Airbnb (b: bed & b: breakfast)

[Renato324]

We have been hosting for a while and also staid at various places as guests when travelling. In our opinion, as the Airbnb title indicates, the two b’s should stand for bed and breakfast. We provide a hearty breakfast with a variety of yummy goodies, like muesli, croissant, toast, fruit salad, yoghurt and poached eggs from our own chickens. Our guests always comment on the generous ’breakies’ we provide. Quite often we experience rather meagre and stingy breakfasts as guests. As my wife and I are from the hospitality industry, we know that there is not much in food cost, and the money is to be made in accommodation fees. If hosts try to safe on food, it looks cheap and lacks true generous hospitality spirit. This in the end reflects on us all as Airbnb hosts.

What are the opinions in this matter of all the Airbnb hosts?

kind regards

Renato and Renata

[Debra300]

@Renato324,

I am not sure if you are aware that it is appropriate to tag a person directly to indicate whom you are speaking so readers know who you are addressing, and that person also gets the notification of the message.  When you start a message use "@" and a list of recent contributors should appear.  You can also use "@" and then start to type the name in the ID to do a search for a specific community member.

[Ted307]

I agree! Very few Air BnBs that we have stayed in have good kitchen equipment. I got one of those trunk organizers from Costco for my vacation kitchen. We used to travel all summer and stayed at Air BnBs up and down the west coast on our way to a family cabin on the Washington coast. I always packed 1 good frying pan with a lid, 1 cooking pot, various spoons and cooking utensils like a favorite spatula. We have stayed in places with kitchens equipped with nice stoves and refrigerators that did not have plates or bowls, just paper plates and plastic forks. So, I started packing 2 bowls and eating utensils so we could eat a bowl of cheerios!

Now, in our Bunkhouse, we have a very complete kitchen. With usable pots & pans and dishes. I sometimes go out and cook our dinner in our guesthouse, so that I will know if anything is needed to make dinner. I do have small bottles of olive oil, hot sauce, soy sauce, and a spice rack with things like cinnamon along with salt and pepper. The frig is stocked with eggs from our hens and ducks, orange juice, butter and English muffins so that breakfast is covered if our guests wish to eat in. Some eat the whole dozen eggs, some do not eat any. But, it is enough for breakfast every day of their stay. All items except seasonings and the eggs are in unopened containers & wrappings from the grocery store. If these are not what our visitors want to eat, the store is 1/2 mile down the road.

We aren't an exotic destination, just a cool old place in the mountains, so I hope to let our guests save some money on eating out. I try to make sure that the kitchen is completely usable for cooking whatever they want to eat. I do not include non-stick pans, which one guest suggested, because they are too fragile and scratch easily. Then they look like cheap old stuff from the Goodwill store! Which is where I get almost all of my kitchen equipment! But -- stainless steel and cast iron last forever and withstand any amount of abuse. That is what I use in my own kitchen!

[Linda108]

You are a true world traveler.  Thanks for sharing details, @Debra300 

[Till-and-Jutta0]

As a traveler I always enjoy getting a breakfast served by the hosts.

As a host I don’t serve breakfast, for a simple reason: I respect our local laws. They make a difference between

• commercial hosts like hotels and B&B’s which may get permission serving food, after have been trained to do so, following hygiene concepts (HACCP), following requirements like e.g. fire prevention plan and escape exits, and paying special taxes
• and private hosts like home sharers or holiday home owners, who focus on providing just an accommodation

As a Community Leader I encourage good and legal hosting. Private hosts should not try to compete with hotels. In the past Airbnb’s reputation had been damaged by accusations that they encourage illegal activities – which we should avoid.

If local laws and practice allow serving breakfast, and if you like to do it – go for it.

If not – let it. There are other ways for Airbnb hosts to show great hospitality.

[Renato324]

Hi, thank you for your reply.

Wow, no idea how much red tape the UK is imposing on their citizens. I’m very aware what a HAZAP involves in the hospitality industry, as I am teaching cookery and food safety at our Polytechnic here in Rotorua. I never thought this would be necessary in a home hosting situation, as food safety and home hygiene should be common sense, without a government official having to check and control it.

Thank goodness this definitely doesn’t apply here to New Zealand.

Kind regards

Renato

[Renato324]

Sorry, just realised you are based in Germany.

Apologies.

[Kathie21]

But it's not AirB&B, it's AirBnB - Air Bed No Breakfast is what it stands for.  Providing breakfast in the UK requires the host to hold a food hygiene qualification, be registered with the local council, and have your kitchen inspected to ensure that it meets certain standards (eg hand washing facilities separate from the sink).  That's not possible for providers at the budget end.  You seem to be implying that every host should be providing a luxury product - so what are budget travellers supposed to do? 

I'm quite happy with a muesli bar, banana or wrapped pastry from the supermarket as long as the room has a kettle.   I don't want to be paying for a lavish  breakfast that I don't want to eat anyway.  Stop trying to impose your preferences on others and just check what's provided before you book a place for yourself.

[Renato324]

I’m glad this doesn’t apply to New Zealand, thank goodness. No we don’t imply anything. Simply wanted to know what other hosts think about this subject.

We never saw a breakfast being an extra lavish charge. It’s in our view a simple gesture which highlights good old continental (Italian) hospitality, which so far all our guests really appreciated.

By the way, as you can see, our fees are very affordable for Rotorua standards.

Thank you for your feedback.

PS: not quite sure if the n really stands for ‘No’ 🙂 but if it does, thank you for your enlightenment.

Kind regards

Renato

[Helen427]

Hello @Renato324 and Renata , Welcome to ABB CC from further up the North Island in Remuera, Auckland.

You are welcome to pop by anytime you like and at the moment, being winter, you will be offered a fresh cup of Coffee or Tea, or squeezed Lemon & Lime juice and a slice or two with water, or fresh Grapefruit juice along with a great selection of Breakfast options in my home.

Most of my Guests, including those who don't for whatever reason have breakfast, have always appreciated my fresh fruit salad breakfasts over and above cereal.

I think some of our manners  and what we provide Guests are in the way we have been raised.

Perhaps it's our European backgrounds, having traveled and mixed with others internationally and life experience that has made some of us more aware of what we can and do provide our Guests here in New Zealand.

It never ceases to amaze me how some fail to see the fabulous fresh food we have in New Zealand for generally a better cost value than packaged processed foods.

Loving the supply of Haas Avocados at a good price due to ongoing restrictions in our lives.

See you up in Auckland sometime.

Message me if you need a recommendation for 2 people as I can only have 1 Guest, and have some good contacts up here who also like good service, with a smile

Central To All Home & Location, Remuera

[Renato324]

Hi Helen,

Thank you very much for your lovely feedback and offer. Really appreciate your kind words.

Will definitely make use of your offer if we’ll make it to Auckland one day.

Kind regards

Renato

[Michelle53]

@Renato324    There are a couple of things I'd like to mention.

First of all, we also have strict food handling regulations which do not allow the serving of meals without the proper certification and inspections, and serving of alcohol to guests is prohibited.

Secondly, I personally have a little trouble with the concept of "yummy".   What one person considers "yummy", another person may not be able to eat. 

I'm Vegan by choice. I would wonder if your hearty breakfast might include substitutions of, let's say, a tofu scramble in place of eggs, or a vegan muffin in place of a croissant, and  cashew yoghurt in place of dairy.    

That would satisfy both the yearning to provide hospitality and my ability to enjoy the offering, and I'd happily give 6 stars to that host.  

Mostly, when I travel, I avoid places that offer "full breakfast" since I'm unlikely to be able to eat most of it, and generally choose the "just coffee, with maybe a slice of wheat toast" option. 

[Renato324]

I suppose that depends on how one describes what will be provided for breakfast.

Its a bit like if we go out for dinner to a restaurant. If you are a vegan by choice, it is as you state by choice, so it’s your choice to make sure you chose an eatery which provides vegan food.

We state fairly detailed what is offered for breakfast.

our guests are also welcome to make use of our extensive vegetable garden if they like to cook their own.

Thank you for your reply.

Kind regards

Renato

[Michelle53]

@Renato324  "it’s your choice to make sure you chose an eatery which provides vegan food."  Exactly. Just as it would be your choice to pick an Airbnb when you travel that serves the types of breakfasts you enjoy, realizing that not every host chooses to provide what you provide. 

I have my own fruit and vegetable garden to pick from if I cook at home. Generally, I would not be opting to do that if I was on vacation.

I'm sure your guests really enjoy the food you provide because you automatically attract the kind of guests that would like it.   It's a type of selection bias. You can't extrapolate from that, that everyone should be offering the same. 

I also notice you sidestepped the issue of whether you might offer substitutions. I understand from your response that you would not.  You also make the common mistake of assuming that all Vegans eat is vegetables.  That's not the case.   One cannot make a "hearty" Vegan meal from just vegetables. 

It doesn't seem all that hospitable to me to direct someone to the vegetable garden and have them pick and prepare their own meals, when on vacation, when prepared meals are being offered. 

People have also suggested I bring my own food. That, to me, would be the equivalent of paying for dinner, but bringing my own food to the restaurant. 

I would still choose a "coffee only" option for an Airbnb, and look for a great, hearty, local brunch restaurant option which would meet my needs, and see me through to my choice of dinner.

[Renato324]

As we do include vegan lessons in our Polytechnic classes where I teach, so I’m familiar with vegan food.

As we provide our kitchen to our guests to use, it is an additional service and option included in the fees and not charged as extra.

some guests who are on a travel butcher love to be able to cut a salad or vegetable from the garden. And others rather go to town and dine without having to cook them self’s.

We also had enquires if we would cook for guests, which we are happy to do as we are both from a hospitality background. The guests are happy to pay extra for this and we are happy and able to cook any type of dietary needs.

[Suzanne302]

@Renato324In my situation offering a full breakfast is a legal grey area, but it's also not practical. I have a full-time job so I wouldn't be able to cook breakfast for guests every morning.

I do provide snacks and water in the room.

As a guest, I do appreciate the breakfast offering, but for me it's a "bonus" and not expected as the beauty of Airbnb is that each listing is unique!