Does everyone make their beds with clean linens before new guests arrive or do you leave them on the bed for the guests to put on? It never occurred to me that I should not make the beds for my guests, but a friend mentioned staying at several AirBnb’s where the sheets were left on the beds for them to put on. She liked the idea and felt it ensured that the sheets were clean. I’ve only stayed in one AirBnb myself and the beds were made. Thoughts? I’m reconsidering making the beds, but I have duvet covers that I change after every visit and they are a pain to put on. I’d hate to leave that for a tired guest to do.
Every Airbnb (and B&B and inn) that we’ve stayed in had the beds fully made. Our beds are always fully made for our guests.
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I make the beds. I know we aren’t hotels but they know what works in this business and what is going to make the greatest number of guests happy. Also the idea that hotels sheets can be trusted but an airbnb’s should be left to inspect first is annoying. My place is cleaner than any hotel.
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Mine too! I prefer a good AirBnb over a hotel any day!
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If a guest is fearful that I’ll leave the bed made with dirty linens they are quite welcome not to book with me.
I think most guests prefer to enter and see a nicely made bed than the few who might doubt their cleanliness. It’s pretty easy to see if a bed has clean bedding on it.
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We make the beds. Oh, the last thing I’d want to do after traveling is to have to make my own bed, that would be awful.
Besides, do guests think the sheets are clean just because they’re folded up and not on the bed? Lol. Silly guests… 
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I always make the beds and I have also stayed at Airbnbs and the beds were always made. As a guest, I think I would be annoyed if I had to put the sheets on, especially after a long flight or drive.
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Right. And I might not even bother and just fall onto the bed and cover myself to stay warm.
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I stayed at a traditional bed & breakfast in Prague where the bedding was folded up on top of the mattress and you had to make it yourself. First time I ever saw that. But I’ve seen posts here about Airbnbs where the guests had to bring their own bedding, so having them folded on the bed is a big step up from that.
I make my beds and I think it’s expected, but do whatever works for your market!
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If those beds are made in the listing pictures, then they better be made when I arrive!
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Now that I think about it, I stayed at two hostels in France in the 1980s. The beds there weren’t made up. But those places were nearly as spartan as jail cells.
I think a made-up bed is welcoming.
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we have local competitors who don’t even provide sheets and towels. that it’s clearly spelled out in the description doesn’t stop people complaining about it in reviews. i cannot even imagine what’s been done on those naked mattresses shudder
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Make the beds. Shoddy hosting to leave it to the guests, IMHO.
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@Debthecat @LoneStar
In my listings, all beds are shown as what i call “fake made” because my summer weekly Cape Cod cottages operate on the traditional style where guests bring own linens but I provide blankets, bedspreads, pillows and mattress pads. I clearly list it in description and makes sure all guests know it in advance and it’s only been an issue a couple of times in the 17+ yrs that I’ve been doing it after my mom passed and i took over the family business. And 85%+ of my guests are repeats, some for decades.
Now almost all guests drive there from home so taking linens with isn’t issue. I don’t have any facilities onsite to wash/dry so that’s part of why I don’t supply them plus the cost/overhead and I find that most people prefer it that way as they then are more sure that linens are clean.
We would only ever provide beds that are made. I associate unmade beds with holiday parks - where you ‘rent’ the linen and make the beds yourself.
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My beds are made by the cleaner using the triple sheet method and I hire the linen as I’m remote and can’t do the washing.
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I definitely don’t pay attention to what friends say. And although it might be accepted in some parts of the world, it wouldn’t gel with my hosting style at all.
Agree 100%. The idea that leaving the sheets for the guests to make the bed is simply daft and against all principles of hospitality. And as @JJD says, why on earth would that be seen as a sign of cleanliness? I just don’t understand that at all. I’d just see it as a lazy host.
Also, although I don’t want to start the duvet thing again, it’s certainly not a pain to put a duvet cover on. 
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I think the consensus is overwhelming that beds should be made. I can’t fathom checking into a place and then having to make my own bed. That’s one of the reasons I don’t stay at relatives homes.
I have crisp white sheets & duvet cover so it should be obvious that bed has been freshly made, however should there be any question, as part of my departure instructions, I subtly advise that all linens and duvet cover are changed between guests.
And to follow @jaquo’s statement regarding duvet cover I’m suggesting we not rehash the never ending white sheet discussion. 
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You don’t have the facilities to wash …so you leave dirty blankets and unmade beds. Got it.
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I think @pleasantforestshores is saying that they don’t supply bedding. Guests bring their own. I think that’s typical for Cape Cod/New England cottages.
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