New to the Community Center? Introduce yourself here (Updated)

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

A warm welcome to the Community Center. 

This discussion is for introducing yourself to your fellow Airbnb Community members, as well as welcoming and saying hello to newcomers in return. Thanks to all of you who have already introduced yourself and contributed in our previous thread, here.  

I'm Lizzie and I am the Community Manager here, along with my teammate @Quincy. I have been managing the Airbnb Community Center since it officially opened in November 2015. It is fantastic to speak with amazing community members here. 

To kickstart this topic, I would like to share a few things about myself:

1. I love to travel, hot or cold it doesn't matter - I'm ready with my sun lotion or a raincoat! 
2. I play several instruments, but my main one is the flute. I always enjoy a good conversation about music. 
3. Lastly, over the past year I have become very interested in all things eco/sustainablilty related.

How about you? Any interesting facts or hobbies?

I'm looking forward to hearing from you. 

Lizzie

[Caroline1738]

Hello, I'm Caroline in sunny Southern California. We are just beginning an Experience on our horse ranch, it's called "Learning to ride horses the right way".. We have had some amazing Airbnb stay  guests who often ask to have a riding lesson the following day after their arrival. When the Covid restrictions eased up a little we introduced the added Experience and look forward to lots of smiling happy faces after having a lesson with our awesome instructor Diane. I really enjoy the guests we have had and chatting with them, and inviting them to share drinks and snacks on our patio overlooking a beautiful valley near Wine Country in Temecula. A friendly attitude makes a huge difference and we have enjoyed interesting conversations with guests from Italy, India, Brazil and California - and we're hoping for many more. We encourage guests to bring their friendly dogs with them and they join in  with our dogs for ranch play time. Most of these pups live in a city environment, often an apartment,  so it's wonderful to see them happily play off leash and with lots of room to run with new pup friends!

I'm loving this!

One thing I would agree with many others - the website is very large and cumbersome, especially with the Experiences. I find it very hard to find what you are looking for and edit easily. I never find an  FAQ that will answer my question, and there's no place to ask it in an email to someone who can reply!

[John833]

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Hi Everyone, four years ago today I made the brave step forward and put my home live on Airbnb, allowing families, groups and individuals to have my home (pictured here) all to themselves. Fast forward to today, 250 people over some 60 plus stays have made wonderful memories here in Northwest England. Who has stayed? Actors, trainee surgeons, wedding parties, horse race goers, holiday makers, business people to name a few. What went wrong? Nothing. Two items were accidentally damaged (lampshade and a globe), both of which were easily resolved. 

Other than the very welcome extra income,  what did it do for me? Numerous holidays: after all, I had to go to elsewhere (very happily). Numerous visits to my son in London. Lots of lovely “Airbnb treat” days with my girlfriend, awarding ourselves knowing our guests were settled in well. 

However, all good things come to an end and my hosting days are now over as my home will have new  owners tomorrow given that my girlfriend and I moving into a new joint home. 

Thank you so much Airbnb, we had a great time together! John 

[Ros6424]

Hi I'm Ros from New Zealand, excited about a new direction in life and opening my house to friends of the world.

My art background still influences my percepts and concepts though I'm not actively engaged presently. In the past drawing, painting, photography, art film making were the mediums. Also enjoy dress making and revamping clothes, 

Gardening, wild life, camping, recently  joined a biodiversity  group in Hawkes Bay.

Traveling, landscape photography,  and world music.

Looking forward to connecting will fellow hosts around the world as well as guests. 

[Stacey285]

Hello Everyone,

I new to Airbnb as a host and my first rental is live! Looking forward to getting some bookings and more places to host!

[Terrie9]

Welcome!

[Christine2772]

Hi, I am new to hosting on airbnb. I opened my home to airbnb in October and have been swamped with bookings. I have an infrared sauna and an outdoor hot tub. Every guest comments and states that they booked here for the hot tub and sauna. My question is....how to keep the hot tub clean? I am working with our local hot tub store and things are better but not quite right. Any suggestions from others who have a hot tub?

[Marjorie176]

Hello everyone. My husband and I are new Airbnb hosts with a guest apartment in the Smokies of western North Carolina. We are learning to clog (mountain dance.) We love sharing our beautiful long-range view with guests.

[Terrie9]

Welcome to the family!

[Lois365]

Hi Lizzie,

it’s great to be here. Thank you. I’ve hosted in our home and have bought a piece of paradise on a small island in British Columbia, Canada. I’m super excited about the “adventurers” and hope I’ll be accepted to do so soon. Until then can I run my place as an experience? How long does it take to be accepted? I don’t see any listings for it in Canada as of yet! 
I’m enjoying my adventure developing the property and hosting people in the summer! Looking forward to having a fabulous garden to share this coming year too! Passions: Boating, fishing, and gardening. 

[Rafael236]

Hello Lizzie, Airbnb community:

It is an honor and pleasure to introduce myself to you. My name is @Rafael236, I currently reside in the Dominican Republic. I work as an academic coordinator for a language school. Let me say that even though business has not been as one would like it to be, in terms of receiving guests, but am content and very much grateful for the assistance I have received from Airbnb. I am optimistic that tourism will pick in the near future and business will again show its great potentials.

[Cecelia25]

Thinking of joining up with a self contained property that we live on in south east Qld, close to public transport and beaches etc.  The only problem seems to be the Gold Coast City Council and their current requirement for an $8,000 applic fee.   This council have a long standing reputation of being very difficult to deal, so wondering if anyone can offer some advice on this issue please.  Thanks in advance,              Toomuchtopay@QLD  

[Jo691]

what happened?  I'm wondering if, like NYC, they are trying to protect the hotels, etc.

[Mike2230]

Hello,

My name is Mike and I have a 1 unit in Florida.  I have just learned of this forum to interact with other hosts etc. 

I have been using Airbnb as a host for about 4 years now, but find that I sometimes have questions that are hard to find on the general website. So I am hoping to learn more about hosting here.

One question I have.  Has anyone ever felt like a guest is trying to get a  very large refund or discount, based on something very small or minor?  in other words they are asking for an unreasonable reduction.

Thanks

Mike

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Mike2230 This seems to be most prevalent in the USA. Thankfully it hasn't really hit here in England but I fear it will eventually unless Airbnb get themselves together and stop supporting guests with frivolous claims

[Jo691]

Mike, is it possible you are getting a crappy kind of guest? Or was this just a one-off?  I would definitely expect air bnb to be able to sort out this issue, but in the meantime, as a newbie, I've found that only accepting people who have no negative reviews, and also not undercharging, has given me mostly really nice people.