WWYD: Review or not to Review

[Kelly149]

Stayed in a place recently. Host has already reviewed me and I'm torn about writing a review. I'd like to hear your thoughts...

Pros: host is a very friendly & speedy communicator

I didn't pay alot bc SH coupon and non-busy dates

Neutral: they have several (<20) listings

they're in a location where real estate is cheap and there are enough high demand dates that they'll be successful financially and otherwise just from existing

Cons: there were things that I didn't think were that great, but a few simple changes would help immensely (thin drapes and blaring 24 hour security lights shining into windows, 1 tiny towel hook: 2 guests/2 days/2 towels, nowhere to sit anything down in the bath other than on top of closed toilet)

the listing was upbeat but lacked some detail about fairly important things. (really difficult parking, proximity to other rooms, shared hallways, construction happening on all sides)

there are only a handful of photos and one of them is of a door hinge

there is construction residue that makes the whole bath seem grimy (I'm sure it was "cleaned" but it wasn't really "clean")

there were things that I didn't think were that great but maybe that's just personal preference (naked box spring, pillows like overinflated balloons, collected art and furniture that felt like garage sale castoffs)

the place is billed a boutique hotel, but it's more like a poorly converted 12x12 room in an office building with a queen bed.

So: we all know that ABB considers a 5* review a floor, not a ceiling. And I was there as a guest, not as a 'your ABB needs some help' consultant. So, I could just 5* review everything (I really want to see what the review process looks like from the Guest side!) and not say anything about the not so great parts. Or I could use the 4s that I think the space merits in terms of accuracy, cleanliness or value but I don't feel good about that. Or I could not review and tell him a few tips privately. Or I could just keep my mouth shut about the whole thing.

Final detail: this block of rooms is the host's newest offering so it doesn't have but 1 review yet, though he has close to 300 total reviews on other properties.  On popular dates people will be paying 500+ /night for this space. And this guy just converted a building to a hotel in the worst travel time any of us can remember. His upcoming calendar is entirely blank.

[Ann72]

@Kelly149  I’m glad you agonized - in the end you hit just the right note.  The 5* are fine - the description tells future guests exactly what they need to know.  I don’t see how he could not listen to your suggestions the way they were worded but it’s all out of your hands now.  Good job.  Now go back to your regularly scheduled resorts ASAP 😂 

[Kelly149]

@Ann72 I'm glad you approve! 

The host was completely reasonable about the suggestions and the review, so hopefully all that goes well.

[Anna9170]

@Kelly149  "On popular dates people will be paying 500+ /night for this space."  
Maybe I have difficulties in translation 😂, but such a daily price in my understanding should give perfect cleanliness, at least, and a much larger number of towels...
Style is different if it matched the photo, even if in reality it was cheaper in quality.
But at this price, I really can't understand how it can be 5*.

[Laura2592]

@Kelly149I would be in a pickle on this review. I probably wouldn't leave one.

I see over and over how fellow hosts are difficult guests. I have to be honest-- I am pretty generous when I stay places now because I don't want people to think I am just being a picky fellow host. I actually was in a place once that was HAUNTED. I am not a believer in such things but there was no other explanation except someone hiding in the house pranking us, which is an even scarier possibility. It was also not incredibly clean nor well appointed. So I just didn't leave a review. I thanked the host and gave her some feedback via email but I didn't want to write "This place may have spiritual inhabitants that scare your dog, wake you up in the middle of the night by turning on all the lights and blaring music from a clock radio in a room you aren't staying in, plus it has broken glass panes in the windows so you can't open any of them and needs a good deep clean/ lots of painting. Host was nice though. " I would sound like a crazy person, and the host swore up and down no one else had ever had the kinds of experience we did (yeah...right.)

If a host was really nasty or a place was really misrepresented, I would probably review to warn other guests. If it was average to okay and I was disappointed with a couple of things, I would probably not review at all and may or may not give the host some private feedback in the kindest possible way. If it was good enough and I could see that the host really was making an effort, I would review and give 5 stars. That's just me.

ETA-- read your review! I think you struck a good balance. This host is a little manipulative about his rating, based on his communication to you and his review ("fellow Superhost") Your whole question points out how ridiculous the whole 5 stars all the time expectation truly is.

[Kelly149]

@Laura2592 yes, the trolling for good reviews by propping up the other party isn't cool, but he has a new listing and seems to think it's great, and like I said he will do well with it over time just bc there aren't many other choices in this location.

And yes, my biggest beef is with ABB making a 5* both the ceiling and the floor. It makes the whole review system rather useless

alarm radios are notorious for going off when they shouldn't but that house sounds awful