@Jasmijn7
Your listing is beautiful and certainly something very, very special.
I think there are a couple of things going on here. Firstly, you are attracting the type of guests who are used to being waited on. They may have stayed at other spectacular rentals where this was the norm. There are certainly lots of grand houses in Italy and France that do offer more of a catered, hands on service.
Secondly, you are a very young. Well, that makes your achievement even more remarkable and I commend you. However, although I hate to say this, your age and gender may cause some guests to think it's okay to treat you like a waitress. I wonder if they would expect you to run around making them coffee and serving them drinks by the pool if you were a 55-year-old male host?
I would suggest that you use your listing and your welcome tour to set some boundaries:
1. Clearly state that this is a self catering property. Do you do supply certain provisions such as tea and coffee? If so, when you show them to guests, say something like, "And if you would like to make yourself something to drink, here you will find tea, coffee, etc. etc."
2. I know that you have mentioned that you can recommend caterers, but try to make a clearer distinction between that and your own/your staff services. For example, you write:
"Tenuta di San Giusto is only rented out with our staff included in the prize. Our staff is staying at a secluded part of the house so the guests won’t be bothered. The staff takes care of the cleaning and maintenance of the house."
This seems pretty clear to me, but you'd be surprised how differently people can interpret stuff. Some may think this means they are renting a 'fully staffed' villa, i.e. that people will be waiting on them.
Maybe rephrase this to "cleaning and maintenance crew".
3. You mention baking for guests. Sure, you love baking and this is something you are happy to do for them, but maybe take this out of the description. Instead, use it as an opportunity to 'undersell and over deliver', i.e. as a nice surprise/extra treat. Let guests reward you with glowing reviews for this lovely treat rather than leading them to just expect it as standard. Do not give them the impression that you are there to cater to their every whim, which is what some of your wording maybe does suggest.
4. There is a section on the listing that you can fill in to indicate host interaction. Here you can choose from three options:
- I plan to socialise with my guests
- I give my guests space but am available when needed
- I won't be available in person
From what you describe, it sounds like you let your guests have their space, so maybe select the second option.
5. If you decide that you are happy to provide the extra services, but only for an additional fee, make this clear. So, nicely print out a little menu of additional services with prices (just like a hotel does with room service menus, laundry service, spa treatments or whatever). Charge like a hotel, i.e. not just the cost of the coffee/drink but factor in your time and labour. Mention on the listing that 'additional services can be purchased on request', or something similar.
I have only once hosted guests who seemed to think I was also their cook, maid, concierge, travel agent, etc. etc. and my offering is completely different from yours, so I am by no means an expert on your market. These are just some ideas I thought might work.
