Dear Forum and Airbnb,
in the debate about lack of profile...
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Dear Forum and Airbnb,
in the debate about lack of profile picture, I would also like to express as a host (and traveler) m...
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Day 21: Filled with Joy - The Guest Book
Years ago, before I became a host, I was a first-time guest at an Airbnb in Paris. I extended a business trip so I could visit with my daughter while she studied abroad. But I had not taken into account how much two extra weeks would cost me in hotel fees. I considered an adult hostel, but the idea of bunks in a shared room wasn’t appealing and the price was high for what I would get. After searching I found two solutions: a two bedroom apartment in London not far from Victoria Station, and a beautiful two-bedroom Airbnb apartment in Paris near Montmartre.
The London apartment was marvelous but I never met the person I was renting from. All communication flowed though a rental agency. They were polite and made sure everything I needed was available. At checkout there was no option, to my knowledge, to leave a review. Instead I left a thank-you note in the hopes the owner received it. The following week I took the train to Paris to meet my daughter and was greeted at the apartment by a marvelous woman who gave me a tour of the apartment and stayed to chat. Before I booked she asked to “friend” me on Facebook so she had a better sense of who I was - something I still think Airbnb should consider. From that request I also learned of her travels and things we had in common. At the end of the trip, she returned to wish us safe travel back to the states and helped me get a taxi when my "high school" French accent wasn't understood by the taxi company. She wrote the most lovely review - my first - on the Airbnb platform.
I thought back on that experience when I found myself using my old apartment only part time. With a dose of healthy skepticism, my husband supported the idea of using the Airbnb platform to test out short term rentals for days when we didn’t have friends or family using it. Within 24 hours of going on “live” we had three bookings. So my husband came up with an idea - a guest book. Now “I” was skeptical. I doubted anyone would see it, let alone use it. But on the table it went, with a handwritten sticky note asking guests to leave comments.
Little did I know how much joy that book would bring. I use self-checkin because I travel a lot, but also because I’m never sure if meeting the owner of an apartment enhances, or takes away from the magic of a vacation. What I do know is how many people were surprised at how much space the apartment provided. Guests left compliments and helpful suggestions. Some write quick notes about the things they’d done. Some write an entire page on their adventures and how having access to the apartment had helped them.
Our first guests were teens from out of state - I know, I know, we’ve all said that renting to teens should be an automatic “no.” But I was a new host trying to build ratings and the mother assured me the teens - coming from out of state for their last hurrah before college - would be polite and well behaved. You know what? They were. I remember fondly getting a panicked call during a torrential rainstorm so bad there were rivers flooding down the street. The teens were 30 minutes away at an major outdoor concert and no Uber or Taxi would come get them. So off my husband went in our four-wheel drive in a storm with little visibility. We’re parents ourselves and we understood the emergency. For that weekend, they were our kids too. The note in the guest book and memories of soaking wet teens who asked us to bring towels so they wouldn’t get our car wet - brings back smiles every time I read it. When they left, the apartment was meticulously clean.
I’ve hosted guests from out of the country and found little gifts left as thanks. I’ve hosted guests who had family undergoing life saving medical procedures nearby hospitals. I’ve hosted guest who were attending weddings, and guests who wanted an apartment so they could cook a meal for their children while visiting from out of state. There’s the mom who left the note that she moved all the breakable items out of her children’s reach and how her son was thrilled I had included kid-friendly games in the cabinet. I hosted a family was visiting for the unveiling of their daughter’s mural at the local zoo and how much it meant to be able to sit at the dining room table and play board games. And now I’m getting requests from repeat visitors who think of our place as a home base.
Yes - I have also had a handful of guests that had me tearing my hair out. You know - the ones who expect the Four Seasons hotel but only want to pay the equivalent of a Starbucks coffee. A friend who works at a local hotel made me feel better after sharing stories of corporate and convention guests who left with the towels, pillows, sheets and irons (who does that?). Those bad experiences are few and far between and pale in comparison to what hotels go through.
What makes Airbnb unique is that we’re building community. I have developed long lasting friendships with two hosts whose homes I booked when traveling this year. One has stayed at my place as well. Her note in my guest book still makes me smile.
And on those days when those rare difficult guests make me ask myself, “Is it worth it?” I read the comments in our guest book. There are so many that we just bought refill papers. Our most recent page currently reads “Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! We want to come back.”
So my tip: Get a guest book. Most hosts don’t think to do it. Certainly there hasn’t been one at any of the apartments I’ve rented. But while reviews on Airbnb are great, having a tangible memory in the guest’s handwriting - with their flourishes and personal touches means everything.
It doesn’t have to be fancy. Just use a journal or small notebook with refillable papers.
You won’t be sorry. If anything, it will fill you with joy.
