What would you say to a guest who is demanding bottled water?

Answered!
Julie143
Level 10
Princeton, NJ

What would you say to a guest who is demanding bottled water?

The tap water here is safe to drink. Whether or not it’s delicious is a personal preference. I drink it, but am not picky.

 

For anyone who doesn’t care to drink it straight from the tap, the fridge has a water and ice dispenser in the front. Both are filtered. The filters are changed religiously. I also put a filtering pitcher in the fridge.

 

If someone *really* wants bottled water, there is a nice grocery store that is a 3 minute walk away. 

 

The guest is saying I should include bottled water. They haven’t said anything specific is wrong with the tap water, or the filtered water from the fridge or the pitcher. They just think I should have given them some “as a courtesy, like in a hotels and the other 2 Airbnbs” they’ve stayed in.

 

Well, I don’t like bottled water. It’s a waste of money and natural resources in places with safe tap water.

 

1 Best Answer
Mary-and-Col0
Level 3
Alicante, Spain

Just when you think you have thought of every detail to please your guest, hey presto! Demand for bottled water.  Would just say a big  NO we do not provide bottled water, you are welcome to buy from local supermarket.    Add to description NO bottled water, however filter provided.   

 

We had an incident with  guests staying recently, who demanded sun loungers in winter!!!!  We do not provide sun loungers guests are welcome to use them at the communal pool. However there was one in the garden they broke and did not replace expected us to.  Garden is not big enough for four sunloungers. It got very heated with messages going back and forth, final answer to them buy some and take with you.  The reply from guests, 'This was not the deal, sunloungers are part of the deal'!!!  We resolved by borrowing one from the communal pool.  Thinking of our review rating (black mirror).   We did not get one. As said we thought we had covered every detail then there it is how did we miss that.  

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61 Replies 61
Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Lloyd12  In many hosts' opinions, it isn't a "nice touch", quite the opposite- it is environmentally irresponsible and we don't wish to be a part of promoting single-use plastic. I have a 3 gallon glass dispenser of purified drinking water in my kitchen, which guests can help themselves to. I find that at least half my guests travel with their own refillable water bottle. Those that don't are welcome to go buy bottles of water, or buy one and keep refilling it with the water I provide. Or use a glass, what a concept. 

"Concerns" about the safety of drinking water is not the same as the water actually being safe to drink. I'm sure my guests have all kinds of concerns about many things in life, but it's not my responsibility to cater to their concerns if those concerns are unwarranted when they are staying in my home.

 

Mary-and-Col0
Level 3
Alicante, Spain

Just when you think you have thought of every detail to please your guest, hey presto! Demand for bottled water.  Would just say a big  NO we do not provide bottled water, you are welcome to buy from local supermarket.    Add to description NO bottled water, however filter provided.   

 

We had an incident with  guests staying recently, who demanded sun loungers in winter!!!!  We do not provide sun loungers guests are welcome to use them at the communal pool. However there was one in the garden they broke and did not replace expected us to.  Garden is not big enough for four sunloungers. It got very heated with messages going back and forth, final answer to them buy some and take with you.  The reply from guests, 'This was not the deal, sunloungers are part of the deal'!!!  We resolved by borrowing one from the communal pool.  Thinking of our review rating (black mirror).   We did not get one. As said we thought we had covered every detail then there it is how did we miss that.