What gets your goat/goad?

[Gordon0]

Simples?

I love what Airbnb has done for me, and one of the beautiful 'bi-products' is that you get to meet people from all over the world, learn a little about how they live and, in particular, their nuances. Some of these make me smile, some rattle me, a little.

This isn’t about knocking any one country or their people, because we all have idiosyncratic, particular, even peculiar nuances. It’s simply a friendly, tongue-in-cheek look at who does what (and perhaps an answer as to 'why').

Americans. Love em. Funny, warm, bubbly (some, not all), spick and span, easy to host. Friendly.

But what is it with Americans and UK lights switches?

In the UK, our switches flick down for ‘on’ and back up for ‘off’. It’s that simple. But our lovely American guests (and I’ve had many) struggle with this set-up.

The bathroom has two light switches (outside, as in the norm here) and you’d have thought it was a Boeing 747 pre-flight check if you were to hear the commotion that goes on to operate the lights (it's actually happening as I type).

Switch # 1 up, switch # 2 down.# 1 down and up again, rapidly. # 2 up, down, up, down and up again. # 2 down, # 1 down.

The above sequence is repeated at least a dozen times before an audible sigh is omitted. And (at least) one of the lights is left on…normally the one with the extractor spur. 

What does it for you?

[Paul154]

@J-Renato0,

Yes, Americans have been trained by hotels to leave used towels on the floor (hopefully an vinyl or tile floor- not a carpeted or wood floor)

It's a great system. That way, I don't have to rewash the unused towels - nor do I have to stress out and guess  which are the unused ones.

It greatly surpised me how many guests will nicely fold used towels 😞

[Ava30]

@Paul154or the guest that remakes the beds, better than we did in the first place. (it is in my House Rules to NOT strip or make the beds when they leave) I have 4 beds in my listing, if fewer than 4 guests stay and they remake the beds, I cannot always tell which ones they used and we end up washing all the bedding to be safe <SIGH> water wasted again. Fortunately I have front loaders, but still. Where I grew up the only place in California that water was more expensive than my home town, was Catalina Island where water is brought in on barges. As one of 6 children, I learned to take fast showers and we also learned at an early age that, unless we got dirty, we did NOT need to shower every day. The latest health news backs that up now. It is actually not good for one's skin to shower or bathe every single day unless it is medically necessary. Yay Mom, she was ahead of her time, again!

[J-Renato0]

Hello @Paul154

If someone rent a flat or room from you, should one leave all the pans, electric grill, toaster and used cups on the kitchens floor as well? 🙂 Then you will be sure it was used 🙂

You say >>"It greatly surpised me how many guests will nicely fold used towels :("

It is pretty difficult to see a guest from UK, Europe, Canada, South America leaving towels on the floor. They do not fold used towels, they just put it into the laundry basket or leave it hanging in the bathroom 🙂  Saying it again, it is not all the great guests from the US that leaves towels on the floor.

Acttually, in the places I have to let, the towels are stored in a part of the wardrobe. So, if the towels are not in the wardrobe anymore, they are supposed to have been used 🙂

[J-Renato0]

I see It is not only I that does appreciate towels spread on the floor! 🙂

I have just seen this topic by an US hosts that does  not admire guests that leave wet towels on the floor as well ! 🙂 

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/How-to-appropriately-review-messy-guests/m-p/857695#M210...

[Sandra126]

Most of my guests throw the used towels in the shower, which is PERFECT.