Anyone currently hosting?

[Alexandra316]

Hey all, I know lots of people are currently going through COVID-19 cancellations, but I'm wondering if anyone is in the same boat as me and hosting people with nowhere else to go. I have a couple staying with me from Munich, Germany, who were travelling though the USA and Canada in their large, custom VW pickup truck that they shipped here (I didn't even know such a thing existed). It even has German license plates. They're holed up with me for at least a week until they figure out what's happening. Anyone else still have guests who didn't cancel, or do you have guests due to the pandemic? I actually had a number of people try to book, but I was turning people down if they had stupid reasons for travelling. I'm glad it worked out with these people.

[Sam397]

@Alexandra316  I guess with all crisis like this comes situations that brings out who we really are and what kind of people we are. This is a tough call, and its probably going to require you to make some more tough calls down the line. Do you help them out, and if you do to what extent, and for how long. I myself was in a situation similar to yours and those were the questions I was asking myself. My advice to you is do what you feel  is right, getting other peoples advice is fine but you have to live with your decision. Whatever it is inside you that defines who you are will tell you what you should do, at least it did me. I know, not very helpful was I. Good luck.

[Sam397]

I am sorry @Alexandra316 , I misread your post and cant take my comment off. I thought you were contemplating on whether you should let them stay or not. Again sorry.

[Alexandra316]

@Sam397 No worries! No, not worried about these folks. A little bit worried over whether I should still be hosting and whether or not it increases my risk, but I have no specific concerns about these guests and their stay.

[Laura2592]

@Alexandra316  we originally had 7 stays booked for March and two cancelled due to this situation. So we have some folks checking in today. Our last group came and left after one night because they got too nervous about their situation at home (another state on  the east coast) and were "stressed" that they would be turned away at the state's border....I think it had more to do with the bars and restaurants in our state being closed for take out only and their state didn't have such restrictions. 🙂 We will see how the rest of the month plays out.  We need whatever income we can get and if guests are still game, we are too. 

[Alexandra316]

@Laura2592 Yeah, nice to have the income, for sure.

A lot of our restaurants started offering takeout only, but a lot aren't even doing that anymore: they're closed entirely. Thank goodness the beer and liquor stores are still open.

I had bookings all through last week and into the weekend, then the cancellations flooded in. I feel like the Germans will probably be here a while.

[Dimitar27]

The situation is changing very fast. Our authorities declared state of emergency on March 13. For 30 days. 5 days after the first case of covid-19.

Two days ago, the biggest ski resort had been placed under strict quarantine. 10,000 citizens and near 2500 visitors.

Yesterday there was a new order - all activities under the Tourism Act, including domestic tourism and international trips have been suspended until April 13. The minister said, that this would certainly lead to bankruptcies in the industry, but there is no other way.

From 00:00 tomorrow, the borders will be closed. More then 2000 tourists are blocked at different places inside the country and more then 40,000 people are trying to come back home from all around the world.

I have one reservation, still alive, for April 30.

[Robin4]

@Alexandra316  @Laura2592  @Sam397 

My situation is, almost all of my Airbnb bookings have cancelled, some of them because they didn't feel comfortable, or their reason for coming had been cancelled, but.......some of them because Airbnb give them no alternatives! They would like to have deferred their stay to another date like they can with Homeaway/Stayz and still leave the reservation active. But Airbnb's 'sledge hammer' approach is not offering that as an option.

Airbnb has suggested I can shut my listing down on a temporary basis, and at the moment I have chosen not to go down that path.

Where I live is not Italy, and the chance of becoming infected just by being in public is incredibly small. My state of South Australia has a total of 37 confirmed cases....all of them isolated from the public and no deaths. In our entire continent, a land mass larger than Europe there have been a total of 6 deaths, with no new ones.

The world cannot, and is not, simply shutting down, business is still going on and people are still travelling and in need of accommodation. My listing represents a clean and safe environment for those who must still travel and my current guest fits that category....he booked yesterday morning to stay last night. My guest for tonight, and the next for tomorrow night are still happy to come and I will continue to take the best care of them....albeit from a distance rather than the close contact I am used to.

If our situation here deteriorates I may reconsider but, at the moment.....it's business as usual! 

Cheers......Rob

[Alexandra316]

@Robin4 glad to hear you're making out okay.

I know your place is always spotless, but are you taking any special precautions to protect yourself when you clean? That's one of the things that is worrying me.

The Germans are with me until Tuesday and will likely extend their stay longer, so I feel like I don't have to worry about it for a bit. I'm going to offer to swap them for clean sheets and towels as needed, and just get them to bad stuff up. My laundry service is still operational as of right now, and I have tons of supplies anyways.

[Robin4]

@Alexandra316 

Oh Alex, am I well equipped!!!!!!

My daughters partner, Lisa, is a pathologist with the Glebe Coroners Court....she does autopsies all day. You would not begin to imagine the protection devices Lisa has at her disposal.

She has given me face masks with charcoal air filtration, gloves that look like you could tear the motor out of a Mack truck. 

Realistically Alex, in Australia we currently have one infected case that is considered 'serious'......the chance of running into an infected person is about the same as winning the magic millions lottery. Nobody in my area is wearing face masks and I consider my listing safer than any hotel on earth. I don't have 1,000 random people roaming through my property each day and I get to vet every person who does get a Guernsey before they arrive.

I have to be particularly careful where Ade is concerned because she is on imuno supprecent medication for her MS. I don't feel like I am taking any risks here, all holiday travelers have been cancelled by Airbnb. I am fortunate in that I have 9 sets of linens which I continually rotate and this mean I get plenty of time to make sure if there had been any possible contamination, it is not going to be passed on to the next guest. 

I feel confident this will pass and we will all get back to what we do best.......entertain guests!

Cheers.......Rob   

[Dimitar27]

This is how the biggest indoor arena here looks like.

https://scontent.fsof1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/p720x720/90351126_2706567379571315_27088163572558069...

All 500 beds are empty right now. It's a training of the military- to place the beds and deliver the equipment for less then 3 days. The same will be done in 3 other arenas, as part of the training.

[Sandra126]

@Robin4 , realistically we are only weeks behind. If we all just stop everything right now we might, just might, have a chance of not going down the same path. This is expert advice, not from me, but from actual experts. I have shut everything,  not going outside unless I must. If you have never taken anything seriously before, take this threat as the biggest. Please, take care.

Ps I have toiletpaper now that I'm no longer hosting.

[Juan63]

I'm hosting but being careful. No handshaking, disinfecting, lots of washing of hands, social distancing and strengthening our immune systems.

[Helen350]

I'm hosting a doctor (working), a carer (working) & a tourist couple this weekend. Home share! Not enormous British home! - I asked the doctor whether I should have told the tourists not to come. ..... he said message them to check they have no symptoms... I did, they say they haven't, & are coming. Doc arrived, we chatted at a distance, across opposite sides of the room, he doesn't seem too bothered. wondering whether I should stop tourists & just host medical people..... (tho' possibly greater risk to me?) Or  only host ONE visitor / one room at a time, not all 3??

[Stephanie]

Hiya @Helen350 ,

I think it's great that you're hosting medical staff and I'm sure you'll gather many learnings that could be shared with your fellow hosts! 

Thank you,

Stephanie