pants off of all of us because, by it's very nature it becomes a magnet for problems! We rarely get to see the nice side of hosting, and if we try to do something about that we are seen as grandstanding....trying to blow our own bags. And that is unfortunate because for every problem story there are dozens of beautiful ones.

Gwen, I have been hosting since 2015 and in that time there have only been 3 guests out of the 560 Airbnb stays we have hosted that I would not wish to see walk back up my driveway again. Hosting is a lovely experience.

Remember, we are not enticing these people in off the street with a sandwich board.........they seek us out, they search the pages until they find a property they think will be a good fit for them. They are not coming to us as friends but they are not far from it. 

You will have problems, none of us are immune to the problem guest or the opportunist, but just make an allowance, come up with a solution to cover your bases if that should ever happen.

The way I look at it Gwen, if I have a problem guest I heave a sigh of relief because it will be at least another 100 before I get another one!

I wish you all the best and I hope being here on the CC can make you the competent host it made me back those 7 years ago......good luck!

Cheers.........Rob

[Gwen386]

Thanks @Robin4   I appreciate your response and reminding me that if there’s only a handful of problem guests out of hundreds, it’s indeed an overall, excellent hosting experience. 

[Huma0]

@Robin4 

I am enjoying living with one my current guests. One of them is a repeat guest who stays with me for a few weeks several times a year because the company she works for is based here. My house has basically become her London home and I think of that room as 'Maria's room' (alias used here!). I consider her a friend/housemate rather than a guest and look forward to chatting with her when she gets home from work.

The other guest is a really lovely young man from India who has been living and studying in Scotland for the past few years. He is only 20 years old, but incredibly mature and knowledgeable on numerous subjects. I never thought I could learn so much from a 20-year-old!

The guest who just checked out, after a very long stay, will be back in September basically for a whole academic year. When she first arrived, I thought she was going to drive me crazy, but I realised she is just eccentric and is an incredibly sweet person and I became very fond of her and look forward to welcoming her back.

So, yes, it's not all doom and gloom. It's just sad that, due to a few bad experiences in the past few months that probably wouldn't have happened if Airbnb's system wasn't so guest centric, I now get very nervous with each new guest. I need to get back to the place where I expect the best, not the worst, each time a new person checks in! 

[Ahmad159]

Hello, how are you, my name is Ahmed, and I host in my camp in the Jordan area, Wadi Rum. I met my friend from Nesma during his stay with me, and I learned many things from him, and he enjoyed during his stay in my camp. It is a wonderful experience when you make others happy and see them happy.