Any non-monetary rewards?

Just curious what is your overall feeling of hosting? Do you feel airbnb offers any other rewards beside monetary?
Do you have more negative or positive experiences with airbnb?

Thank you!

I feel great. Over 130 guests, no real problems. No problems with airbnb either but it’s just a platform. It has little control over guests or hosts so it’s up to us to make it work via the review and rating system. I have enjoyed the company of some guests, sat and talked over coffee or a beer. I haven’t made any life long friend from it but that’s not to say that it would never happen. I like meeting people. I’m retired and in good health so I have the time and energy I need to really enjoy hosting.

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yeah i’m in the same boat and to be honest i’m not out there to make friends so…

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When my guests leave with a big, sincere smile and I know that I have been part of a successful vacation, it makes me happy.

Though I am not here to make friends I am not here just to handle the keys and get the money. The leading hotel group around here once had the slogan “We manufacture smiles” and it sums up my idea of hosting quite well.

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We get a lot of people coming to the area for interviews. It is nice hearing the follow-up that they got the job they were seeking, and that they think the night’s rest beforehand at our place helped them in being prepared.

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Part of the reason I started my listing was to meet new people and make new contacts, particularly from outside my country (I’m in India). It’s early days yet, so I don’t know how it will go. I thought of starting a thread asking whether people have managed to make useful (professional) contacts or friends via Airbnb hosting, but I haven’t yet.

Early days yet. So far, so good.

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I’ve learned a lot about other cultures and little things about different people and how they operate. I’ve really enjoyed meeting the people, and while only fb friends with a small percent of them, am glad to have met all of them - even the difficult ones add something to my life.

I think my kids have been enriched by the experience, too. And we are doing it as a family - each child takes an active roll in the cleaning, and all greet the guests and interact with them, to a point (depending on the guest and the child).

I’ve enjoyed having the income to offset getting the space fixed up, adding a bathroom, adding nice beds, etc.

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I do feel rewarded when some of my guests who leave here looking like they are so much more relaxed, less frazzled than when they arrived! I get quite a few guests from NYC, the boroughs, NJ. They look like fish out of water when they get here. If they take even 10% of my advice of where to go, walks to take or even the short drive to a few places, this area works its magic and allows them to calm down and relax. It’s a novelty to many to be in a place where I can say “you don’t have to lock your car” (not many take that advice). I also regularly smudge my home and I do open up the Universal Energy via Reiki in the bedroom where guests are going to sleep before their arrival

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