We have a 'yellow and chrome' 1930s "Eavestaff Mini-Piano" in our luxury holiday cottage, and we have never dissuaded any Guest from using this extra facility, whether they are able to play music, or just thump the keys; indeed, I would recommend to all Hosts that rather than deny Guests access to musical instruments, their usage should always be encouraged!
Of course, if one has an original Stradivarius, or Liberace's piano, or a one-off musical instrument of any variety, what on earth is it doing in a holiday property in the first place, as we all recognise - or should - that anything left in one's property is going to be touched or handled, or otherwise used by anyone who stays.
That I am talking about a whole property in which Guests' stay without the owner being present, rather than where Guests stay in a part of an owner's own home, is, of course a totally different situation, and I would imagine thatfor the latter, having to lay down 'rules' as to what can and cannot be used by Guests may very well lead to some friction, especially should anyone not heed such 'rules'
As to whether Airbnb should provide extra tick boxes in order for Hosts' to highlight any "little extras" (i.e. facilities and amenities) we have and provide for Guests' use, whilst I would totally agree that it may well be beneficial to highlight what musical instruments, baby/toddler requisites, games/toys/jigsaws, or anything else we have and provide for our Guests' enjoyment, I do agree that there does have to be a cut-off point where the provision of tick-boxes has to stop.
In our own case, rather than rely on what Airbnb can do for me as a Host, I included more photographs in our portfolio to highlight that within our property is a piano; that for parents'with babies we have a high chair, a baby's cot, and a toddler's bed, as well as cutlery, bowls, plates and other items; that for families we have a great selection of board-games, jigsaws, and other facilities, whilst for dogs, we provide towels, mats, bowls, poo-bags, and toys for their use - for after all (so the saying goes) "every picture tells a story", and at least Guests' know in advance, what we have available for their use.
Returning to the musical instruments for a moment, more specifically in our case, re the piano mentioned above, we have had children staying who by the end of their holiday have shown interest in learning how to play properly; we have had our piano featured in a magazine when one Guest hovered her dog's paws over the keys to make it look as though it was playing them; and we have had piano players of all abilities and none, experiencing the difference between a 'conventional' upright piano, and the quirkiness of our Art Deco piano (on which I first learned to play, some 61 years ago!)
As my wife reminded me earlier though, when it comes to more specific musical instruments, such as a violin, guitar, clarinet, flute, etc, players of those usually prefer to bring their own, so perhaps not having such instruments in a holiday home, especially for Hosts' fearful of damage being done, is the wisest option.
Our piano however, despite its age, despite how it's treated, and despite its needing to be retuned
(Note: the 'white' on the side of the piano stool is where sunlight over its lifetime has 'bleached' away the "yellowish" "mottled" coating. Although the lack of coating doesn't affect the piano's sound, nor the stool's comfort, we are currently waiting for a specialist to recoat the affected areas)
