What are your favorite notes from your guests?

[Laura]

I thought I'd share a lovely note that my guest, Holly, left this weekend after staying with us for a night.

I host in a sweet little unit out in our shared backyard, so our guests often get the full experience of hanging out with our 3 small kids and doggie! Holly was so delightful - she settled right in and enjoyed hanging out in our local neighborhood shops.

What are your favorite notes from your guests? :)

[Lawrene0]

Hello, Laura! My favourites, of course, are those notes that are attached to a five-star review :)

And that's something: I have found that when a guest leaves me a lovely note, they tend not to write a review. They feel, I guess, that they have already reviewed, or they like to keep that sort of thing private. I don't mind, especially now that we are not being held to the 50%, but that is the reason I have not put a guestbook in my listing. 

Are you finding the note writers also write reviews? Did Holly write one? 

[Laura]

Hey @Lawrene0 that's a super interesting observation ... curious if other hosts have found the same thing? No review yet from Holly, but she just checked out yesterday so I'm still hopeful :) :)

[Lawrene0]

I hope I'm wrong, @Laura ! Will look forward to hearing. 

[Emilia42]

I have to agree with @Lawrene0! I've had a few guests leave me beautiful thank you cards and sometimes even little gifts but no review. One time a guest left me a $20 tip! Super generous, but no review . . . 

I do love entering the space though to find those little extras. And at least I know that IF the guest was to write me a review it would be a great one! Saving myself the anxiety. 

[Jennifer1421]

That has been my experience, as well. I'd say close to 90% of those who leave notes, haven't left a review.

Truthfully, I tend to prefer the notes and cards, though, as they're left spontaneously and not as the result of prompting. It feels a bit more "from the heart".

[Laura]

Hot off the press! Holly did just leave a lovely (5*!) review also. So interesting to hear peoples' thoughts on this ... as an unexpected side benefit of removing the 50% review rate requirement for Superhost, hopefully more of you can leave out guest books without worrying about it :)

[Pablo629]

I agree with @Lawrene0.  I get note that guest that writes on notebook guest review doesnt do on guest review on the app. In 2 years I have 61 notebook reviews and 84 app reviews.   All notebooks reviews shows plenty service satisfaction (like 100% 5 stars), but just 85% app reviews were 5 stars.

Today my notebook for guest reviews is at the rented apartment but I will take a pic for tomorrow night.

[Pablo629]

Mas que unas palabras y toda la familia firma

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@Pablo629 wrote:

I agree with @Lawrene0.  I get note that guest that writes on notebook guest review doesnt do on guest review on the app. In 2 years I have 61 notebook reviews and 84 app reviews.   All notebooks reviews shows plenty service satisfaction (like 100% 5 stars), but just 85% app reviews were 5 stars.

Today my notebook for guest reviews is at the rented apartment but I will take a pic for tomorrow night.

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[Pablo629]

Creo que los huéspedes valoran más la estadía si ésta vá mas allá de la propiedad. El brindarles folletos, mapas, consejos de transporte público, sitios de comida local y tantos otros consejos que no tienen nada que ver con el arriendo del departamento. Personalmente mi pequeño tour interno entre mostrar el departamento y dar las recomendaciones toma 20 minutos; 20 minutos de sonrisa real (*) y hospitalidad que pueden significar la diferencia entre una buena estrella de bienvenida.

 (*) Mi esposa me dice..... "Tu les sonríes a tus huéspedes aún así les estés hablando por teléfono"..... 

[Tim-and-Holly0]

@Laura, @Lawrene:

We have had guestbooks in our homes for four years and never had a correlation between those who write in the book, which is almost everyone, and those who leave a review, again almost everyone. Where I most appreciate the guestbook is that it lets me know how a guest felt about the home before they write a review. 

[Oscar60]

In my opinion airbnb should add a private review without leaving trace in both way because some of my guest doesn't want to disclose that they where staying at my place.  

[Ann72]

@Oscar60 Thank you for the laugh - very amusing.  :)

[Ann72]

@Laura  This post came just after I arrived at my Airbnbs, so I went through the guestbooks.  I didn't find a favorite note - they were all lovely - but it was fun to go through them and read them aloud with my housekeeper, who takes great pride in her work.  Touching all around.

[Ellen33]

We do have a guestbook. 60 percent of our guests leave something in our guestbook. Most of them also review us. Some notes in guestbook are so sweet.

Some reviews also. We open up our home to guests, sometimes even our heart.

All the positive experiences help to overcome the rather unpleasant hosting experiences. Or help you when you come back from your job and you have to start all over at home...to your second job. Haha