If you own an Airbnb…

[Emilywiththegreeneyes]

Do you ever stay in it yourself?

We’re away for a few days staying in an Airbnb as we usually do. The place in general is good. It’s clean, has what we need, etc but there are a couple of recurring themes we seem to find whenever we stay at Airbnbs.

The beds are shit. They’re like bloody trampolines and the bedrooms just have shitty little metal Venetian blinds which are fine for privacy but someone may as well be stood with a torch in my face at sunrise. They just let all the light through.

We stay in Airbnbs quite often as we prefer to have the extra space with a toddler rather than a pokey hotel room. We don’t just book the first thing we find, generally we pick out nice places that are not the cheapest but these two things in particular seem to be common issues in most places we stay.

Also the TV remote doesn’t work properly.

So it makes me think the owner (I know it’s an individual and not a company) hasn’t stayed herself for a while or she’d notice these things.

I will mention them on the private part of the review as I usually do, but curious for those of you who run these places, do you ever stay or get friends to stay to see if there is anything that needs addressing or do you just assume all is good?

I never stay in AirBnBs because they're not professionally run. Also they take away rental accommodation for people needing it.

I think in this day and age people are trying to let out spare spaces to make much needed money. that aside I often think that people do not try it themselves just get ideas and away they go. I agree I think hotels air b and bs etc need to check things like curtains and blinds. if they are family rooms it is awful to have babies and toddlers woken up at stupid o clock by curtains etc that let in light. one thing that gives me the rage is china; luckily these days cups and saucers are rarer but nothing is worse than titchy mugs. often cookery items like pans are not enough and I totally agree over beds, now I am older a comfy bed for a good nights sleep is more essential than ever!

Though my husband and I usually rent furnished lodgings year-round, right next to Paris, we have also run Airbnbs. We know what is needed from experience! Specifically, effective blinds and shutters in sleeping areas, comfortable double beds, 100% coton bed linens, breathable mattress and pillow protectors, extra bed pillows, good sound and thermal insulation, proper heating and cooling (fans), sufficient seating for number of guests at the table and living areas, sufficient cutlery, dishes and cookware, good bright lighting and softer ambiance lighting, sufficient closet & shelf space for clothes and personal items, sufficient hot water for showers, etc. We always provide everything we ouselves would need to be truly comfortable!
Also, we systematically ask guests for constructive feedback on potential improvements. Very often, they offer helpful suggestions, and we follow them if possible.
Recently, a guest mentioned that the bathroom mirror cabinet was an obstacle to spitting in the small bathroom sink. There was another cabinet in the bathroom, so we replaced the mirror cabinet with a flat mirror, providing a larger reflective surface and much more practical. We later sent a message to the guest with a photo of the mirror, thanking them for the suggestion.
My opinion is that if individuals running Airbnbs act like professionals, problems should be rare.
I’m usually pretty happy with Airbnbs when I’m a guest, because I read the reviews and study the photos and advert details very carefully before reserving.

Yes we do, as do family and friends.