What I learned this weekend as a guest.

[Annette76]

This past weekend, I, along with my entire family, had the pleasure of staying at a Historic BnB about 2 hours from home. We went to attend our nephew's wedding which was on site at the property. As I am still in the process of renovating my own place that will be a rental, I spent a lot of time making mental notes about the experience from the point of view of a guest. 

The place we stayed in is on the Historical Registry so some things are not able to be updated or changed in this particular inn. 

Sorry, this may be a lenghty post. I may have to divide it in two.

So our room was actually a mini suite of sorts, the front room had twin daybeds, this room led to the bathroom which had a wardrobe for hanging clothes, and this led to the bedroom with a kingbed and dresser.  My husband and I stayed in the room with the king and my daughter and her boyfriend stayed the front room. Let me say, 4 people trying to all get ready for 3 events (rehearsal dinner, the wedding/reception and a going away brunch) is a tough test of any space!

First the list of things that were very much appreciated. 

1. Multiple luggage racks, as there was limited storage we had to live out of our suitcases. The dresser was obviously an antique, as such the drawers were wonky and annoying so we didn't bother to unpack. I don't mind living out of a suitcase for a few days, so loved the multiple luggage racks. 

2. The linens were high quality and the beds were very comfy.

3. They made sure to provide enough towels for 4 adults, so that was a bonus.

4. Even though there was a restaurant on site, they didn't start serving breakfast until 8:30am, so they provided an in-room coffee set up, big bonus!

5. Lots of sturdy hooks throughout which was helpful when sorting through clothing or using the shower.

6. We actually used the robes provided by the inn. A robe is a very useful thing to have, but such a bulky thing to pack.

7. Overall the room was spotless and just felt clean and fresh. The entire property was meticulously maintained.

Part two in next post-

[Annette76]

Part two-

Now on to the list of things that were minor annoyances that I plan to address in my own space. I do realize that this was a historic building and certain things just can't, or shouldn't, be changed. 

1. The shower/tub (which was a modernized update) had nowhere to put shampoo bottles, soap or razors, other than the narrow ledge of the tub itself. Very annoying as at one point I barely bumped the shower curtain, sending my bottle of conditioner skittering down the step, and finally behind the toilet. My daughter heard this whole event from the other side of the door where she was getting ready, sending her into hysterics. In my place I'm making notes to add an extra large niche in the shower.

2. The bathroom outer room (with the vanity and wardrobe)was the only place with lighting decent enough to put on makeup. One mirror was on the back of the door to the bedroom so whoever was using that mirror kept getting the door opened into their face while trying to apply mascara or whatever. It was funny, but also made getting ready very challenging. There was a mirror on the antique dresser in the bedroom but no outlet nearby (historical issue) so no light and no way to plug in a hair dryer or curlers, etc. I will make sure there is a lighted mirror in the bathroom and places put make up and plug in things. 

3. Not a clock in sight. While I understand most people use their phones for this nowadays, it would have been nice to have a way to see the time quickly. We kept yelling at someone to tell us how much time we had left. This ended up being pretty funny but still. I think I will do like I did for my kids when they were still at home and put a battery operated clock in the bathroom so if you are on a schedule you can quickly glance at a clock when you are getting ready.

4. Wifi was really iffy. I know many people want to unplug and feel like they are getting away from technology. As much as I and others may want to, for some it just isn't reasonable to shut out the world. I had a housesitter that was dealing with some sensitive issues and also an employee who was watching our business alone. I was kind of on edge about being unreachable for long stretches. Additionally, it would have been nice to be able to get online to learn about local activities via the internet.

Also, the way to get wifi wasn't made clear so it was kind of like a scavenger hunt among the guests finding where and what networks to use. 

I will make sure to get decent wifi and make it clear how guests can access it if needed. 

5. Maybe it's that I'm used to traditional hotels, but there were no bags for packing up dirty laundry to take home. Even my husband kept searching around for a plastic bag of some sort to segregate clean from dirty when packing up to leave. I'm going to do a search and find a way to buy some bags for this purpose and leave a couple in the closet at my place.

As you can see my pros outweighed the cons, even more than I'm listing here, but hopefully this will help me get my place up to par!

[Valerie243]

We bought some big Avery tent cards and put a WiFi logo and the login info.  The blue logo is big enough that people can see it from across the room -- and we put one tent card in each of the three rooms where guests might want to log in.
No TV -- and nobody has ever asked for it (in two years).

[Robin129]

I do something similar. I printed the network and password and placed it in a 5x7 frame. The frame is on the bookshelf. 

[Josipa2]

I am so suprised to read all this nonsense about Annette's stay, like not having clocks, not having a shelf inside the bathtub, bags to pack the dirty loundry, are you serious? 🙂

I am an Airbnb super host for 3.5 years and thank God, almost never had guests so demanding as you. I am really not trying to shame you, but I am honestly shocked about your expectations and that you are completely missing out the fact that Airbnb is a platform for booking homes, not hotels. We, hosts, are not here to provide you a 5 star hotel quality sevice and accommodation for a price that is not even close to the price of 5 star hotel room. Lower down you expectations please!

We are just hosts, simple and warm people, who enjoy hosting and meeting travellers and who are ready to open our homes to new people, making their stay unique and different. That is why Airbnb doesn't have hotels in the offer, but homes and private rooms. Please don't book our homes and make us hosts feel bad for having you here, if your expectations are this high and on edge of pettyness...please move on to booking.com or some other sites where people use it as a strict business ( both guests and hosts ). 

Hopefully you won't take my comment as an insult but if I had more guests like you I'd be forced to give up on this beautiful idea of sharing home and experiences with travellers, really... 

All the best in your future hosting, 
Josipa

[Robin129]

I may be wrong, but I think you misunderstood her post. She was staying at a traditional, historic registry bed and breakfast. She even notes that she is planning to incorporate some of the things she found she needed into her own Airbnb.

If I missed something I'm sorry. 

[Annette76]

@Josipa2

I’m not sure why my post got your ire up. I wasn’t complaining about someone’s home, I was making a mental list of the things that I hadn’t thought about as a host that would be easy for me (or anyone) to incorporate in my place to make my guests feel like I had thought about their needs and comfort.  I have been hosting people in my personal home for years as a part of my dog training business. I’ve always enjoyed thinking about all the details and special things I can do. 

I made it quite clear that the place I stayed was a historical building so was somewhat limited in what they could change or add, but my place is just a regular old cabin, so while I’m doing my updates I will think about those little extras. 

I gave the place I stayed a 5 star rating on their site as I understood that the things I mentioned as “cons” weren’t really an issue with their place or hosting ability. 

Oh, and Croatia isn’t currently on my list of hoped for vacation spots so no worries that you’d have to host me. 

[Monica4]

Oh this is funny! This is so much like my own historical listing! Mine is even worse.....only ONE bathroom for 5 bedrooms. You are lucky that you had a king sized bed. The largest bed in my listing is a double because.....well, to keep the house authentic all the beds are real antiques and there is no such thing as an antique queen or king sized bed. 

When someone has a historical house and wants to try to have a certain "antique" feeling in the house, then some modern luxuries are not possible. I have excellent high-speed Wifi...but it is hidden away. Every piece of furniture, every painting or picture in the living space is antique. I have stand alone coat hangers in the rooms and hooks behind the doors. The antique nightstands and dressers can be used as luggage racks. The drawers are all "soaped" so that they open easily and evenly.

The bathroom is tiled and needs to be scrubbed after every use. It is not practical to install shelves for shampoos, etc. Instead, I have shampoo and conditioner dispensers mounted above the faucets, under the shower head.

Bottom line.....if people want to book a historic place, and want the atmosphere in the same theme, they will be happy with my listing. If they want the luxuries that a modern place has they need to book elsewhere.

[Robin129]

@Monica4 my home is similar to yours, a 1920's era with one bathroom. We incorporate many period pieces and try to have modern things where possible. The guest bedroom has a full bed, dresser, cedar chest, and photos. We do have a small television, and wifi available. My bathtub does have an updated shower attachment. I use a bamboo bathtub tray to hold soaps and shampoo.

I'll never be on a historic register but we try to have a little throwback feel. 😉 

[Farah1]

@Annette76 I have been planning on putting luggage racks for my listing, so guests do not need to open their luggage on the floor. I also provide shelves in the closet + hangers + hooks for their clothes, towels, etc. I think that they are very useful for my guests. When I set up my listings, I always try to think what I want/need/think is important to have at my accommodation when I travel 🙂

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Annette76

many Airbnbs I've seen have TVs on strange places... impossible to watch them from the bed or from the sofa 

[Paula-and-Gill0]

We were torn at first about what to provide. We offer our space as a budget value, but in a prior community conversation I saw other hosts offer very practical solutions. We've now added an assortment of "just in case you forgot" items in the bathroom. I've added salt, pepper and some extra spices as I run accross them on sale. We also created a nicer "Welcome/Instructions Guest Book." The first item is, "How to connect to the Wi-fi." I don't have or offer cable television, but I do have a "Google Chromecast" that would allow guests to use their wireless device to broadcast onto the set. After trying to write clear multi-step directions on how to use it I gave up. I decided to go with a Amazon Firestick. It allows guest to use the remote to turn on the TV, they can speak directly into the remote to bring up their favorite shows, weather and even the time. I liked it so much i got one for our bedroom TV. We have added all these things at a fraction of our budget and I found it does make a difference. I've also found that some guest don't touch anything so they the items last. And, I'm also mentally prepared for the guest that will fill their suitcase with everthing, but the nails on the wall at check out. My GF thinks I'm a bit over the top, I agree, but I enjoy providing as much hospitality as possible.

[Lia63]

@Paula-and-Gill0 I am going with Amazon Firesticks too, any advice on settings? I locked down app buying but I feel like I might be missing something.

[Regina38]

Great post. I am looking for luggage racks. I always tuck a few large plastic bags and various size zip lock bags in my side pockets of my luggage. I would not expect an airbnb host to supply them. 

I have trash bags provided in the unit along with a fee rolls of to and paper towels. If they run out it is up to them to buy more. 

Sounds like you will be a great host. 

[Robin129]

Nice post. It's always good to hear other's experiences. I've got just about all the "cons" covered in my place. I offer over-the-air digital television and a Roku device. So far no one has complained. I printed a list of local channels and placed in an acrylic frame by the night table so guests know what channels are available.