What's your favorite guest review so far? 💭✨

[Alex]

Hi everyone! 👋

It's well known that reviews can have a significant impact on our hosting journey. They provide us with valuable feedback and offer insight into our guests' perceptions of their experience in our space. 🏡

I would love to hear about a review that truly made your day! Maybe it was a comment about how comfortable a guest felt, expressing that it felt like a home away from home. Or maybe it was a story about a special moment shared with friends that they will remember forever.

While we often celebrate the positive reviews, it's important to remember that not all feedback is practical. Even constructive criticism can be a great learning opportunity. 🤗

I’m excited to read your stories, and I know the rest of the community will be too! How did their feedback influence your hosting style? Did it inspire you to make any changes to your property?

I can’t wait to read you all!

Alex

[Anika191]

Hi Alex,

I think I have a story that fits the bill.  My husband and I are new hosts, and this winter is our first high season.  During low season, we had a few bookings, but getting those first reviews was hard.  Only 3 guests out of our first 6 gave us a review.  

We really poured our heart and soul into this place - first and foremost it's our ski condo, and we've outfitted it with amenities and features that are meaningful to us.  

In January, we had a guest who messaged us the night before check out and said "Also this is amazing. Someone thought of a lot of details and having everything we could need. I’m going to borrow some of these details for my Smith Mountain Lake rental :)"

I responded back to her telling her that my husband and I designed the space and asking what the touches were that made her visit so special.  She messaged back that she would send them after they got to where they were going that night.  

Well, she never did, and she also didn't review us immediately.  I chalked it up to intention vs effort, and that her life must have become busy once she arrived home.  

Two weeks later, and at the last possible allowable minute, she wrote our best review to date.  😀  She picked out many of the details that were meaningful to me (organic, refillable soap and bath products, spices, and kitchen equipment) and some that mean more to guests than they do to me (humidifier).

I couldn't have asked for a better review!  She touched on all of the little details I want guests to know about, and she really made my day!

[Jo966]

Hi Alex, Everyone,

My partnership as a host has been difficult 1 as have a large townhouse that sleeps 8 & up to 10ppl in a beautiful area know for exceptional fishing & outdoor adventures. Our property has had large groups or family's & to our horror & distress we've had alot of damage, theft, unimaginable mess & shocking disrespect but when we do/have host lovely guests with their family's or firends just wanting to enjoy the area & make great memories on vacation we truly appreciate the great feedback in their reviews particularly when they see how much effort has been put in to making sure they have everything they could want & a comfortable enjoyable stay & the effort in that the property is spotless on their arrival. This is a great exercise to focus on that good stuff & not just 1 but all the good reviews have received rather than the extreme opposite have been faced with & left to deal with the expense of. Thx   

[Andrea6232]

Buongiorno @Alex ,

here is one of my reviews that speaks for itself 😊

[Angela1056]

Ciao @Alex , unfortunately my best review ever received…is gone! 
The review had come from a German couple who stayed in October 2021. The husband, who had booked, cancelled his account for political reasons. He did not agree with Airbnb’s sponsorship of the Beijing Olympic Winter Games in 2022. Immediately after deleting his account, all his data, including the review, disappeared from my listing. 
I contacted the support and they confirmed that this is their practice. 
When I saw the review in 2021, I had copied and translated it into Italian for my family to read, so here it is in the original German version:

“Angela und Ihrem Haus haben wir wundervolle Herbsttage am, über und mit phantastischem Blick auf den Lago Maggiore zu verdanken. Die Bilder in der Beschreibung des Hauses lassen lediglich erahnen, wie schön die Villa und die Lage ist. Aber sie werden der Realität nicht gerecht. Es ist noch schöner. Das Haus ist in einem sehr guten Zustand und vieles ist noch im originalen historischen Zustand. Und dennoch fehlt es nicht am täglichen Komfort. Die Einrichtung ist absolut stimmig und geschmackvoll. Die Küchenausstattung lässt keine Wünsche offen, so dass man sich der Küche des Piemonts, der Lombardei oder des Tessins nähern kann. Sei es mit einer Panissa, einer Supa Barbetta oder einem Bauernhühnchen mit Steinpilzen und Marsala. Und da es Urlaub ist, kann man auch mal in aller Ruhen eine Polenta dazu machen. Meine Empfehlung: Einfach die beiden Bände von Marcella Hazan mit ins Urlaubsgepäck nehmen und schauen, was passiert ... Oder man geht im Herbst einfach über das Grundstück, sammelt die frischen Esskastanien auf und röstet sie im Backofen oder auf der Kaminglut. So kommt es, dass man sich nach kürzester Zeit zu Hause fühlt und neben den schönen Abenden in der Küche den unverbauten Blick vom Garten, von der Terrasse, vom Wohnzimmer und von vielen Schlafzimmer genießen kann. Tag und Nacht. Bei dem phantastischen Wetter, was wir während unseres Aufenthaltes hatten, haben wir hauptsächlich drei Zimmer benutzt: Die Terrasse, die Küche und die Schlafzimmer, die einen sonnigen Morgen besonders schön erscheinen lassen. Alle Zimmer waren perfekt. Und wenn man einmal einen Kamin in der Küche gehabt hat, möchte man den nicht mehr missen! Wir haben uns sehr wohl gefühlt und möchten uns bei Angela für den Aufenthalt in Ihrem Haus und die beste Betreuung, die möglich ist bedanken. Gerne würden wir wiederkommen. Beste Grüße Wolfgang & Sabine"

and the English translation:

“We owe to Angela and her house wonderful autumn days on, over and with fantastic views of Lake Maggiore. The pictures in the description of the house only suggest how beautiful the villa and the location is. But they don't do justice to reality. It is even more beautiful. The house is in a very good condition and much is still in the original historical condition. And yet there is no lack of daily comfort. The decor is absolutely harmonious and tasteful. The kitchen equipment leaves nothing to be desired, so that you can approach the kitchen of Piedmont, Lombardy or Ticino. Be it with a panissa, a supa barbetta or a free-raged chicken with porcini mushrooms and Marsala. And since it's a holiday, you can also make a polenta in peace. My recommendation: Just take the two volumes of Marcella Hazan with you in your holiday luggage and see what happens ... Or you can simply walk over the property in autumn, collect the fresh chestnuts and roast them in the oven or on the fireplace. So it happens that after a very short time you feel at home and in addition to the beautiful evenings in the kitchen you can enjoy the unobstructed view from the garden, the terrace, the living room and many bedrooms. Day and night. With the fantastic weather we had during our stay, we mainly used three rooms: the terrace, the kitchen and the bedrooms, which make a sunny morning look particularly beautiful. All rooms were perfect. And once you have had a fireplace in the kitchen, you don't want to miss it anymore! We felt very comfortable and would like to thank Angela for the stay in her house and the best care possible. We would love to come back. Best regards Wolfgang & Sabine"

This year in autumn they will be back with their whole family from all over the world, but of course not booking through Airbnb. 

[Jhon-Criollo0]

Hola Alex,

La única reseña en plataforma que tengo es esta

Sin embargo , las personas que han estado en los apartaestudios que se tienen publicitados en la plataforma, han quedado satisfechos y nos han manifestado, el deseo de volver allí cuando regresen a la ciudad de Bogotá. 

[Alex]

¡Hola @Jhon-Criollo0! 

Cómo me alegro de ver que todas las reseñas que le dejan los huéspedes son positivas. De las últimas experiencias, ¿Cuál diría que es tu favorita? 👀

[Kaori50]

Hi Alex,
We have just started hosting and we are so impressed with everything that is happening. Four guests have stayed in our rooms and all of them have written reviews.

The first guest was happy that my husband called to check the opening hours of the place they wanted to go to.

The second guest said that they had never stayed in a guest room before, as they had only rented the place without meeting anyone, and enjoyed communicating with us, the host.

The third guest actually did not speak English very well, which we come to know from the review. But she said that she enjoyed speaking English.

The fourth guest had a small child and said that it was convenient to use two rooms, one for sleeping and one for luggage, so that the child's luggage would not get scattered.

All the comments from the guests were really fresh and unexpected for us. Everyone has their own way of using the room, their own way of feeling the atmosphere, and what makes them happy, so we hope to enjoy communicating with new guests without getting used to them.

[Alex]

Hi @Kaori50!

I see there's a bunch of variety in your different bookings. I'm sure this has made things more entertaining and enriching to learn from different traditions. 🌎

From the four experiences you had, which one was the most challenging? 👀

Best, 
Alex

[Jessica2221]

Hi Alex,

I have to be honest. I have enjoyed hosting immensely since 2018. Sharing our Yosemite home and the place we love with travelers has been wonderful. However, over the past year the Airbnb platform and our interface has transitioned from taking to actual humans in our time zone, to AI and if you can get a human its a corporate employees reading a script. Guests have become more entitled and know how to work the system for refunds. We have had 3 nightmare guests since January all of which Airbnb has backed 100% leaving us with a buried listing in a competitive market. All guests have violated the rules and terms, and we are faced to fight for our business and love of hosting alone. Connecting with travelers makes my day, it's so unfortunate the direction of the company leaves good hosts out in the cold to defend themselves. Will this change?

[Alex]

Hi @Jessica2221,

Thank you for sharing your heartfelt thoughts with me. It's wonderful to hear how much joy hosting has brought you since 2018, and I can understand the frustration you might be feeling.

I also appreciate your honesty about the challenges you've faced with guests and thank you for your passion of sharing your home and experiences with travelers despite such challenges. Would you like to discuss with other hosts about these challenges?

As for your question about potential changes, I understand how important it is for hosts to feel supported. While I can’t predict the future, I'd definitely encourage you to continue sharing your feedback and thoughts with our host community. The feedback from dedicated hosts like you is truly invaluable for us and Airbnb.

I sincerely hope our supportive host community is able to support through your hosting challenges. If there’s anything more you’d like to discuss or any suggestions you may have, please feel free to share with me or other hosts.

Warm regards,
Alex

[Jeanna27]

Hi Alex - here is one of my most favorite reviews!  Sincerely appreciate you, and the entire Airbnb team!  Keep up the GREAT work!!!

[Alex]

Hi @Jeanna27!

I'm so happy to see how happy your guest was staying at your house! 🤗 That means you are doing things great. Did they stay more times, as mentioned in the review?

[Jeanna27]

Hi Alex - Thank you very much!  That was just from less than 2 months ago, so these particular guests haven’t been back to Dallas yet.  However, I’m very fortunate to have multiple other guests stay again.

Thank you again and have a wonderful day!

Jeanna

[Lynda452]

Alex,

Nice to know that you are a hopeful host. I have hosted since 2016 ( Closed down during 2020-2021 due to the lack of travelers during the height of Covid19 ) I'd say that 95% of my guest reviews have been 5 stars. I have also put most of my energy into each of my over 200 reservations.  Being retired helps a lot. I am an onsite host/owner, not an absentee host !!!!  So, my guests have my hospitality at all hours, every day.

It's the negative or uneducated reviews that I learned the most from. Those first time Airbnb gusts that had no idea how, why or if reviews mattered. They rate low & throw all your rating numbers to pieces, even if they loved the place. If they don't care or don't know how to rate your place it really matters. I just say during the suite tour, "If you can't give me a 5 star rating don't give me any review."   Most guests give a handwritten note of thanks before checking out (I make sure all note cards, pens & paper are available on their desk top with everything they need to do so.) The next guests love to read their comments in my photo scrapbook.)

I once had a guest & husband that were so happy with the suite. However, the husband had to add that he wished I had a King sized bed, because that's what he was used to at home. He was so sad about that fact. I was shocked at his lack of recall because my listing states a queen bed in the private bedroom. Didn't he ask his wife when she booked ? Especially when it mattered so much.

She still gave me a 5 star review, but I was worried for days until I got their review. 

Then you should never have the" thieves "as guests.But how can you know before they check-out????  I have had a few & they broke my heart & ruined a few decor changes I provide for my guests. Those guests that steal entire sets of steak knives, hangers, perfectly matched blanket sets & gifts from other guests that I can never replace. The Guests that do dangerous & stupid things are just as bad. Like  under age guests that burn up my pots & pans & then cook directly on the glass stove top & hide the evidence in the dishwasher without cleaning the stove top. That's why my ages requirements are 25yrs for the account holder & over 21yrs for their guest. Less chance they don't know how to cook. I always tell my guests that story & we laugh when I say "If you don't know how to cook just call me & I'll make whatever you like, please just don't learn how to cook here on this trip. (;+) Saves lots of heartbreak & extra host costs. (9 times out of 10 it's right before another guest(s) are arriving in quick order).  Be a good human, but watch who stays in your place also.  My minimum stay is three nights. Less is usually bad especially for those unscrupulous guests involved in illegal activity.  Good guests won't mind, It keeps those other kind away from my family neighborhood. So, cover your requirements, rules & expect a few bad guests along the way. Good luck ahead.  from "b.r'guest suite"  (;+)lyn