House of friendship

[Quincy]

Hello everybody! 

Being a host is a wonderful experience. Sometimes your guests choose to be more private, but sometimes they choose to be more interactive/talkative.

During my time being a host, I have had several times that I have had somewhat similar interests with my guests. For instance, I was once in a conversation with a guest until midnight as we shared the same interests. Afterwards we stayed in touch with each other and we have become friends.

Have any of you had similar experiences before?

I'd love to hear your stories 🙂

Quincy 

[Nancy67]

On-Site Hosting is a little like giving a small performance each day. As hosts with 2 spaces, we have plenty of opportunities to interact with our guests. Serving a lite breakfast each morning gives us the chance to assist those guests who ask, to discuss what they would like to do and see while in town. These "summits" have paid off both financially and in ratings. We can only assume we are booked to capacity, based on the reviews of guests. These reviews always mention not just the accommodation, but also how a little friendly guidance, helping them curate an itinerary made the difference between a good, and a great visit. Offering a gathering spot with food also gives the guests the opportunity to interact  not just with us, but with each other. We have had many occasions where guests from both spaces, regardless of age or culture, connect and end up seeing the sites, dining, and staying in touch after the trip is over.

I believe as hosts, the accommodation should just be a small part of a guest’s visit-- a skinny slice of the overall pie that is the experience. Making the accommodation, clean, user friendly and tasteful creates a comfortable “invisibility” reducing the stress of traveling and trying to keep up with a busy agenda. Feedback from guests indicate that accommodations don’t need to be spa quality to be 5-star, as a matter of fact, most <staying here> are more comfortable in a space that feels a little more like home—and adding to the wellbeing, having “a person” in unfamiliar territory adds to the contentment level. Reassurance levels give way to friendliness; friendliness gives way to openness, and mutual respect.

With a quarter century of corporate experience, I can honestly say that becoming a host has given me the satisfaction that my former work life never did. It is more akin to my private creative life. It is a privilege and an honor to invite people from all over the world, of different cultures, colors, spiritual affiliations, sexual orientations, political ideologies into my home. A safe, clean, comfortable and somewhat familiar environment gives us all the chance to understand in a tangible way, we really are more alike, than different. The biggest compliments we receive, are when a guest says they felt like they were staying with dear frinds, or family.

[Bruce43]

@Nancy67@Quincy Nancy you wrote the post I always wanted to.

being a 4-year veteran of Charlestown and Folly Beach I just wanted to say that post should be highlighted.

respectively,

Bruce 

[JohnPat0]

Hi Nancy,

Everything that you've said strikes a chord with us as well. We only started hosting at the beginning of this year (2017) and have enjoyed the experience immensly! When our guests say " It felt like home" it is the greatest accolade anyone could wish for.

John & Pat

Casino, Australia

[Quincy]

Hi @Nancy67,

I'm so happy to see that you're sharing your story with us here in the community.

I'm sure a lot of us can learn from your experiences that you've gained from being a host.From my point of view, I see being a host sometimes as a gift as you get to learn from different people and their cultures.

We treat each other in a way you'd want to be treated as well.

It's nice being able to offer a safe and joyful place 🙂

[Russell43]

Is it best to list 2-3 rooms in my house together under. One listing? Or to list three individual rooms under three separate listings to get more exposure? I am confused and not knowing where to ask a question to get an answer. Thank you so much and advance Russell.

[David-And-Frances0]

Hi Russell,

I don't know but it seems to me as if you would have to consider whether you want to rent them out to separate individuals or not.

If you wish to allow different people to stay at the same time, it would be essential to provide separate listings for the separate rooms. Also, by featuring the separate rooms with their own pictures as well as ones of the common spaces, you would allow people to choose which room they would like to stay in.  Each one would collect its own set of reviews.

Make sense?

Cheers,

Frances

[Christine1]

@Russell43, @David-And-Frances0, thats a good question Russell and a common pondering for home based hosts. David and Frances answered you well, to which I add the following:

Don't forget to take into consideration your available bathrooms and how they might be allocated.

While extra bedrooms may mean extra bookings, bathroom privacy is greatly sought after as well.

Try packaging rooms and bathrooms to single bookings of varying guest numbers. It may keep you busy enough without trying to manage simultaneous bookings from unrelated guests. Just give some thought to how you will communicate your pricing. Research other listings to get some ideas. Also this question has arisen in a variety of ways in the forums, so have a little read as well.

All the best. Write back and let us know what you decide to try and how it works out. We will be curious to know how it goes.

Regards, Christine.

[Jan209]

I completely agree, you said it well! I love being a host, meeting people from many places, even making friends sometimes. The Guest can eitrher chat to me, or have total privacy, and I get the sense of that from them. Some of them love that I have a cat, too who likes people. 

I find that most people leave the space clean and always well-looked after.  I don't charge a cleaning fee, as it is very expensive to travel in Australia for overseas peole, and I think they appreeciate the opportunity to save by doing it themselves. Whatever the reason, 98% of people leave it either very clean, or spotless. 

I also enjoy giving the Guests suggestions of things to do while here, some of which are not on the tourist lists. 

[Beth44]

My listing is connected to my house yet private. So interactions with guests vary although I usually greet all guests upon arrival or shortly afterwords. The ultimate reward of hosting is getting to know some guests, the ones I feel want more interaction and mutual interest in. So when I detect a wanting on both our parts, I invite guests to join my husband and I in my courtyard for drinks and appetizers. Often times these invitations have turned into 4 hour conversations and stories that make us laugh (e.g.the travellers tales from a "fender beater"); sometimes cry (e.g.a daughter of holocaust survivors ) and most importantly thread mutual interests together (e.g.the AU couple who shared their interest and collections in Native culture). One touching interaction was with a German couple relocated to Rome who shared that this was the first invitation they had received in a year since relocation to Italy into someone's home. (Boy was Rome missing out on a delightful,global duo). My first year of hosting, Airbnb introduced Christmas greeting cards which was a great way to reconnect with wonderful guests. I am glad they brought this option back on my 3rd year of hosting (thanks for listening to this suggestion at the LA Festival in 2016) to let me message to some guests that they will always be a good memory.

[Quincy]

Hi @Beth44,

I appreciate you sharing this!

I remember a time I had a guest over, and we ended up having a bbq together in my backyard.

But I also remember having guests over who for instance came to visit an ill family member, so they were not very talkative.

Everybody has their story.

[Jan209]

Christmas Greetings via Airbnb! I love it...is this still available? How do I find it?

Jan

[Bruce43]

@Quincy I just had a repeat guest a couple with three young daughters from Haifa Israel.

I feel sad when they leave, super clean and polite.

Somehow when they move on, I seem to have a new plant in the garden

Just saying, sometimes there is a connection.

When the guest says, they feel at home in my listing.

My job was well done.

Could it be "empathy?

[City-Limits-Ranch0]

Our Airbnb is on our rural property and is right across the driveway from our house.  It  almost has a better view than our house, the deck faces away from the driveway and the guests sitting on their deck look out into our horse pasture and valley with neighbors far away on the other side of the valley.  They can feel like they are completely alone or they can be part of our ranch life, whichever they wish. 

Some we meet only when we check them in (required because of the locked gate and the dogs) and then have nary a conversation or encounter again with them because they can check themselves out.  Others join us for dinner or a glass of wine or a cup of covfefe on the patio.

We have had guests go trail riding with us, take photo ops with our horses, play ball with the dogs and come to our big open house annual party on the first Saturday in May every year.  We have gone to Denmark to visit friends we made, and have made new friends who came back to visit us and help us on the ranch.  Airbnb has opened up our lives for the better. 

[Karen-And-Benjamin0]

We live in a small townhouse in a beach town. Most of our guests are anxious to explore the area and are friendly but not interested in long conversations. We always respect their privacy and of course they have plans, theyre on vacation! Every once in awhile we get people who want to hang out and chat over coffee ,or breakfast and we enjoy that too. Weve learned alot from our guests who are willing to share a little of their lives with us, and made a few permanent friends.We are also thankful for the income we recieve as hosts, without it we would have to give up our home of 17 years.