This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
Have any hosts received requests for amenities outside what is considered standard? Would hosts/guests find value in a minibar alternative tailored to the airbnb experience?
We are working on a service called Kit Delivery (http://www.kit-delivery.com/), providing guests with pre-made kits that offer product variety and save a ton of money. We currently offer 3 pre-made kit options: $5 Basic Kit, $10 Premium Kit and $15 Group Kit. To give you an idea, our Basic Kit includes: 4 Poland Spring Waters, 1 Vintage Seltzer Water, 1 Red Bull, 2 Bags of Potato Chips, 2 Nutri-Grain Bars and 1 Welchâs Fruit Snack.
Kits could be sold to hosts, who in turn could resell them to guests, or hosts could refer guests. If any hosts are interested, please respond!
I know that a lot of hosts are providing things like this for free. So do we. We have a smal welcome basket with water bottles and some healthy snacks. I have also been using Airbnb as guest, where we got things like this for free/included in the price.
I would never buy a kit as host, even if I could safe money, because I prefer to choose on my own range of products. I want the amenities to reflect our hosting style. I also think that a lot (at least European guests) would prefer much more healthier snacks. And they love local products.
We Air our spare room in our house, so itâs probably a bit different (?). I provide a little shower gel and soap of which I have collected from hotels (weâve both stayed at hundreds for work and Iâm a bit of a hoarder). We also provide help yourself breakfast (tea/coffee/toast/cereals). We donât get that much money of our room to provide much else! If guests want that they should stay at a hotel.
guests want stuff for free. they like free stuff. unless someoneâs place is in an area that is not near shops, convenience stores, or liquor stores, this might not be a needed service.
Your kits are very well-priced, however â the basic kit would cost someone over $12 if they purchased these items at the 7/11 on the corner.
Thank you for your answer, very helpful! If you had more product variety and could fully customize your kit would that be more appealing than a pre-made kit?
This is terrible industrial food. Full of salt and sugar. I feel Airbnb should set an example and be more responsible about food. I will continue to provide our own healthier foods.
We also have a kit with kind bars and nature valley bars which are a healthier alternatives. that being said, I donât think Airbnb is in the business of telling guests what they should and shouldnât eat.
I hope you truly want honest feedback. I promise, Iâm not trying to be rude, just forthright.
I am an avid home baker. I bake muffins and breakfast bars and freeze them for our guests (and for my husband and me). One of the reasons that I bake breakfast bars is that virtually all commercial brands, Kind and Nature Valley included, are not very flavorful or healthy. Layâs chips, Doritos, goldfish crackers and fruit snacks donât appeal to me. To my taste, they are generic processed food. Even though a lot of hosts offer bottled water, I donât because of the negative impact on the environment of water bottles.
Although I donât charge enough to justify purchasing and storing amenity kits, I think that some hosts would. I recommend that you put together regional kits with local delicacies. Also, you might consider putting together kits for pets. People love gifts for their pets. I think that guests might be more willing to pay for these as kind of a souvenir.
We offer homemade fudge to our guests upon arrival, and mention that in our description.Have had a few people mention they were impressed and did play a part in their decision to stay with us.
Who would pay for shipping kitdelivery? It doesnât seem like you would make that much money selling the basic kit for $5, after including packaging and labor - even if you can purchase at wholesale prices. But I suppose you get a really cheap price.
And would someone have to be home in order to accept delivery of the kit? - I have had a package stolen outside of my apartment door by a neighbor. At least I suspect it was someone walking up the stairsâŠso maybe even a friend visiting one of the neighbors.
Sorry to add another ânoâ because I can see why this would seem like a great idea, but it wouldnât work for us either.
We are a short walk to a market, Iâm a budget operation (I provide a nice continental breakfast, have a water filter, put out little candies, thatâs it), but for me the first thing was âwhat will I do with the extras?â Having to buy it in a kit is not
because I could see having one or two products not used and we wouldnât eat it.
I like the part about toilet paper :1.5 a week. I wish that was true. My guests go through toilet paper with super speed. One girl used 1 roll a day, andi am not joking.
I donât think I will supply tampons for guests. Honestly I donât see how Airbnb hosts need to do more than hotels. Airbnb is all about CHEAPER than hotel accomodation. You mentioned many things that hotels donât provide: feminine products, antibiotic ointments, brushes, toothpaste, butter, salt and so on. All of these cost money. Iin a beginning put out toothbrushes for guests in case they forget theirs. And ALL of them just took my new toothbrushes with them, why not if they were offered. I didnt buy them, I had extra from my dentist, but a toothbrush like this cost at least 2$. They took 2. My rate was 55$ a night for 2 people. One couple booked just for 1 night, and took toothpaste with them as well, and all small soaps also. So, they took at least 7$ worth of products. What if I supplied everything was on a list and they took all of it, whichi am sure they would . I would be out of 20$ before I knew.
@Yana_Agapova I totally agree that not all of these are âmustsâ, but simply suggestions for items you may want to consider supplying and that a guest may (or may not) expect. Everyone has their own style! Some hosts may charge much more than $55 per night and may want to create a slightly different experience than that of a hotel - not cheaper or pricier, just different. To each his own - thatâs what keeps the home sharing community unique & eclectic !
I recently put in a ziploc bag two tampons, one maxi pad, a box of floss, and a razor. I put one bag in each bathroom (in a closed drawer next to the hair dryer). I wanted the feminine products there in case someone unexpectedly started in the middle of the night and the store was closed - Iâd hate for them to have to improvise and stain the sheets with blood. And I remember being a teenager - the last thing you want is to bring attention that you started your cycle and now everyone knows why you need to go to the storeâŠlol.
Well of course one girl decided to take everything out of both bags and just left the razor in eachâŠprobably because she couldnât take it on the plane, or she had a nicer one at home. I will see how long these next bags remain or if someone else will soon just take everything instead of only what they need. If that happens then I guess I will go back to not leaving anything.
And guess what? I only discovered everything was missing because I began my cycle while staying there. It was right after these guests left, and I hadnât cleaned the bathrooms yet. It was late at night and I thought what a good idea it was for me to have left the bags. I was sooo mad when I saw only the razor leftâŠGrrrrr!
If you rent your cabing for over 200$ a day than it not that painfull for your pocket if she took 5-7$ worth of things though still it sill become quite an expence if every single guest will do it. But in my case, this couple stayed only 1- night for 55$ and took everything was there in case of emergency. They even cleaned out all my small soaps that I keep more for decoration mostly as I have larger soap containers for use.
WowâŠthey even took the decoration soaps? Some nerve. I stayed at a rental many years ago and the owner had a large basket of toothbrushes, toiletries, etc. under the sink and labeled it in a nice manner that it was only for emergencies in case they had forgotten those items.
Right now there are 5 women staying in the rentalâŠso if both bags are emptied again, then I will put a laminated note in the bag kindly letting them know it is there in case the store is closed.
Yes, little items can add up very quickly if guests are swiping them every time - esp. with short night stays. I thank my lucky stars I have never had a theft problem like some owners renting out a full space have experienced (at least not to my knowledge).
