Monday
Today was the day…
Overcast, with a touch of humidity but cooling later with fresh winds. The swim was great but we are expecting stronger south-easterly winds tomorrow and Wednesday. I have an inkling the next swim will be Thursday.
So I’ve been thinking about my very short experience as an Airbnb host and what I have learned from other Airbnbs that I have visited in the past. I think the one I learned the most from was in Florence. It was October 2013 and we were travelling through Italy with Julian. I had found the most amazing place quite close to the centre of Florence. The biggest thing about it was its age. A medieval apartment apparently dated 1200AD. The building opened up onto the Palazzo Pitti Square.
I found this online. The arrow shows the doorway.
It really was a spectacular location and we were very privileged to be able to stay there. I can’t remember the price being exorbitant. Inside the stairs were old and quaint.
The main upstairs bedroom where Mike and I stayed had this (apparently original) fresco on the wall…it was said to date back to the 14C
Just altogether an amazing place right?!
Except!
It was dirty.
The toilet hadn’t been cleaned since the 14th Century.
The upstairs kitchen area opened onto a little metal deck overlooking an open courtyard. There pigeons flew in and out with great abundance. No one cleaned up after them and the metal deck seemed to be their most frequent port of call.
The place smelt musty and dank. Part of the ‘ambience’ of an ancient building perhaps.
But there was absolutely no excuse for the dirt.
It was pretty bad. While I loved the location, I couldn’t wait to leave the building. That was one of my first Airbnb experiences. The host kept contacting me afterwards asking for a review. He was pushy. No review was better than the one I would have given. In hindsight, I should have been honest. The listing is still visible on Airbnb – it’s where I got some of the photos, but at the moment it’s closed. Would I stay there again? Yes, but not before insisting the host make sure the place is clean. Not too much to ask!
The second Airbnb I learned from was one we stayed in in Swellendam. Exactly 2 years ago we spent a night in a lovely little house quite close to Stacey and Adrian. It was spotlessly clean. The host messaged me to say where to park and that the key would be in the pot at the front door. That was it. I didn’t see the owner at all during the brief time we were there. I got the feeling she may have been looking at us through a slightly parted curtain from the house next door, but not once did I see her, nor did she come and greet or even wave hello or good bye. She was strangely absent. Now I know people have things that prevent them from being seen, but I would have liked to have had her meet us even from a distance. I didn’t expect the host to be visiting every day, but meeting us just once would have been normal.
Two important lessons learned:
- Guests want a clean place.
- Guests want a friendly face.
We have worked hard to provide both!
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.
Keep the smile going.
God bless you.
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂