How to make your guests feel welcome during the holiday season?

[Quincy]

Hello everyone,

For many people around the world, this season is a time to visit family and friends, but for many others, it is an opportunity to have time off and indulge in some travelling. Are the final weeks of the year busy for you?

Is your home available for reservations during this year’s holiday season? If so, we would love to know what you plan on making this time of the year even more special for your guests. Do you offer them any treats or put up some nice decorations?

Do you have some nice stories of when you hosted around this time of the year? Share your tips and stories with us. We can’t wait to read them all.

Thanks!

Quincy

[Paul1255]

Hey @Quincy I hope you are well!

I have 2 lovely guests coming to London for NYE and staying with me for 4 nights, but apart from that my calendar is blocked out for the festive period:

I am very busy supporting fellow hosts, looking after their listings and doing check in/outs and turnovers for hosts who are away enjoying their own breaks.

There is so much to do I have blocked the rest of my month to focus on them 🙂 

I decorated my flat just before the start of Decemeber with a real tree, some lovely lights and simple decorations so that my winter guests still got a taste of Xmas, they also got a small Xmas treat in their room!

This year is the first year I have had a real Xmas tree, and it looks lovely in the living room- all my guests commented on it 🙂

Paul.

[Quincy]

Busy times @Paul1255!

I'm sure you guests appreciate the decoration and treats—have they given you some compliments yet?

I still need to decorate my place and start packing some presents. 

Any recommendations as to where I should get myself some decoration here in London? 🙂 

P.s. feel free to share some photos!

[Paul1255]

I love the christmas floor in Liberty @Quincy....it's wonderful, you should pay it a visit- they have everything you could wish for 🙂 and it's so festive.

That's a pic of my tree, I feel it looks better in real-life tho!

Paul.

[Kanani2]

We put up two battery-powered table top trees, and a wreath  above the fireplace. We also left a tin of biscochitos, and plenty of coffee and cocoa. We also left them with a generous supply of kindling (to go with the bundle of firewood that no doubt they'll buy at the local store) with instructions on how to build a fire (you would be surprised to learn that most people have no idea how to do this!). 
The house has been rented out for almost 4 weeks this holiday season. We're glad, they're glad!  Sorry, the photo is sideways!

Table top trees and pointsettias

[Quincy]

That sounds lovely @Kanani2!

I've mentioned many times (in other posts) how much I would like to have a proper fireplace! I think creates a very cosy environment don't you think so? It's very kind of you to leave some nice treats behind for your guests. I hope your guests are careful with lighting a fire!

Thank you for sharing the photo it looks great 🙂

(p.s. I have rotated your photo) 

[Kanani2]

Hello @Quincy0! 
Yes, the fireplace is a traditional New Mexico kiva, and people love it. But it does require that we leave instructions on how to build a wood fire, as well as the extra effort it takes to clean it after. We also strongly encourage them to check with the city, and to watch the Burn/No Burn calendar (air quality standards).
Thanks for righting my photo, and for the feedback!

[Huma0]

@Quincy 

This is my third Christmas hosting in my home. The past two years, December into early January were fully booked. This time, I have a few dates empty here and there (which might still get booked) because I felt ready to push my prices up for the season and also because I've become fussier about who I host. I've had to ask Airbnb to cancel one reservation and have turned down a number of others because the guests seemed problematic, so I guess the diary would be full otherwise.

Although my calendar is completely open for the festive season, the other change I've made is to add a rule set for no check in on Christmas Day. The past two years, guests arriving were late and I almost missed my family Christmas dinner. It was stressful! Christmas Even and Boxing Day are going to be very busy though.

Previously, all my guests got cards but this year I have bought them presents too (chocolate!) and wrapped them nicely. As it's my own home, I always have a Christmas tree (I will try to take a photo and post it) and a wreath on the front door and guests really appreciate the place looking festive. It is a mission to guard the tree from my naughty cat though. I normally have scented candles in the house, but pick more 'festive' scents at this time of year. I have put a flyer for Christmas services at the local church in case anyone wants to go.

In terms of Christmas decorations, yes @Paul1255 is right, Liberty is lovely for that sort of thing. If you're on a budget though, get yourself down to TK Maxx/Homesense as they had loads of decorations last time I was there and are starting to discount them even further now. Most of my disposible income these days goes into buying lovely things for the house, but I am addicted to bargains, so when those fancy decorations go on sale after Christmas, I snap them up for the following year! I have quite the collection now.

[Valerie192]

I have a guest staying over Christmas Eve to Christmas Day. I will actually be away visiting friends myself so she will be in the house on her own. That said, I looked up her profile and it said she likes to travel so yesterday I picked up a very nice luggage tag for her and will wrap it and leave under the tree for her. 🙂 

[Quincy]

@Paul1255 @Huma0 @Kanani2 @Valerie192, have you already started wrapping up all the festive decoration? 🙂 

[Paul1255]

@Quincy My tree is certainly starting to dry out, so he will be off to get mulched after NY I think and then everything else can go back to normal!

I never know when Christmas is really finished 🙂 

How did you get on with yours in the end?

[Quincy]

Hi @Paul1255, everything went well over here! I had my family coming over for a visit which was lovely. 

I still have some decoration hanging around, but it's slowly disappearing as my partner is removing them 🙂 

Happy New Year!

[Huma0]

@Quincy

No, I wait until the 6th of January, which I believe is the traditional day to take down decorations. I still have a full house of guests too, so it's nice for them to see something festive. I also have two long-term guests arriving on the 6th, so I think I will take it all down after they arrive. It doesn't look quite the same now all the presents are not piled up underneath it, but I think it still looks welcoming.

However, you might have seen elsewhere that I have found that sadly most of my guests didn't seem to appreciate the extras I left for them this year (mince pies, crackers, chocolates, booze), at least the majority of them did not thank me, nor seem impressed, so I don't think I will be doing that again next year 😞

[Quincy]

I still have some decoration up as well, but my partner is slowly starting to remove some things here and there. 

Oooh noo! I am sorry to hear that @Huma0! 😞 

[Kanani2]

Our guest leaves January 5, and we'll take it down then. Fortunately, these are only table top trees, which are artificual, so storage is a matter of wrapping it up in a plastic bag and putting them away!