Angry drunken guest ranting about politics, how should I review?

[Kelly---Jack0]

We had a guest show up late last night pretty tipsy (she was in town hosting a wine tasting event). Within a few minutes of her arrival she cracked a beer, sat on our couch and started ranting about politics and every topic from gun violence and abortion, to dark money and lobbyists. We avoided her inquiries and tried to remain neutral but she became pretty hostile and demanded to know where we get our news. I informed her that we prefer the local news and that I had a mid-term in the morning and was going to bed.

It was an awful experience but I’m not sure how much of this I should include in her review. 

[Ann72]

@Kelly---Jack0 That's pretty awful!  Maybe you could steal some of Fox News' old slogans, like "I'd like to write a fair and balanced review, but all I can say is that if you love a political debate late at night, this guest is for you.  We report, you decide."  Then go with 3 stars or below in at least one category, and "no" to "Would you ever host this guest again?"  You wouldn't be coming right out and saying mean things about her (which, given her behavior, could result in some retaliatory messaging), but you'd be sending a message to other hosts, and she would be hard-pressed to get a reservation for those with InstantBook settings that require host referrals.

Oh, and wait until 11:59 pm on day 14 to post the review.

[Anonymous]

My take on it is that most of the review should be about the general things about the guest - did she communicate her arrival time, clean up after herself, follow the rules, etc. And at the end you might say "She is passionately opinionated and might have been a better fit for a host who shares her views."

Even when poor behavior appears to be the result of alcohol or drug use, I recommend focusing on the behavior and not mentioning the substances in the review.  

[Sandra126]

Go with @Anonymous , the most professional way!

[Mark116]

@Kelly---Jack0   You will want to be careful here, you don't want this guest to retaliate in any way, so I'd agree with @Anonymous  something that is fairly neutral like she shared her passionate opinions on many topics and may only be a good fit for hosts who share the same interests...or something similar, a read between the lines type of review, or you could just say along the lines that the guest was very chatty and would be a good fit for similarl hosts or something like that.  I wouldn't mention any of her political bents, just somehow get across that she was a little unhinged.

[Kath9]

@Kelly---Jack0, sounds like she was incredibly rude and intrusive and has NO IDEA to behave as a guest in a stranger's home. I think you should say something actually (love @Ann72's response!). They cannot write a retaliatory review as they won't see it till both are published. Soften it with positives e.g. 'X was clean, tidy and respectful of the house rules. However, her hostility when we were reluctant to engage with her strong political views made us feel uncomfortable. Probably better suited to self-contained accommodation.' Then, as Ann said, 2 for communication, no for hosting again, and wait until day 14 to review. No one wants drunk strangers ranting at them in their own homes!

[Ann72]

"Better suited to self-contained accommodation"!  Brilliant, @Kath9!  And thanks.  🙂  I was once married to the Fox News Channel (not quite literally, only to the guy who started the sales dept), so maybe I wanted to get a little schadenfreude out there!

Being direct without making any personal attacks is the best course of action.  Well said.

[Kath9]

Cheers @Ann72, I'm making a note of your review suggestion for future reference! Love it - 'we report, you decide'.

[Ann72]

It's a good one!  @Kath9, as you're from Australia you might not know that that was actually the Fox News Channel's first slogan.  And the next one was "Fair and Balanced."  So an American host would be able to decode that - and decide.  🙂

[Kath9]

@Ann72, no I didn't know all this, but I still reckon its good, even without the cultural references. Even better for an American host of course 🙂

[Kath9]

It's one thing to rant about politics among friends (which I do all the time being quite political myself), but you don't just immediately start ranting politics the minute you meet someone, especially when you are staying as a guest in their home. I had to tell a friend off once who happened to be here when some German guests arrived. As soon as they stepped foot in the door, he wasted exactly zero seconds saying 'How good is Angela Merkel?' and then spent the next five minutes talking about how wonderful Germany is for welcoming asylum seekers. They had literally just arrived after a 5-hour drive and here they were being confronted by a complete random stranger talking about his political views of Germany WHILE I WAS TRYING TO TAKE THEM ON A TOUR OF THE HOUSE! Not OK Stan (or Stu in this case). He got a good bollocksing for that later! We have no idea what our guests' politics are, so political topics are best avoided altogether unless they arise naturally from conversation. 

Our homes are our sanctuaries and we hosts who rent out rooms in our homes have to be incredibly generous and open and trusting. We only expect the same in return. No one wants a stranger ranting politics at them, especially if they've had one too many reds! So, yes, @Kelly---Jack0, I would mention something in your review because other hosts should have fair warning. If you just stick to the given categories, she could appear as the perfect guest. And you never know, she might actually learn something!

[Ann72]

@Kath9 That is such a funny story!  It sounds as if the guests took it well.  And I'm guessing Stu isn't a superhost on the side.  🙂

[Kath9]

@Ann72, as much as I adore my friend Stu, the hygiene and cleanliness of his house is questionable to say the least. I mean, the guy built a compost shower (i.e. the water was heated by running it through his compost pile) and didn't notice that the water stunk to high heaven! While I have the greatest respect for his planet-saving efforts, but I would love to see him try to be an Airbnb host at all, let alone Superhost!

[Ann72]

@Kath9 LOL, I can't even!  Well done, Stu, but, um, no.  🙂

[Sarah977]

@Kath9  That's really funny- the compost shower. Your Stu reminds me of this guy I know, who, many years ago, drove a bus across Canada that ran on used cooking oil and he was working to promote bio-fuel. He was getting a lot of press and was interviewed on CBC radio. He was doing great, promoting getting away from our dependence on crude oil and gas, talking about how he just stopped at fast food restaurants on his trip and filled up the bus with their used cooking oil, until he totally blew it, and mentioned how he could find a lot of great food in the dumpsters behind those places, too, and ate for free. We, his friends, were listening to the interview and all face-palmed when he came out with that.