Do you have a favorite guest?

Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

Do you have a favorite guest?

Lots of frustrations about guests are expressed here and believe me I understand. But I wanted to post about guests that are just awesome. We have one, a single woman with two dogs, who left us a gift at check out, washed all sheets, made beds with clean bedding, and left the place spotless. She booked a second stay immediately (discounted for sure!) and emailed me a few weeks later with a cute video of her dogs in our yard. She said her time at our cottage really helped her to think and make some job changes that were long overdue. It made my entire week.

 

So when you have the lightbulb stealer, the fuss budget, the too cool for you hipster who only finds fault, think of your favorite guest. Why.were they your favorite? What made them such an awesome guest? Tell your story!

22 Replies 22
Kira32
Level 10
Canary Islands, Spain

Hi @Laura2592 

 

I have one guest and he'll be coming next week again.

 

He works at the airport and comes only to sleep in his bed.

 

He leaves my home at 7.00 and comes back at 24.00. 

 

He doesn't even use the shower or kitchen because at his work they  provide all these facilities. 

 

What can I say,

 

I love him!!!!!!!

 

(More please)

There are some guest who are not troubling to anybody in the home just they mind their own business. And again we want to them to visit again.

Yadira22
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

The sweetest guest we had was a young archaeologist who came to London for a course. He was such a kind soul, bringing us cheese and chocolate from Brittany. 

Everything you could imagine going wrong happened during his stay- for example our boiler needed replacing and it was December in London (about 5C if that), no hot water.... we fixed everything within the day! But rather than make a fuss he understood that this is a family home and was so kind about it! Truly... we need more people like this, in this world! 

 

For my parents it would have an Italian gentleman- mid twenties at the time. To say that my father loved him was an understatement- I once returned home with him at the same time and was completely ignored, pushed to the side as for them to hug #bromance. Apparently they would spend time watching and talking about Italian football (my dad is a huge footie fan), F1, anything sports related. Honestly, it was like he was part of the Family!

My father was convinced  we were secretly together but as I insist on being professional I ensure to keep a distance. For one year my father would greet me in the same way as he did “YAAAD”... 

 

We have had some amazing people come and go... sometimes wish we could keep in touch but sometimes life has other plans! 

 

Have a beautiful day everyone! ❤️

Susan17
Level 10
Dublin, Ireland

@Laura2592 

Nice post! 

 

Too many fave guests to choose just one, and I do keep in touch periodically with dozens of them, while many others have become dear friends.

 

From now till Christmas though, I'm the stand-in mom for 3 lovely young American ladies, all daughters of three separate families that have stayed with me at some point over the past few years, who are now back in Dublin universities studying for the semester. I doubt very much that I'll hear a whole lot from any of them while they're here - they'll be far too busy having fun with their new friends on campus and enjoying their first ever solo trips away from home to be checking in with me - but at least their real moms can comfort themselves in the knowledge that if their daughters do ever find themselves in a spot of bother, myself and my wonderful driver Robbie will be there for them, if ever and whenever they need us. 

 

The girls don't know each other and have never met, and all three come from very different families, and very different backgounds. One girl's dad is a director with one of the world's leading private equity firms, and they're from California. The second girl's family are decent, hardworking (and hilariously funny!)  farmers from the wilds of Ohio, whose place is so remote that they have to meet the local delivery guy at a  graveyard, a halfway point about 7 miles down the road, whenever they order a pizza! And the last girl is from a down-to-earth Irish-American clan out of Conneticut, whose granny Laura took up interior design as a brand new career at the age of 64 (after a lifetime in public service), and now in her 70s, is in huge demand in the glittering homes of the movers and shakers of Manhattan. Go Laura! 

 

I've invited the girls over for dinner next week, so I can introduce them and let them get to know each other. As divergent as their backgrounds may be, they're all adorable, and I've a feeling the three of them will get along like a house on fire. Well, I hope so, anyway - who knows, it may even be the start of a beautiful friendship for them 🙂

 

@Emiel1 is so right - genuine, organic hospitality is about so much more than perfectly starched linens, plush velvet sofas and shiny, speck-free surfaces.  😉

K87
Level 2
Miami, FL

Greetings! I still consider myself a new host (>6mos) and Im thankful for 98.5% of my guests as Ive found most are really personable and kind. 

So scared of the "other side" of hosting.

David3267
Level 10
Torquay, United Kingdom

keep faith, most guests are lovely!

Jody79
Level 10
Chicago, IL

We just had an awesome couple from Argentina stay with us for a week and a half to run the Chicago Marathon and make a vacation out of the trip.  Even with their broken English and my broken Spanish and a little help from googletranslate we were able to hold a few conversations.  They were a very lively and sweet couple.  I really wish I spoke more fluent Spanish as these were people I felt a connection with and would have loved to have spent more time and had more meaningful conversations with.

 

The other guests that really stands out for me is our very first guests we ever had back in December.  They were a family with a couple of young daughters and their grandmother.  The place we offer is an apartment in our basement.  We have space heaters in each of the bedrooms and one in the living area.  The space heaters in the bedrooms are a white panel on the wall with a small on/off switch.  They don't really look like space heaters.  There are also vents in the ceiling that guests can open or close to also help with temperature control.  We don't have a separate thermostat for the basement, it is controlled from upstairs. 

 

I was traveling at the time they arrived and my fiance was working (he works nights).  I got home late and pretty much went straight to bed when I got home.  At about 2:00 in the morning they sent a message saying it was really cold and if there was something we could do about it.  My fiance sent them a message through text that never got through to them.  We didn't know at the time that you needed to go through the app for them to get your messages.  By the time he got home and I woke up it was already well into the morning.  Not only did they not realize the panels on the walls were space heaters, but we later learned we had all the vents in the basement closed off.  We felt really bad.  They were only staying the one night. 

 

We went down there to profusely apologize and to see if there was anything we could do to make it up to them.  We got an earful about how 'what was done was done' and there wasn't anything we could do about it.  The guest was actually going to school for his masters in a customer service related field, and therefore the conversation was centered around this topic.  We didn't make excuses as this was completely on us.  We took our lumps as we really did deserved them. 

 

After all that they still gave us a 5 star.  I was really really surprised.  That was the one time I feel we really didn't deserve a 5 star.  I'm convinced that by us going down to personally face them and apologize and not make excuses turned what could have been a horrible first review into a good one.  We now make sure all vents are open before guests arrive and explain that those panels are actually space heaters in the arrival message.  That was our first big lesson!  We've learned a few more along the way...and still learning.

David3267
Level 10
Torquay, United Kingdom

Malcom & John! You'd hardly know they'd stayed. Perfect guests. John even serviced the hoover we leave in the flat for guests (if they need it) We always take our own hoover for changeover cleaning so didn't even know the house one wasn't working perfectly!