How do you all feel about this?

42

We use the water cooler concept. We supply bottled water in the five-gallon jugs in the water cooler that offices have. Yes, it uses electricity to keep the water cool, but there’s no landfill waste (St Lucia does not have recycling yet :cry:) We’re on rainwater catchment, too, and offer a whole-house rental.

I’m hoping I may get invited - we have a 4000-square foot home in a prime location, and frankly offer a lot more than a hotel (except on-site restaurants/bars, although we do have a wonderful lady that will cook for our guests and makes great rum punch!)

Our problem is exactly the same as the article mentions - we don’t get a lot of AirBnB business because of our price. We compete with the higher-end hotels in the region.

43

What is someone supposed to do about hotel toiletries? If the place sleeps 6 guests, does Airbnb expect you will leave a new shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion every day, for each guest?

That would be 168 mini bottles for a family staying one week. Same with water bottles. Do you leave piles of bottles? It’s not like everyone has an onsite housekeeping staff to replenish items.

A traveler who hasn’t used Airbnb because they want to be pampered by hotel amenities…likely will have a meltdown if the fridge goes out, or what happens if the internet goes down, or the A/C needs to be repaired, etc.? The host may not have extra houses sitting around in the background to relocate the guest. No extra hotel room to move them to while things are being fixed.

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44

Ellen, you are right! It is going to be the best thing after all, to have deluxe category, budget and in between. I am glad to be on this forum, and thank you personally for your inputs.

45

I’m a non-tap water drinker myself. I live in an old house (1926), married to a plumber, and know what the old lead pipes look like. :confounded:

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46

Yikes! Do you think most old houses have them??

47

1903 here. No lead all the way to the street.

48

My house was built in 1926, but we’ve replaced the plumbing pipes.

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49

Your house is the classic LA bungalow!!! Can you imagine what Rancho Park and Palms looked like in the 1920s ? All of LA for that matter!!!

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50

My grandfather used to tell me that in his early days here he would drive to the San Fernando valley which was pretty much nothing but orange groves.

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51

I am OLD enough to remember Orange County as orange groves!!! I have photos of my sis and me sitting in our backyard with farmlands as far as the eye can see!!! Now? Sidewalks and subdivisions in their place.

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52

@zandra. Actually, cavities are normally an issue with the young…at some point …I forget the age…in our twenties I believe…we stop getting cavities and gum disease begins…if you are genetically disposed to it…so floss!:nauseated_face:

53

I never had a cavity until my 40s.

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54

I never had a cavity until my thirties. And then I seemed to have one every 6 months :frowning: :frowning:

55

If you have given birth, that might have had an influence. Many women experience problems with cavities in pregnancy…

56

I think it makes financial sense for Airbnb to go in that direction, good luck with it. I will not be applying, they already are quite pushy with the business ready label.

57

I think it will be good for hosts with “standard” spaces. It will filter the picky guests who think Airbnbs should be like hotels into the pool of luxury listings.

Basically it will reinforce the idea of, You Get What You Pay For.

That said, the premium hosts had better be on their toes…

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58

This is something that actually worked out well, for me. I used to have two bottles of shampoo, and some body wash and soap in my bathroom. So what happens now, some Airbnb guests are using mine, others are bringing their own bottles of toiletries and leaving them next to the sink, which the subsequent guests will be happy using up etc. We are all sharing all of this, now, and nobody ever complains. In fact, many toiletries which guests brought are very popular with subsequent guests, much more than what I provided in the first place.