AirBNB: Hosting & Being a Hostee
I read an article on Domain.Com.Au about the "10 Things You'll Find in Every AirBNB Rental". It's a nice read and as the AirBNB community grows in Australia, I can imagine a lot of people could relate to the points in Clem Bastow's article. I've been both a host and an AirBNB hostee for over 7 months now, so here are my responses to Ms. Bastow's 10 Things You'll Find in Every AirBNB Rental.
"1. That one terrible artwork"
At my place: In the bedroom that we put up on AirBNB, there's a prominent abstract illustration of a dalek that my friend Zerah got me for Christmas in 2014. Guests who don't know Doctor Who are probably confused as to what it could be. Why is it paired up with a candle sitting on a bed of rice in a glass vase? Is it to hide the broken down printer that my darling boyfriend refuses to throw out? I have yet to have a guest that has piped up and asked about it. Maybe only a true Doctor Who fan would?
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Abstract Dalek, purchased in a design market in Melbourne[/caption]
Staying at an AirBNB: I have yet to come across a terrible piece of artwork at one of my stays. I did however, stay at a cool apartment close to Helsinki, Finland. Along with an in-house sauna that every Finnish home apparently has, they had a wall in the kitchen painted in chalkboard black, completely illustrated with inspiring, 'welcome to our home' quotes in chalk-white paint. The bathroom doors also had old manga (Japanese comics) pages pasted all over it, giving some quirky reading material when going to the loo.
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AirBNB in Helsinki, Finland[/caption]
"2. A really confusing shower"
At my place: The only danger with our shower is the fear that the hot and cold knobs might fall off, leaving you to desperately shove them back on with slippery hands, or use your fingers as makeshift pliers to adjust the temperature. They haven't caused any issues to date. Most people are probably explaining to themselves why our bathroom is so shockingly pink.
Staying at an AirBNB: As we stayed across the UK - Manchester, Liverpool, Hawarden, Bethesda - I was baffled with the two-dialled showers. It wasn't simply hot and cold. I think one was temperature, which was adjustable, and the other was 'on and off'/water pressure. It was a balancing act of hot and cold levels, adjusting to the degree, and the amount of water you wanted pelted at you. Maybe. I'm still baffled to this day.
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A really confusing way to turn on a shower...[/caption]
"3. The bed of your dreams"
At my place: The bed we offer is foldable into a single lounge chair, and stretched out into a single bed. It is much more comfortable than our double bed in the master bedroom. When we don't have guests, both my partner and I find ourselves squished together, relaxing on this single bed. It's probably psychological. The fact that we can't have it, makes it more desirable, and we relish every section of mattress.
Staying at an AirBNB: I haven't come across a bed that I have melted in and fallen in love for. They're not like hotel beds. Hotel beds - ah! They're magnificent. All the beds I have slept in during my AirBNB adventures have always been neat, laden with fresh covers and comfy pillows. And that's all a traveller needs.
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A hostel bed in Frankfurt, Germany[/caption]
"4. Succulents"
At my place: No succulents. We do have a new apricot tree and cat grass growing on our balcony. We don't expect our guests to help with any routine activities, such as watering the plants. I think most people question whether they have to feed our cat. Only one (lovely!) guest has done this to date and instantly became best friends with Patch.
Staying at an AirBNB: I haven't stayed at an AirBNB place too long to wonder if I should help them with their day-to-day activities. We do what all guests are expected to do - clean up after ourselves - and that's it.
"5. A mountain of pillows"
At my place: Our guests get a maximum of 2 pillows. It might be surprising to know that I did put thought into our pillow provision: one slightly more solid pillow, and the other soft but thick. A pillow can make the difference in a good night's rest. We don't offer much with our place, but we hope each guest has a content sleep.
Staying at an AirBNB: During our Europe trip this year, we stayed at a variety of places - AirBNBs, hostels, hotels, in boats, on trains, in buildings, in tents, and in houses. But throughout the whole trip we had our trusty Kathmandu travel pillows, that had also accompanied us during our many camping trips around Australia: Alice Springs (NT), Uluru (NT), Kangaroo Valley (NSW), and Wombat Grove (NSW).
Having a pillow of your own is a small relief for when the pillows at a place you're staying at just aren't enough. It gives you a small piece of comfort when the rest of you is in knots after a weekend of drinking in Munich's Oktoberfest. It acts as a friend's shoulder when you're just too tired and need to fall asleep on a train or on a flight in that awkward sitting position.
"6. Amorous Neighbours"
At my place: All of our guests have been solo travellers (minus the families that stayed at our place while we were overseas). Only one guest brought someone home one day. They were sheepish when I 'caught' them walking out of the bedroom. While our guests can do as they please, I was a bit weary in this situation. It's still our home and having another person unknowingly there made me feel slightly uncomfortable.
If it were a room mate who would be there for a long period of time - then that's okay. But most of our guests stay for an average of 3 nights and then they're gone. I don't want strangers who have no official record of them staying with us via AirBNB to be at our place. Call me a prude.
Staying at an AirBNB: Travellers and AirBNB hosts alike, take advantage of the moments when one or the other isn't in the house. Tip: travellers and AirBNB hosts alike must master the art of silence ;)
"7. Suggested reading"
At my place: Unlike the pilot episode of Flesh and Blood where Claire Robbins brought a luggage full of her favourite books and covered herself with them as a novel-protective-duvet when she slept, I didn't bring my library of books when I left home. My Harry Potter series is sadly still sitting in my bedroom , so no AirBNB guest of ours would see any sign that I'm a Harry Potter fan. No DVDs, not even my witch's hat.
We offer a selection of Cleo, FourFourTwo (both of which I nabbed from a Malaysian Airlines flight - I LOVE free magazines!), a Lonely Planet book about Hawaii, a handful of 'where to go in Sydney' and pamphlets about the Blue Mountains, Contiki too, and a German guest of ours left his book called The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.
As well as having a wonderful selection of literature, a nice feature of an AirBNB place would be a lovely place for reading. Whether it's a comfy couch, a sun drenched patio, or a swing in a garden. Our place has a lovely balcony that our guests are welcome to use, whether it's to watch the fireworks that ignite the skies, or, to enjoy a good book with a coffee as they watch the specks of tiny people climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
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Our Balcony[/caption]
Staying at an AirBNB: The same Finnish place (pictured above with its fun, bathroom walls) had its own standing newspaper and magazine rack! The bathrooms in Niall's parent's place in Wales had a floor-to-ceiling bookcase filled with books collected from the 1970s to present. Inspirational.
"8. Terrified room mates"
At my place: The only terrified room mate you'll meet is our cat, Patch. Who, if you leave your door ajar, will sniff your belongings and rub her body against it - even if it's a Louis Vutton bag.
Staying at an AirBNB: We've only had one AirBNB stay where we didn't have to interact with anyone - except for that host's neighbour who kindly warned us that to get to the place we had to squeeze our car through an extremely narrow gap. Might I mention it was also slightly uphill?
Every other place had the owner staying in another room somewhere in the house and they went on with their lives. We would sometimes say 'hi' to their room mate/girlfriend/partner and then go on our merry way.
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The Narrow Gap - Bethesda, Wales[/caption]
The room mate of the Helsinki place (this host is getting PLENTY of mentions in this post) was so kind and even offered to get our washing at the end of the day. We made a cut in our plans that day to dash back to their place to retrieve our washing, because honestly, we wouldn't want them to go to the trouble (even though, I'm the sort of person who would happily do the same... if you didn't mind me touching your underwear.)
"9. Daybeds"
At my place: The single bed we offer at our place is similar to a daybed. See above point - the Bed of Your Dreams.
Staying at an AirBNB: So far, all my AirBNB reservations have been with the boyfriend, so we always opt for a place with a double bed.
"10. A personal photo a host forgot to take down"
At my place: We had our whole apartment up on AirBNB while we were gone for 5 weeks in Europe. As we frantically packed during the last week, shoving every belonging we had into every cupboard and box, Niall said: "We should hide our photo frames." Dotted around our house are framed pictures of the various trips Niall and I have been on to date - from Singapore to climbing the Harbour Bridge in Sydney. I didn't feel there was a need to and we didn't end up hiding them.
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Framed travel photos[/caption]
Staying at an AirBNB: While some guests have an expectation that the place they've booked should feel like it completely belongs to them, I don't truly believe in that. I like the personal touch of AirBNB places and it reminds me to be respectful that we are in someone else's home - whether they're sleeping in the bedroom down the hall, away on vacation, or own the place as part of their investment portfolio.
There you have it! My response to the top 10 things you'll find in an AirBNB rental. If you're ever staying in Sydney, search for us on AirBNB.