Hi Everyone,
I've been hosting for a bit less than a month and absolutely love it. However, I had a rather freakish experience with some guests who stayed last night and could use a bit of guidance from more experienced hosts. I'd like to say first that I have already reported this matter to Airbnb Customer Support, who say they will kick it up to their Trip Advisor staff, whatever that means. In brief, the guests (an older couple) were pleasant enough, but I overheard a hacking cough off and on from the hot tub / courtyard area, and later from their suite (which is attached to my living area via a breezeway). They left a very nice review for me in my comment book, and when they checked out they told me how much they enjoyed their stay. When I entered the suite to clean (I had only a couple of hours to get it ready for the next guests checking in today) I found blood spatters EVERYWHERE. It looked a bit like something out of a Hitchcock movie (think 'Psycho'). Blood spatters in the shower; on the kitchen counter; in the bathroom sink; on the sleeve of one of the white spa robes I provide (inside and out); on the sheets; on the pillow cases; even on my newly painted designer-colored walls. As I work in the healthcare field, I quickly donned my gloves, got my S/O (who is a PhD chemist) and we set about sterilizing EVERYTHING with hot water and bleach (which not all Airbnb hosts would know to do). I suspect that one of them may have active turbuculosis or a severe bronchial issue going on, but whatever the case, it was literally a nightmare to clean (I am not sure I will keep the linens even if I get them clean - I have taken photos of everything and reported this to Airbnb, as stated). So now I am faced with having to decide whether to leave a negative review or stay silent as if it is a health issue I could be violating the guests' right to privacy. But I feel angry that they left my beautiful suite (everything in it is brand new) in this condition. There were also coffee grounds all over the kitchen sink and crumbs in the bedroom on the side tables and they did not use any of the 8 coasters I provide.
I thought of writing something like this in the review: "They were very pleasant but may be better suited to stay in environments that are professionally equipped to remove stains from linens and properly sterilize stained surfaces such as counter tops, sinks, and showers." But I wonder if even this could result in the guest contesting the review or be seen as a violation of his or her privacy. Even more importantly (to me) is the thought that other hosts might not have the medical awareness I have and they may be picking up linens with blood or **bleep**, etc, and risking possible infection (Hep C, AIDS, etc) if they have an open cut on their hands. I have not had time to do an in-depth search, but the Airbnb C/S rep was not aware of any information Airbnb provides hosts on how to safely clean up human bodily fluids. This seems to be a critical issue to address with hosts, for many reasons.
If any of you can speak to this - leaving a review, and also dealing with bodily fluids and Airbnb's responsibility toward educating hosts in regard to ensuring their health and safety, I'd love to hear from you. Also, had I not known how to properly sterilize the suite (including all the dishes they had used, linens, etc) the guests that followed may also have been exposed to blood-born pathogens / contaminants. I'd post some of the pictures for you to see but they really are gross and a bit upsetting.
Thanks,
Rebecca
