AIBU to be upset at review on AirBnB?

[ballerina1971]

This is my first time ever using AirBnB. There was so little available in area we wanted to go , but a property came up. It was an active Church, with 2 camp beds and 2 air beds for the children (aged 11 and 12). No bathroom but a toilet with sink, no cooking facilities or fridge, but a little table was set up with 4 chairs to eat breakfast at. A simple cereal, tea and coffee breakfast was provided. We slept in the Church. On the last day we cleaned the toilet and sink. We washed cups, bowls and spoons we had used and set it all back up, how it was when we arrived. All rubbish was put in a black sack and all recycling put in recycling box, these though we did not know where the bins were despite looking. We don't remember being told where the bins were or where to put rubbish. We were never there during the day, didn't eat there other than breakfast. We didn't make beds the day we left as they would be stripped and washed any way. I smoke, but respected it was a Church and did not smoke anywhere in the grounds, but went out to where my car was parked, smoked there and placed all butts in an empty packet and put in a public bin where ever we went that day, so did not leave any cigarette butts on the grounds even. So, I was shocked to read Hosts review which said
* and her family weren't the tidiest of guests, but they were a very jolly group.'

I don't know what we did wrong, what exactly is expected of us as I can find nothing in Terms and Conditions that says about expectations of how property should be left and my friend was still in the Church to give key back and collect key deposit, so if something bothered them in could have been mentioned then.

I will write a response to the review just not sure yet what to say.

AIBU to be upset at this as I assume other hosts can read this and put them off accepting us in the future, should we use AirBnB again. It has not sat right with me, yet we had a great time and loved the Church and all it's history.pö

It was a gate lodge in a huge grounds of an estate house which we were explicitly told to use. We spend the 3 days around the grounds which were lovely, but didn't run into a soul as it was deserted.

IShe had to come into our house to let a tradesperson in to do something to the heating at one point,so she would have seen the carnage in a house of 3 under 5s so I'd say she was a bit miffed. We left the place perfect though .

how did they know you were jolly?

@DontDrinkDontSmokeWhatDoIDo because it's not! It's neutral. It's a slight criticism followed by a positive. Overall, neutral. 3-stars. Fine. Acceptable. B minus.

A bad review might be "X and her family were extremely messy and left a lot to clean up, I would not recommend".

I hate to think how some of you must react reading school reports!

@3Br1tnee

I think you still come across as slovenly. I mean, who leaves unmade beds? That's just skanky. Make them or strip them. Don't just leave them unmade.

Really ? I would never make the bed the morning I was leaving....I'd pull the duvet back and leave the pillows where they should be ...it's going to be stripped why make it ?????

I think it's a passive aggressive negative review, @Lockheart

If that's all I had to decide to let my place to a guest, I'd think twice.

That said - if you're deemed messy in an empty church, you maybe are!

@SpiderinaWingMirror check out the champing site for additional boggling ,not least the costs which seem to be 50 quid per person per night .

"huge but cosy ". Yeah ,huge church nave is so cosy.

[quote Lockheart]@DontDrinkDontSmokeWhatDoIDo because it's not! It's neutral. It's a slight criticism followed by a positive. Overall, neutral. 3-stars. Fine. Acceptable. B minus.

A bad review might be "X and her family were extremely messy and left a lot to clean up, I would not recommend".

I hate to think how some of you must react reading school reports![/quote]
Unfortunately the way Airbnb works (much like Uber) is that anything under 5 is considered bad. I've had an email from them warning me that I've had more than one negative review in the past month when they were two 4 reviews in a handful of 5*.
When Airbnb hosts are letting people stay in their homes they do rely heavily on reviews to make decisions. As I rent out my spare room I would turn down any guest who had reviews implying they were noisy, messy or hard work in any other way. I didn't used to, when I was more broke, and have had my fingers burnt. As I said before, hosts rarely give overtly negative reviews but there is a bit of a code.

02:57countrytown

It's decent because you're saving some hard working cleaner a couple of minutes work, if you leave them in separate piles. Why wouldn't you do that?

I don't want to start in anywhere that leaves notes about not stripping the beds!! Why would that do that unless they're planning not to change them!

Op I've not read the thread but I do feel you should challenge this. Re making beds it's much healthier to leave beds exposed to light and sun not closed in with bedding. They need airing.

It sounds absolutely rotten and I'm sure you can leave a review back as you have said here.. Everything you did and you still got this review m

Shit I have just seen the price for one place

1 night for our family of for is £196

For a toilet, a sink snd a blow up mattress that is extortionate

Unfortunately the way Airbnb works (much like Uber) is that anything under 5 is considered bad.*

With respect, that's silly. What's the point of one, two, or three stars then if 4 stars is considered bad?

A guest can be bad, a guest can be neutral (they came, they went, it was fine), or a guest can be amazing. Only in the latter case is 5 starts justified, surely.

@smashionaltreasure

I also wondered why you WOULD NOT want guests to strip beds.

The only reason I can think of is because they don't plan on changing the sheets 🤢🤢🤢🤢

Does anyone in the business know a more favourable reason (please!!!)

That is bad. DOn't forget that jolly can interpreted as you being party animals.

@Lockheart

"Weren't the tidiest of guests" is the most gentle criticism. Overall, the review is neutral.

If this is how some of you react to an OK, 3-star, fine but not amazing, review, I'd hate to see how you handle feedback at work.

Not comparable. I’m getting paid for work. If my employer isn’t happy with my services they’re entitled to say so. If they have constructive criticism, best I know about it so I can improve.

Going on holiday is not a situation where I expect to be on the receiving end of reviews. I want to relax, and am paying for the privilege, not worry about getting poor reviews that might jeopardise my chances of doing the same in future or spend hours cleaning (have seen this on other threads on this subject) because some people have unreasonable standards. If I’m paying for something, I will do the rating and reviewing, thanks.

Op, you should challenge this. It is undoubtedly a bad review, and I would read ‘jolly’ as a euphemism for boisterous or noisy pains in the arse in this situation.

@ThePluckOfTheCoward

If this is how Airbnb works then I won't be staying in any of its properties. I don't go on holiday to scrub and wash floors and unless I wrecked the accommodation I don't expect to be reviewed by the owner when I am the paying guest.

Op, have you looked at youth hostels? They have showers and kitchens and you can book family rooms and they don't leave shitty passive aggressive reviews about their paying guests.

I’ve only used Airbnb once and I treated it just like all the other self catering accommodation I stay in. At the end of the stay I strip the beds, wipe down surfaces, make sure all washing up is done and put away, put used towels folded in the bath/shower, put rubbish in the appropriate place (it’s always been indicated in the information folder) and give everything a quick sweep/hoover if their is the equipment available. As we aren’t untidy people it takes very little time. I’ve been thanked for my thoughtfulness by owners and my one Airbnb review thanks me for leaving the property clean and tidy.

Even in a hotel I would make the bed, it takes seconds and avoids it looking like you don’t care.

It's decent because you're saving some hard working cleaner a couple of minutes work, if you leave them in separate piles. Why wouldn't you do that?

I don't strip the beds in hotel rooms & I don't clean my toilet before the cleaner comes at home.

I don't want to start in anywhere that leaves notes about not stripping the beds!! Why would that do that unless they're planning not to change them!

It's pretty obvious if bedding is not clean, or at least it is too me. Who knows perhaps people were putting them in the washing machine or leaving them somewhere else.

I used to work in a hotel, most beds were unmade everyday whether the guests were still staying there or not.

I am reminded of family holidays and that my late mother had a "system". We usually stayed in small hotels or b and bs, so the bedding would be in use for your whole stay (we only ever went for a week) and it was in the days of sheets and blankets.

Most mornings she would pull the bedding up - not properly made or tucked back in, but covering the bottom sheet. This was to let the cleaners know that you were staying another night. On the last morning she would fold the bedding down to the bottom of the bed so the cleaners knew we were leaving.

I have no idea where she got this idea from and I'm sure the cleaners had instructions about who was staying or leavig that were far clearer than her self invented code!!

On the bed debate, I always roughly make the bed as I do a sweep of the room to check nothing has been left. Checking through the bedclothes is part of that so I’m going through them anyway, and it’s much better to pull them straight to be sure. Easier to be absolutely certain nothing is in the room or apartment on the way out if you can cast your eyes over smooth surfaces too. Don’t think anyone would mistake it for a clean, made bed.

I have stripped in holiday lets as I was under the impression a bit more was expected of guests, so I see it as similar to taking out rubbish and recycling.

"Jolly sorts" you found the stash of communion wine didn't you!

[quote SeaShoreGalore]@ballerina1971
It’s not so much that it inconveniences, but it’s mildly irritating. There’s the brief moment when you walk in and think the bed might not have been slept in, so your hopes are briefly risen, then dashed as you realise that you do, in fact, have to change it. Then there’s that feeling, as if you’ve been given a gift that is no use and you don’t want. It’s easier and quicker to pull all the sheets off if they’re halfway down the bed in the first place. I didn’t like the feeling that someone was wasting their time and energy to do something helpful, that was unnecessary, and I used to feel a bit sorry for them. I used to imagine the sort of person who likes to martyr themselves, and it just seemed so overly careful and a bit prissy.

Didn’t occur to me that someone might just prefer to sit on a made bed .

Talking to other chambermaids, it’s just generally the irritation at the wasted effort.

And nobody cleaning your rooms thinks you’re a slattern for leaving the sheets askew. It’s used nappies in the bin and an un flushed toilet that will do that.[/quote]
Yes, this (from another former chambermaid.)

have been a chambermaid, and I would say that those who’s job it is to strip and make beds universally find it irritating when people make them after the last night of their stay.

Absolutely. I did 3 years as a chambermaid and it’s much easier to have an unmade bed. Having to untuck everything is annoying.

It's decent because you're saving some hard working cleaner a couple of minutes work, if you leave them in separate piles. Why wouldn't you do that?

If you strip them it’s more hassle to see any rips or tears or if you’ve left anything we don’t think the laundry should have to deal with.

I massively admire you for going and making the best of this.

The more I hear about " The Church" the less I like them.

I have tried to set up something very small scale for refugees, using a building which is already open ie minimum effort. They don't want to know.

To all those who hoover - all my reviews say I leave the place clean and tidy and I have never swept or hoovered. I do the dishes, strip beds, leave towels where indicated, remove rubbish and wipe down any crumbs. I guess I don’t generally leave bits of cereal on the floor anyway and would pick up straight after.

Crikey. Champing looks grim. Like a evacuation sleepover in my old school assembly hall! Looks like something from Call The Midwife.

OP I'd be disappointed too. It sounds like a review from someone who finds guests an inconvenience.

Tereo, I think the review about you was barbed and veiled, it reads like your kids were out of control but they don't have the balls to say that, in case you challenge them back.
Since I can't stand passive aggression, that review would put me right off staying there because I'd think the owners were arses.