How do you prepare for a new guest's arrival?

[Rebecca]

Although I'm not a host, I do often have friends and family come to stay with me. Usually, I'm doing a mad dash around with the hoover, cleaning bathrooms, making sure beds are changed and towels are ready,  as well as making sure the cupboards are fully stocked. Oh, and I always open a window, even if it’s just for five minutes to bring is some fresh sea air. 🌊 

But what about you? Do you have a big routine or simple once-over? I’d love to hear how you prepare for your guests, especially as hosts running things more formally than for friends and family. Do you have any little habits, rituals, or must-dos before the doorbell rings? 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Rebecca I think you've summed it up well - Mad dash to get everything done and a prayer that I haven't forgotten anything. Can't be doing with checklists etc - They are for people who don't like living on the edge!

[Rebecca]

I'm a bit of both @Mike-And-Jane0. I have lists (so many!) and also do a sprint around last minute. To be honest, I probably get more done in a 30 minute clean than I do in a month 😂

Thanks so much for stopping by. How are you? Anything exciting happen recently? 

[Lorina14]

@Mike-And-Jane0 thanks for the laugh!

[Carolyn1019]

How we prepare for a new guest's arrival.

My husband and I become Airbnb the end of January 2025. We sort of just jumped in with the encouragement of our adult daughter. It's been a steep learning curve to be sure. We've learned a lot and continue to make necessary changes based mostly on what you might call "on the job training."

We also listen to our guests.

So back the the question, guest arrival. We prepare in advance. Although. our guest house/ studio/ casita is on the same property as our residence it is a separate building.  It has it's own private entrance. What works for us is to always be ready for the next booking. So, each time guests depart we immediately prepare for the next whether we have a booking or not. We thoroughly clean and restock the guesthouse that day. This allows us to book last minute with little thought. We know the space is ready. When gaps occur between bookings, we'll go back in and double check. Looking for that random fly that made it's way in and died 🙂 or stray hair. A quick fluff of the pillows and we can welcome our new guests. We send a welcome letter the night before with driving directions, what to expect, etc.

So far this ritual works for us. At some point we might hire a professional cleaner. However, I'm a bit of a perfectionist and our guests have been fantastic the cleaning hasn't been a burden.

Carolyn & John Smith

Tucson, AZ

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Carolyn1019 we always tried to prepare the place as soon as the previous guest left. Great for those odd occasions where a desperate last-minute booking came in. Especially useful in our market where workers didn't commit to a place until the day of arrival in case their work was cancelled.

[Rebecca]

Hehe, the fly comment made me laugh @Carolyn1019 😂  Why is there always a fly or a daddy long legs around?

It sounds like your the same as @Mike-And-Jane0 and get things ready asap.Have you found any clever tricks along the way that make turnaround days a bit easier? Do you get into a pattern of the way that you do things? I love the welcome letter ahead of time too. That's a nice touch and probably saves a lot of back and forth.

[A-B1139]

Thorough cleaning! Then clean some more! Restock any used toiletries or sundries.  Water/prune houseplants to look their best.  Fresh flowers always add a special touch. Leave a short note of any exciting events happening in our town.

[Rebecca]

Fresh flowers really do brighten up a place @A-B1139. And letting guests know what’s on locally is always appreciated. As a guest, we've always ended up trying something new when hosts have shared their recommendations.

Do you have a favourite spot in town you always recommend to guests? 

[Junaid30]

3 hours ago

Hi

Arrival Preparation for New Guest

I have made a check list which have made preparation fairly standard and routine.

Foremost is the cleaning part, then fresh linen, placing toiletries and fresh towels. Few complementaries such as a water bottle and a snack. At the end, I give a personal touch with a welcome note.

Don't forget to open windows for a short while to remove stiffness.

[Rebecca]

Hello @Junaid30 

That checklist sounds super handy. Opening the windows is a good shout and I wholeheartedly agree that there is nothing worse than a stuffy room. I like the idea of adding a snack too, makes people feel at home.

Do you switch up the welcome note each time, or do you have a go-to message you use?

[Guy991]

Dear @Rebecca ,

The difference is that, unlike with family or friends, we hosts don’t know our guests. For me, preparation starts with reading through the entire conversation again. how many guests, how many kids? do they need a crib, an extra bed, something for their pet? Are they celebrating a special occasion?

Another thing I need to prepare is time. I need to make sure I’m available. What time are they arriving? We don’t always know. Most guests let us know, but not all — and by law, we cannot allow check-in without receiving their passport beforehand. Not all guests are comfortable with that.

I also don’t like keeping guests waiting at the door, so I have to prepare for that too. Unlike cleaning, preparation time for check in is much harder to quantify. 

[Rebecca]

Of course and you make a really good point @Guy991. Hosting strangers is a different ball game from having friends or family over. Making sure you’ve got all the details right must take a lot of time, but in the long run, save a lot of hassle later.

And waiting on guests who haven’t given an arrival time must keep you on your toes. What can you do to try and get this information from your guests? 

[Guy991]

Hello @Rebecca ,

Good question, Rebecca. 

Let me shed some more light on the situation before jumping to conclusions. I have spent many hours waiting for guests to arrive, giving me plenty of time to contemplate this.

You see, in Portugal, collecting copies of passports is mandatory. Once guests check in, and also at check-out, we must report it online within three business days. If not, our license can be cancelled, not to mention the fines. Some hosts take the risk. I do not.

Anyway, when guests send us copies of their passports via the chat, as per our (sometimes numerous) requests, we allow self check-in, which makes things easier for everyone.

When a guest refuses to upload their passport to the system due to safety concerns, fraud worries, or whatever reason, we must schedule a time for check-in. Usually, the kind guests arrive on time. But some keep us waiting for an extra hour, offering plenty of excuses.

But the real issue is with guests who do not want to share their passports and simply ignore our messages. I have a piano lesson for my daughter from 16:00 to 18:00. What happens if they arrive at 17:00? Should I cancel the lesson at the last minute and lose the money just because some inconsiderate guest refuses to tell us when they will arrive? I happened! 

Airbnb could do many things to help. One would be to tell both hosts and guests, similiar to WhatsApp, that all communication is secured and encrypted and only the guest, host, and Airbnb can see it.

Also, just as Airbnb does with guests from South Korea which has their  own cancelation regulations, it should tell guests that their identity information will be shared automatically with hosts in Portugal once the cancellation window closes (in my case, five days before check-in). Those images should not be removable (I once had a criminal guest who deleted them immediately after I sent the self check-in information).

Luckily, the majority of guests do send us their passports, and we provide self check-in instructions.

There are many more suggestions I could make.

Going back to the original question:

Believe me, waiting for a guest to check in takes much more of my time than cleaning—and it is certainly less productive.

[Andrea6232]

Buongiorno @Rebecca ,

before guests arrive, I try to establish a dialogue to understand what they need. Of course then I follow a check list so that everything is ready when they arrive. When it is very hot in Venice, like these days, I turn on the air conditioners so that they find the house cool 😊

Andrea