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
Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@Laura2592 

My favourite guest was an AA member, facing also some other difficulties in life.

Never seen somebody so thankful and happy by just doing nothing more than give some extra attention. Hospitality can be more then just provide accomodation.

@Emiel1 

Emilia42
Level 10
Orono, ME

One of my favorite guest couples actually give zero communication before they arrived. The booking message only said "Hiiii" and they didn't respond to any of the questions that I asked. And to top it off they arrived unexpectedly early and starting asking a lot of questions. I was plotting the bad review in my head. When I finally met them, I loved everything about them! They spent a boat load of money in my family's small shop and were so personable and funny and fun. I hope to make plans to visit them in Canada one day. 

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

@Laura2592 there's a few lovely related topics in here about nice and favorite Guests.

For those who may be reading this, use related keywords in the Search box here in CC, as well as share them here.

 

All the best

Mike-And-Helen0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

I'd like to thank your post thrice @Laura2592 .

Gordon0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

My favourite guest (a 20+ times returner) is actually staying at my house now while I'm taking a break in Spain. He's mouse-like quiet,  immaculately tidy, and is out each morning at 7am/back at 9pm. He's also agreed to feed my cat while I'm away. A five-star guest if ever there was one. 

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

hahaha @Gordon0 @Laura2592 @Lawrene0 @Jenni-and-Robert0 @Mike-And-Helen0 

@Gordon0love that post, it could be interpreted into many different versions...The mouse that has returned 20 + times is looking after your home, or the cat that comes & goes 

is looking after your home and looking out for the mouse....or a human being is looking after your home - a perfect combination of all three perhaps!!! 🙂 Enjoy your holiday in Spain.

 

All the best and who knows if you have any cheese left when you return, or if the cat has a cheesy smile that it caught the mouse..

Jenni-and-Robert0
Level 5
Kinlochleven, United Kingdom

We are in The Scottish Highlands. We are sometimes so lucky with our guests. They are so grateful and appreciative of what our humble wee home offers them. We mainly get hikers from all over the world....... each week in full season we have folk we really connect with. It makes up for the “fussy, difficult” guests. We all work so hard. So if you don’t hear it enough....... “good on you for opening your homes and hearts” to the general public!

Lawrene0
Level 10
Florence, Canada

My favourites (don't tell my other favourites, @Laura2592 ) booked the wrong dates by mistake, but I was able to sort it out with them, and they've returned every year for five years now. They are sweet and smart and funny. They make hosting fun.

If I had seen them only as a red flag, I would never have met them. 

 

Yes, there are some guest who is actually very kind that they bring some gift when they visited to someone house and they become our favorite. I also have lots of such guests and are very favorable to us. We want them to visit our home again. Not just because of the gift but about their kindness.

Wonderful post! I have several - the young people who were my first guests and whose parents vouched they would be perfect and they were! Adorable and left the apartment spotless. The couple who come to visit their son in college and on their second trip brought Xmas to him. The couple coming for their fourth time to visit grandchildren. And four lovely women on an annual retreat who invited me to come meet them and we ended up talking for 3 hours.

I've had a few guests I wouldn't want to come back. But this thread reminds me of how wonderfully serendipitous hosting can be. 🙂

Yosef3
Level 4
Los Angeles, CA

"the lightbulb stealer, the fuss budget, the too cool for you hipster who only finds fault"

 

We've all been there but thank G-d for the good guests who make up for it. Blessed!

Ballal0
Level 3
Glasgow, United Kingdom

"light bulb stealer" classic. 

 

My favourite guests are a German family. You wouldn't even know they had been staying at the cottage. I'm sure they must take pictures of how everything was set at arrival! 

@Laura2592  "Light Bulb Stealer" made me laugh.  We have had a toilet paper stealer, an entire box of English Breakfast Tea Bags stealer, and a two-beach-towel thief, but all of our lightbulbs are intact!  I'd like to mention a favorite guest--she had three days left on her 10-day stay when our hot water heater broke (we offered her a 3-day refund for early departure, but she asked if she could stay for the remainder of her vacation with no hot water).  She was so gracious, so understanding, and had quite a sense of humor.  We ended up giving her a 50% discount for the days she had no hot water.