Airbnb is holding a live-stream event on November 12 at 10 a.m. pst and plans to announce a new product aimed at hosts. Wonder if it has anything to do with this.
If you want to attend, you'll need to order a 'ticket' which you can get on their Facebook event page.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Wait a minute Mr. Postman?
 |
| Can't blame the Postwoman for this one. |
Several hours later a friend contacted me. She hadn't yet gotten my RSVP to her wedding invitation. What invitation? I never got it.
After some checking, I realized that I also never received that month's water and cable bills.
That's too much of a coincidence for me. The only conclusion is that guests have been picking up and throwing out my mail. Now, why the hell would they do this? Don't know but apparently it's another thing you shouldn't have to tell adults that I will now have to warn them about.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Monkey Monkey Underpants*
By far, the most commonly left behind (no pun intended) item is underpants/knickers/panties, call them what you will. Left on the floor, in the bureau, amongst the bedding. I've also had people leave discarded jeans, blankets, electronic devices and, in one case, an entire set of their own bedding including pillows.
My policy is, if they want it back they need to come pick it up. How do you handle situations like this?
*If you were a fan of Gilmore Girls you'll get the reference. Here's the clip:
My policy is, if they want it back they need to come pick it up. How do you handle situations like this?
*If you were a fan of Gilmore Girls you'll get the reference. Here's the clip:
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Lockboxes
Sometimes you just can't be there to meet guest when they arrive. Or they arrive so late that you don't want to have to wake up to let them in. Key lockboxes are the solution.
For a long time I used the Master Lockbox. It's kind of heavy and clunky but it did the job. The only problem was that some guests couldn't figure it out. I'd get a panicked call and have to talk them through it. And, honestly, the lock is a bit trickier than it needs to be. You've got to set the numbers and then hold down the black lever next to them while you pull the lockbox door toward you.
One time I got a call from a guest complaining that they had set the combo numbers correctly but the door to the house still wouldn't open. Of course, they hadn't removed the keys from the box. They seemed to think the house door would magically unlock itself once the numbers were set (and no, they weren't Americans.)
A few weeks ago I decided it was time to find an easier lock. After some searching around I found exactly what I wanted. The Vault Locks 3200 Key Storage Lock Box is small and very easy to use - just set the combo and pull the box towards you. I bought 2 of them and use the other to store a spare set of my own keys.
Even though I have the option of using a lockbox, there are times when I insist on meeting the guests in person - usually when there is a large group of students staying. My experience has been that they don't always reports the true number of people in their group. Once they know that you will be there waiting they suddenly have another friend who decided to join them.
Oh, one other thing: I change the lock combination after every guest and set the new combo to the last four digits of the guests phone number. I thought that would help people remember but no guest has ever recognized it was their own number.
For a long time I used the Master Lockbox. It's kind of heavy and clunky but it did the job. The only problem was that some guests couldn't figure it out. I'd get a panicked call and have to talk them through it. And, honestly, the lock is a bit trickier than it needs to be. You've got to set the numbers and then hold down the black lever next to them while you pull the lockbox door toward you.One time I got a call from a guest complaining that they had set the combo numbers correctly but the door to the house still wouldn't open. Of course, they hadn't removed the keys from the box. They seemed to think the house door would magically unlock itself once the numbers were set (and no, they weren't Americans.)
Even though I have the option of using a lockbox, there are times when I insist on meeting the guests in person - usually when there is a large group of students staying. My experience has been that they don't always reports the true number of people in their group. Once they know that you will be there waiting they suddenly have another friend who decided to join them.
Oh, one other thing: I change the lock combination after every guest and set the new combo to the last four digits of the guests phone number. I thought that would help people remember but no guest has ever recognized it was their own number.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
People who shouldn't use Airbnb: Craig
Every now and then I browse through the other Airbnb listings in my area. It helps me make decisions about what to charge and is just a good way to see what guests like (or not) in other places. Occasionally, you read a review that seems completely out of line. Here's an example.
Meet Craig, who's description reads "My wife and I divide our time between Kent, CT and Greenwich, CT. We are semi-retired investors with a great love of travel. We are devoted parents of a 12 year old girl and 15 year old boy."
Okay, good.
Now here's his review of Affordable, Cosy and Private Escape.
"I was not going to leave a review at all because I didn't want to mess up Alicia's business, but then the requests for money for broken items started arriving. That was odd since we decided not stay in the apartment at all.
As we approached Alicia's townhouse, my son noticed signs in bodega windows notifying customers that the police would be called immediately if anyone entered the store while wearing a hood or mask. The R.I.P. gangster wall murals also created quite an impression.
Okay, good.
Now here's his review of Affordable, Cosy and Private Escape.
"I was not going to leave a review at all because I didn't want to mess up Alicia's business, but then the requests for money for broken items started arriving. That was odd since we decided not stay in the apartment at all.
As we approached Alicia's townhouse, my son noticed signs in bodega windows notifying customers that the police would be called immediately if anyone entered the store while wearing a hood or mask. The R.I.P. gangster wall murals also created quite an impression.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Top 10 lists
Top 10 lists can be fun to read. These two offer advice for both guests and hosts.
I don't agree with everything in there, especially providing food and (especially) liquor for your guests, but that's a subject for another post.
And here's something that has the potential to turn hosts into real hospitality professionals. In my mind, that is the real threat Airbnb poses to the hotel industry.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Back from summer hiatus
No, I wasn't away on vacation. I was just super busy with my full time job and having my best 2 Airbnb months ever. And by best I mean the most lucrative. Also the busiest.
Many of the guests stayed the minimum 2 nights. That meant cleaning every other morning. But one great thing - 2 solid months of really excellent guests where nearly everyone exceeded my expectations. Also, at least 70% of our guests were from France. Not sure what that's about but it's definitely been a positive experience.
I caught a break for the month of September, with a 2 week stay at the beginning of the month and a 3 week stay starting a week after the that. I've used the extra time it's given me to do some sprucing up around my own place and get some projects done.
Check out this story from Nashville Ledger correspondent and Airbnb host Jeannie Naujeck,
Want to rent your space through Ainbnb? Some tips for success
My project for the upcoming months is to download and analyze my Airbnb hosting data. I'll be presenting that towards the end of the year when it's ready.
Many of the guests stayed the minimum 2 nights. That meant cleaning every other morning. But one great thing - 2 solid months of really excellent guests where nearly everyone exceeded my expectations. Also, at least 70% of our guests were from France. Not sure what that's about but it's definitely been a positive experience.
I caught a break for the month of September, with a 2 week stay at the beginning of the month and a 3 week stay starting a week after the that. I've used the extra time it's given me to do some sprucing up around my own place and get some projects done.
Check out this story from Nashville Ledger correspondent and Airbnb host Jeannie Naujeck,
Want to rent your space through Ainbnb? Some tips for success
My project for the upcoming months is to download and analyze my Airbnb hosting data. I'll be presenting that towards the end of the year when it's ready.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)