What's something a guest has done that showed they appreciated you?

[Nash-Cottages-LLC0]

We've been thinking about some of our past guests with such fondness and wondered what's something nice a guest has done that showed they appreciated you?

To start, we had a guest leave on the counter a 6-pack of bottled beer from their hometown brewery because they 'wanted to share something from their home because we shared ours'. Cue the awwww's! 

We had another guest go to a local florist the morning before check-out and leave us flowers in a vase ( a new vase, not a glass from the cabinet). 

Who's next? 

[Emilia42]

I had a guest leave me a $50 tip once. I've had a few guests tip me before and I've noticed that these guests never leave reviews. That's okay with me though, I would rather have the money 🙂

When I travel as a guest, I always bring a hostess gift or leave a tip. I don't expect it from others but it seems, to me, like the right thing to do.

[Nash-Cottages-LLC0]

@Emilia42 That's awesome. Yeah, the extra cash is niiiiice. Thanks for sharing. 

[Sarah977]

@Nash-Cottages-LLC0  I've had several guests arrive with "hostess gifts". Candles, nice soaps, things like that. A guest from Prague brought a rather odd (though the gesture was very sweet) collection of things that would represent her country. An oven mitt with what she said was a traditional design on it, a little angel figure made of corn husk, a can of mixed vegetables (?) and some cookies.

One or two guests have given me artwork they did while here, and some have given bottles of wine.

And several guests who were seasoned travelers from the US or Canada and realize that there are or must be things I can't buy in Mexico, have asked before coming if there is anything small and light I can't get here that I would like them to bring. One brought a box of Mr. Clean magic erasers at my request and wouldn't accept me paying her back for them.

[Nash-Cottages-LLC0]

@Sarah977We lived in Slovakia for a few years and know exactly the corn husk figurine you're talking about!  And, so thoughtful of those folks traveling from outside your country to even think to ask about something they could bring you that you might not be able to get locally. 

[Elena87]

@Nash-Cottages-LLC0 

I've always found it a privilege to receive a welcome gift from a guest, in the main, it's my visitors from Asia who are likely to present a small gift.

Japanese guests like to give a funky flavoured kitkat - usually banana or green tea flavour - or an exotic carton of Pocky biscuits.

Chinese guests bring good luck knots or presentation boxes of black tea, one even brought a home grown version of vodka which was coals to Newcastle really.

Korean guests have given hand fans or decorated teaspoons, nice.

I've a secret stash of matroshka keyrings to give in return, and I'll treat them to tea and honey cake too.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

It is always nice to receive a small gift or "thank you" note from our guests 🙂  We got Japanese cookies and tea, a silk scarf, flowers in the pot, an Airbnb keychain,  sweets, and chocolates ...

Ones, our guest brought us sliced watermelon in a bowl (it was a very hot summer day and we were cleaning our second unit next door so this was a jackpot 😄 )

Ones, our guests left us a 10€ bill and we thought it was a tip... until we discovered they burned the curtain with a cigarette 😄

[Christine615]

One of my guests baked cookies for my daughter (co-host). Another left a tip in the guest book for the cleaners. I still have the Christmas coasters another guest left as a holiday present.

Fond memories.

[Angela1056]

@Nash-Cottages-LLC0 Well, all gifts and good reviews aside, a couple (who will be returning this year) told us that they have already found and bought for themselves the wonderful linens we provide In our house.

[Kelly149]

My favorite gift, aside from being tidy, is good communication. I appreciate the hand written notes that tell me their family enjoyed the stay and will remember their time in the barn fondly. We’ve been gifted art, flowers, food & drink. Really anything that acknowledges that they were in our home, and not a hotel, is appreciated. 

[Mark116]

Ah the good old days of getting host gifts.  We haven't gotten any gifts in quite some time, but in years past we have been given a variety of things:  flowers, many thank you notes, wine, live plants, candy from the home country, coasters, small wall hanging, mugs from the home country, calendar from the home country.  I miss those early days.

[Sarah977]

@Mark116  That the days of receiving small gifts is the "olden days" is bygone for you is a pretty clear indication that guest demographics have changed, at least in some locations. 

Seems to have gone from understanding what the word "guest" implies, to acting like they are doing you a favor by offering to book if you'll give a discount, upgrade your Wifi and waive your no pets rule.

[Mark116]

@Sarah977  Yeah.  I'm also sad to say that my fellow Americans are among the absolute worst guests in terms of treating the space like a cheap hotel, etc.  Almost all of the host gifts we've gotten were from non-Americans, but even the Europeans/South Americans/Africans had virtually stopped bringing any gifts at least since 2019.

[Max144]

Have had wonderful guests and gifts such as flowers in pot, several bottles of wine, beer, a book on Bribie Island which they had wrote, money, frog ornaments, Buddha statue, chocolates, fridge magnets from South Africa and Belgium, and a Diplomat who's mother lives on island gave me a monogrammed U.S.A Department of State pen in plush lined case which is a little bit special. 

[Helen427]

Aside from artwork, soaps, meals cooked, wine, items similar to those listed by you all @Nash-Cottages-LLC0 @Max144 @Kelly149 @Mark116 and everyone-else, the sweetest thing I've been given as a thank you is a hug before departure as an appreciation of an enjoyable time together in one another's company