SHARE A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE

[Dee9]

Anyone have a pleasant hosting or guesting circumstance? or helpful tip? (of which ive adopted a few from these forums, thank you)

I would say on an interesting note that i never imagined id have people from Paris or Italy staying in my home -its kinda cool where people are from. I learn a little more about other cultures everytime.

Id be interested in hearing others

[Lizzie]

Thanks @Kim-and-Jen0 for sharing your lovely experience here. It makes me smile just reading it. 🙂

[Dee9]

I'm so glad this has become such a positive post. 

[Tim-and-Holly0]

We had a couple from China on their first visit to the United States. Neither one of them spoke English and we do not speak Chinese. We both got out our cell phones and used Google translate to communicate. They were very anxious to experience American food and had never had a backyard grilled steak before. Chinese steaks are very thin. So we went to the store and picked out thick steaks, baked potatoes with all the fixings and started dinner. I taught them how to cook steak to perfection over charcoal and we had a great meal together. We still email and just recently received a postcard they sent while visiting Australia!

[Lizzie]

This sounds like a perfect evening @Tim-and-Holly0 and you never know now that they are visiting Australia they might be cooking steak on a BBQ. 🙂 

It is lovely they still keep in touch. Do you think you will meet again? Perhaps a trip to China?

[Tim-and-Holly0]

They want to come back to the United States next year. If they do they want to visit us again.

[Marie344]

helpful+++

[Hilary-And-Ed0]

I am new to this as well.  So far, it has been all positive.  We are expecting out fourth guest group this evening.  Currently I am housing a visitor for a month (in a second room) who is in town for a language class.  She is a joy to chat with, and is kind, friendly, and organized.  It seems thus far that all of our inquiries are from people who want to be in this area for a particular reason - professional conferences, childrens' commencements, medical rotations.  All seem to be from interesting, interested people!

[Mary81]

I have used Airbnb many times on my travels abroad and in particular New Zealand, where it seems to be very popular.  It's a great way to stay in an environment where you feel like a local and so much nicer than a clinical hotel and of course great value for money.  Due to my experience with Abnb (all positive) I decided to start hosting myself last year and was pleasantly surprised by the number of foreign guests I received and absolutely loved it.  Just great to chat to people from different countries and to know you are helping them to enjoy thier vacation.  My only slight complaint would be the site itself as I do feel it could be a little more user friendly, on the otherhand this may just be me!

[Lizzie]

This is wonderful to hear @Mary81. Did you find that you experience using Airbnb as a traveller helped you when you became a host?

[Rhonda10]

Thoughts on Hosting

Being an Airbnb host is like being patted on the head every day. It’s not the only reward.  If you get it right, your bank balance goes up. While all around us the world seems to be heading to hell in the proverbial hand cart, down here at street level, lawn level, the world feels a much healthier place. In the midst of endless political unrest and panic, Airbnb is turning the planet a little on its head. It’s become a different kind of global warming. The visitors who knock at your door bring with them a bag of bon homie, a salute from their country to yours. When a mini United Nations sits down at your table (‘Welcome to our Airbnb Blind Date Breakfast!’) it can restore your faith in human nature. Your visitor’s book attests to all the new contacts you’ve made who reside in far flung places. You’ve learned about other lives, other races, other spaces. You’ve become connected to the world in a way you never knew you could. Then you know. Airbnb is not just about travel.

Rhonda

New Plymouth

New Zealand.

[Annette33]

yay, @Rhonda10! My sentiments exactly 🙂 way to go, sistah!

every time I read a post here about how terrible Airbnb is, it just makes me cringe. sometimes I feel like shaking my fellow hosts here, the ones who come with bitter complaints, and I feel like saying "open your eyes, enjoy each new encounter with someone who selected YOUR listing from among many others. Be well prepared, be a pro, and there will hardly be any problems!"

 Though I know there are flaws in the Airbnb operation, I have  had many delightful guests,  we all are making $$, and  I "meet" interesting people here in the forum and form new friendships.  

I'm just grateful for the opportunity to do all that, so for sure, I can deal with a few minor things that are not optimal.

[Huaai0]

Airbnb operation is pretty good. No complaints. It's way much better than United Airlines, lol.

[Daria20]

It was quite unfortunate that my very first hosting experience with AirBnb was the worst one (people from the XXX industry).

This left me feeling very uncomfortable and I seriously questioned whether I should continue with this.

Since then, however, I've had predominantly positive experiences! I am based in Moscow and I've had people from all over the world staying at my place: Canada, France, Australia, Brazil, Italy, Argentina, Bahrain, USA, Japan, Norway, the Russian far-east etc. Most of them were very nice people, some even left me thank-you presents! So overall and for now I am very happy being a host! 🙂

[Tania-and-Andrew0]

Most of our experiences (about 90%) have been amazing; we've had very few bad experiences. One of our best experiences was 2 years ago, when we met two girls traveling together that live in the US but are actually from an African country. They grew up in the US and were studying there. We 4 became instant friends, to the point that a few months later we met in Mexico City so we could show them around other part of our country and so they could experience a Mexican holiday called "Day of the Dead" in one of the best places in the city. We 4 stayed at an Airbnb. And last year both of them came back to Cancun for our wedding. And we're now planning to go to Chicago to see them. We're in constant communication, they're just great people.

[Mark-and-Fab0]

I am so glad to see there is opportunity to share a positive experience about our relationship with the Airbnb family. Fabricio and I feel honored to be part of Airbnb. We have connected with so many wonderful people who have now become part of our extended family. Our expectations have been exceeded in every way. We love sharing our home with others and sharing life experiences. When we bought our 100 year old historic home in Midtown Memphis and renovated the lower level into a guest suite we had no idea what this small change would bring into our life. Our home has a piece of our heart and our garden and we love to hear how it has also touched the heart of others. What greater compliment could one get?? 

We get excited every time we hear the Airbnb ringtone notification on the phone and see a booking request pop up. We can't say enough good things about how Airbnb has changed our life in so many positive and rewarding ways. It is about making life long connections and sharing small pieces of your life story with others.   

I could continue to praise Airbnb but I think you get the idea.

We are thankful to be part of the Airbnb experience and we will continue to tell everyone we know what a life changing experience it has been for us...