Hosts, Let’s Swap Tips & Stories!

[Alberto1991]

Hey Airbnb Hosts! 👋

I’ve been curious about your experiences and would love to hear your insights! 🌟

Let’s get a conversation going:

1. What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve learned from hosting? 🧐 
2. How do you make your listing stand out in a crowded market? 📸✨ 
3. What’s your favorite guest review or experience so far? 📝
4. How do you handle last-minute booking requests? ⏰ 
5. What’s the most unique feature in one of your properties? 🏡🌿 

Can’t wait to hear your stories and ideas! Let’s share some tips. 🙌

[Elisa]

Ciao @Alberto1991 😊, 

Thank you for posting this in the community!

Those questions are really interesting. Would you like to answer first and share your ideas?

I would love to read your thoughts. 😍

I’ll mention a few Hosts who might share their ideas with you: @Robin4, @Hugo990, @Dr-Jayanthi1, @Guy991 and @Elena4354.

I am looking forward to reading all the beautiful comments!

Warm regards🌻,

[Alberto1991]

Hi  @Elisa  😊,

Thank you for the kind invitation! I’m happy to respond and share my thoughts:

• The most unexpected thing I’ve learned from hosting? 🧐 I’d say it’s how rewarding it is to connect with people from all over the world and hear their stories. It’s made me feel more connected to different cultures!

• How to make my listing stand out in a crowded market? 📸✨ I think high-quality photos and an authentic description are key. I like to highlight unique details about the property and add some insider tips about the neighborhood or local hidden gems.

• Favorite guest experience so far? 📝 Once I hosted a couple who were staying to celebrate their anniversary. I arranged a personalized local itinerary for them, and their heartfelt review really touched me!

• Handling last-minute bookings? ⏰ I usually try to be flexible and keep everything clear and ready. I often have things prepped for any last-minute guests.

• The most unique feature of my property? 🏡🌿 I have a small terrace with a panoramic view of the city—a peaceful spot that guests love for a morning coffee or an evening glass of wine.

I look forward to hearing what everyone else thinks! 😊

Best regards,

Alberto

[Robin4]

@Alberto1991 

Great post Alberto, over the last few years, for a number of reasons we have lost a lot of positivity here on the CC and it is a refreshing change to reflect on the nice parts of short term renting. Thanks Alberto.

1/.......What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve learned from hosting?

How many beautiful people there are in the world. I have hosted guests from France to Nigeria, to South Africa, China, Nepal, Faroe Islands, Egypt, Finland, UK, Sri Lanka, Japan, Vietnam and of course, the USA and there is not one who has not enriched my life and I would not welcome back here again.

My feeling is, despite our differing cultures, people the world over are the same, it's governments that get in the way of humanity.

2/........How do you make your listing stand out in a crowded market?

You can't be all things to all people! You have to select the type of guest you want to appeal to.

I promote my listing as a quiet relaxing 'pit stop' at the end of a days hustle and bustle and travelling. Somewhere to just unwind over a cheese plate and a bottle of wine and get a cosy comfortable nights sleep in a great bed.

3/.........What’s your favorite guest review or experience so far?

Good reviews are what attracts future guests and keeps your booking calendar full.

With around 800, I can't say I could attempt to find a best guest review, there have been some wonderful ones over the years. But these 2 exemplify our experience. The first one was from February 2016 not long after we first started hosting on Airbnb, and the second is one of our latest, just this month.

4/.........How do you handle last-minute booking requests?

If the cottage is un-booked for an evening I accept last minute bookings. I think this one would possibly hold some sort of Airbnb record!!

I was working  on my computer one night when all of a sudden about 10.30 pm this message came through.....

They had started out from Melbourne (800 Kms away) after work at 6 pm, decided after a few hours of driving they didn't feel like sleeping in the car, saw our place was available, so booked.

They arrived at 2.00 am and by 7.00 am next morning were gone! They had driven from Melbourne to Adelaide to pick up a pure breed dog from a local breeder and by 6.00 pm that night they were back in Melbourne again. In the space of 24 hours they had driven over 1,700  Kms  (1,000 miles) and got 5 hours sleep in comfortable bed along the way.

Now that's what I call stamina.....hope the dog was worth it!!

5/.........What’s the most unique feature in one of your properties?

The feature we probably work hardest at is.....our garden.......

We once had  a couple from China staying with us, I came out of my mancave one afternoon and I joined him at one of our outdoor areas for a chat.

He said to me....."I wish I could grow something!"

He lived on the 18th floor of an apartment building in Shanghai and had no access to a garden.

I took him into the potting shed and for the next hour or so he was in 7th heaven trimming cuttings, mixing potting mix and potting them for future planting, around dusk his partner came up to join us and she said....."While we are here we want to see Koala"! 

I had no sooner told her that they were in the area but I wouldn't expect one to walk up the path when there came this guttural growl from the tree directly behind us.....and there was a Koala!!

For a moment I was sure they thought it was a plastic Koala and I was bluetoothing it on my phone to respond! But all of a sudden it moved off to another limb of the tree and they both squealed with delight.

So,  they both got their wishes in our garden. He got to grow something and she saw a Koala.

About 9 months later I received a message from them, they wished to return from China with their respective family's  and get married in our garden.

Unfortunately Covid 19 intervened and the plans had to be shelved.

Airbnb has so enriched my life and thanks Alberto for giving me the opportunity to share just a small piece of it!

Cheers.........Rob.