sharing experiences

[Wali157]

I recently listed my property, located in Fredericksburg, Virginia  and I’ve always been passionate about providing guests with a comfortable and memorable experience, and I’m committed to creating a welcoming environment for travelers. Whether it’s offering personalized recommendations or ensuring that every stay is a pleasant one, I’m looking forward to engaging with guests from all over the world.

I would appreciate any tips, resources, or recommendations from the community, especially as I navigate the early stages of hosting. I’m excited to be part of this vibrant community and look forward to learning from fellow hosts and sharing experiences.

[Alicia753]

Hi Wali,

Welcome to hosting! As you navigate the early stages of hosting, consider embracing Fredericksburg’s unique charm by weaving its historical and cultural appeal into your listing and guest interactions.

A local guidebook with personalized recommendations can enhance the experience for travelers and set your property apart.

Focus on clear communication, both in your listing and with your guests, to ensure a smooth and enjoyable stay for everyone. Always disclose extra fees such as pet fee, late checkout, early check-in fees, hot tub fees and alike. Additionally, disclose your house rules to set expectation with the guest.

I also recommend using Pricelabs if you want to have a better insight for your listings' pricing in the area and/or have competitive pricing, especially holidays.

I highly recommend utilizing the Airbnb settings such as toggle on the "Good track record". You can find this settings on your listing (please use a browser as it is better to navigate there). Look for Instant Book settings > then toggle on the "Good track record".

Lastly, if in case guest damages anything on your listing. Make sure to submit the damage claim within 14 days after the guest checkout or before the new guest check-in.

I hope this helps.

All the best,

Upfish Management 

[Elisa]

Hi @Wali157 😊, 

Thank you for bringing up this topic in the community and welcome!

I’m mentioning experienced hosts to see if they have any helpful advice to share with you: @Laurelle3, @Kitty-and-Creek0, @Nur785, @Pat271, @Patricia2526 and @Guy991.

Thank you in advance, everyone!

Warm regards, 🌻

[Laurelle3]

@Elisa thank you for mentioning me.@Wali157 my personal experience is that we meet our guests as our cottage is behind our main residence. That way we have actual verbal communication.

We show our guests through the cottage so there is no confusion or misunderstangings with communicstion. If they want to ask questions they can.

We provide information on the local area at that time. 

We provide a hamper basket with enough food for a continental breakfast and a cooked breakfast, fresh fruit and plenty of coffee pods.  We have found this is a winner with our guests.

After the intial contact we give them privacy unless we meet in the shared yard. We take cues from their replies or body language.