What have you stopped doing since you started hosting?

[Rebecca]

Hi everyone 👋

The way you host when you first start can look quite different a few months or years down the line.

With experience comes finding out what works, what guests actually value and what perhaps isn’t worth the extra time or effort.

So, what’s something you did when you first started hosting that you’ve since stopped doing?

Maybe it was part of your cleaning routine, something you provided for every stay, how you communicated with guests, or simply a habit you realised you didn’t need.

It would be interesting to hear what you changed and what you do differently now.

[Alice1934]

Good Morning 

Nice too meet you Mrs Rebecca 

Since I started AIRBNB IT was a great apportunity to discover the world of Airbnb it's amazing .

The guests like to feel confortable in the house , they want to feel home inside the appartment , sometimes some guests are impolite and dirty or they make damages and Airbnb was always in my side pushing me to do the best of what i can do 

Thank you Airbnb 

[Rebecca]

Good afternoon @Alice1934 👋

It's lovely to e-meet you too 😊 It truly does sound like hosting has brought you a real mix of experiences, especially when it comes to different guests and how they treat the space.

What’s been your favourite part of hosting so far?

[Pomodoro-House0]

Hi Rebecca, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my feedback. I believe the whole community side could really be improved—it's not very user-friendly for us hosts. For starters, I have to log in every single time I access it, even if it’s just a few minutes apart. Also, the notification system for the Host Club doesn't work at all anymore. I can no longer keep up with my fellow hosts and I'm missing out on all the updates, which is really a shame. I think the community should be integrated directly into the Airbnb app rather than redirecting to the website. I remain at your disposal if you need any further details.

[Rebecca]

Hi @Pomodoro-House0 👋

Thank  you for taking the time to share this in detail with me. I can see how having to log in repeatedly and not receiving Host Club notifications would make it harder to keep up with conversations and updates.

I've passed your comments on as feedback, including your suggestion about having the community integrated into the Airbnb app. 😊 

[Pomodoro-House0]

thank you

[Guy991]

Hello @Rebecca ,

In the beginning all our check-ins were in person. I used to spend hours waiting for guests, not to mention a few past-midnight arrivals. Good times.

In-person check-in does have its advantages.

But one time neither I nor my co-host was available, so we had to put together a self check-in protocol for a guest on short notice. It was so easy and efficient that from that point on all our check-ins have been self check-in.

It has its pros and cons too, but I no longer waste the most important resource: time.

[Elaine701]

@Guy991 

I have similar experiences. I always thought meet and greet was important to establish a personal relationship.

And it is important for orientation to the house and its operations. Guests don't read the guides that you leave out for them, and then are confused about how things work. 

But I found that many guests seem to exhibit that the meet and greet process is bothersome, irritating for them. They've had a long day, just came from the airport, and the last thing they want is to meet the hosts and blah blah about this and that. 

So we too started simply directing them to self check in, and generally speaking, we seem to have happier guests. Although they still don't read the operational guides 🙄

But it's less work for us and guests seem to prefer it. 

[Rebecca]

Thanks @Guy991 and @Elaine701 for sharing! 

Time is definitely one thing that is very valuable - there are never enough hours in the day! Did you notice any change in guest sentiment after changing to self-check in, similar to Elaine's? 

[BearpathJohn0]

Hi @Rebecca , When I started my first place in the same home we lived in, I checked guests in, showed them around the apartment and was way more communicative and interactive with Guests.  10 years later, added 5 more spaces in 3 counties and 2 diff states (and I dont live in Bearpath Lodge anymore), I depend almost exclusively on self check in now and rarely get to meet the guests except through my Ring doorbells or messages in the Airbnb widget.  I actually think they prefer that anyways, show up when they want and not have the hassle of a "Check in".  I do miss meeting and chatting with the guests but the business is flourishing so I won't monkey with the recipe now!  Safe travels, JR

[Rebecca]

Hi @BearpathJohn0 👋

It’s really interesting to hear how your hosting style has evolved over the years JR, so thank you for coming to share that with us. 😊 It's also lovely to have you back on the Community Center and joining in with conversations!

I can imagine you do miss those face-to-face chats sometimes though! Do you think guests’ expectations around interaction have changed over the past 10 years too?

[BearpathJohn0]

@Rebecca Our spaces are less a destination and more a place to stay for something happening somewhere near me, weddings, funerals, college visits and such so sleep is more the thing that they want from our spaces, I don't think they are as needy of direct interactions as they are for timely responses via the messages and phone calls when they need to know something or say something, I am pretty quick and that makes a difference to them right then.   Most of my face to face interactions are now interventions for a tripped breaker or passing when Im there mowing or fixing something (250 year old home needs lots of fixing).  I do think guests want instant gratification and the further we get from providing that, the worse our reviews and returns will be.  Best, JR

[Rebecca]

That makes a lot of sense, @BearpathJohn0. I think it's about knowing your guests and the type of place you list, isn't it? And perhaps for your guest, you being available when they actually need you matters far more than lots of interaction throughout the stay. 😊

[Christine4922]

I stopped doing my own cleaning. It was exhausting and it was only after spending 16 days in Europe and having a higher cleaner that I realized I don’t wanna do it again. Yes, I’ll do it occasionally such as when I stay there or to do a deep clean and take a look at everything, but I’m done putting myself in the rotation.

[Rebecca]

Love that @Christine4922. It's one less worry off your mind and gives you time back, just as @Guy991 said too. 😊