Switching from offering kitchen usage and breakfast

[Jane563]

I’ve been hosting for over two years and up to now have always encouraged guests to help themselves to breakfast, and allowed them to use the kitchen.

I’ve had the occasional 4 stars for cleanliness - and the offending area is almost always the kitchen. However, since lockdown ended I’ve had three out of seven guests give me an overall rating of four citing kitchen cleanliness.

My kitchen isn’t modern and I would like to update it - at the moment that’s not financially possible. However, I do spend time a lot of time cleaning it. I have a dishwasher and run everything through at high temperature and visually check everything when I take it out.  One recent review said I had dirty cutlery and dishes, which I dispute. Another was from a fellow host who gave me three stars without explanation.

After a bit of thought I have decided to stop offering breakfast and not to allow cooking and food prep. Due to the layout of my home I can’t restrict guests from going in the kitchen, short of have a door fitted which I don’t want to do. And they’ll need to get water for the filter jug I provide. However I can put a lock on the door to the area where the fusebox is and turn off the circuit for the cooker! 

Obviously guests who’ve already booked will get brekkie and kitchen use, as will returners who don’t cause me a problem. But no new people. I don’t know if it’s lockdown that has made people like this, but I’m done with this bull**bleep**. I’ve put a lot of effort into my hosting and have always been welcoming and hospitable, and am probably going to lose my Superhost status.

I just wanted to know if anyone else has stopped offering kitchen access and breakfast? Was there a downturn in bookings? Did you get dissed in reviews for it / have complaints?  

Thanks everyone.

[Helen350]

@Jane563 I feared this might be the case with paranoid people post lockdown.... but my 17 guests since we resumed seem much as before! A few have used the kitchen, most haven't, but it was always like that. 

Since the resume, I've had 15 reviews; 12 were 5* across the board, two separate older men gave 4* for cleanliness & 5 for everything else, including overall, one group of two young women, who DID use the kitchen annoyingly gave 4* overall, but 5* in ALL the sub-categories, including cleanliness - AND after I'd given them the freebie of a separate bedroom each, when they'd booked & payed for ONE! And they wrote a glowing written review!- Probably the sort who don't know 4* overall is not "good"!

Over the years, I've had the odd mark down for cleanliness, & when they specify, it's usually (doggy) communal areas. I've stopped stressing over keeping the kitchen spotless... it's a working kitchen, I USE it, so did lodgers/other guests before Covid.... It's cluttered; ( I have to keep my stuff somewhere!) And about 20 years old! It's primarily for ME, not set up for guests! But they may use it, if they wish to accept it, warts & all! IF THEY WANT A PERFECT UNUSED KITCHEN, THEY CAN BOOK AN 'ENTIRE PLACE'! I will not be banned from my own kitchen to keep it clean for others!

I think I've got my BEST GUESTS EVER! in at the moment! I wandered into the kitchen last night whilst they were cooking, and they INSISTED on sharing their meal! Steak, plus pork steaks, sweet potato & green beans, and a very nice Portuguese red, shipped from their home country! They're talking about feeding me tonight & tomorrow too! As we sat around the dining table, I completely forgot about Covid (sorry, some of you!)

So I think guest attitudes to cleanliness are a bit pot luck.... As are reviews! - Whole run of 5*s, then a few 4*s come at once! 

I wondered if I should stop offering the kitchen, to present less that could be considered not Covid-clean, but thought some would appreciate... And some have! I can see where you're coming from, difficult call!  - IF I thought a less than perfect kitchen was losing me overall 5*s, I'd pull it.... But it could be a little blip..... Maybe your Brighton visitors are fussier than my Lake District hikers & cyclists.... 

[Huma0]

My guests have unlimited use of the kitchen, which I think I keep pretty clean. My problems are not from low ratings for that, but that the guests themselves really vary in their levels of cleanliness. Some cook a lot and leave a lot of mess. That impacts the other guests staying, who might have higher standards in terms of what they think is clean. So, when I have a full house, it can be a bit of a struggle keeping things up to scratch when you have one messy guest.

I think the only time I got lower cleanliness ratings (3 x 4 stars in the space of a week or so) was when I still had a housemate here and she left some smelly cheese in the fridge (not off or anything, but rather fragrant). That was unfortunate to say the least. It took a long time for my ratings to recover from that one piece of cheese!

[Helen350]

@Huma0 Indeed! Absolutely! Been there!