This isn’t a big deal but I’ve been enjoying this forum for a long time and thought it was time I aired one of my own experiences!
I got a request from a guest with very good reviews, who said she would be flying in to Malaga in the morning and asked if I’d recommend she hired a car, as she is thinking of going to Granada for a day trip while she’s here. I accepted the reservation and said yes to the car, and added that I couldn’t offer an early check-in because I have guests the previous night, but she is welcome to come and leave her bags at the house.
She replied saying that she would hire a car then come to the house “to get some breakfast and chill by the pool for a while” before going to see the city.
If the guests the previous night say they’ll be checking out early I’d probably have offered her breakfast and pool anyway - I know what it’s like arriving somewhere after a very early start - but where did she get the idea that she could have breakfast on the day she arrives?
(As it is, I have regretted that breakfast won’t be available and the pool only after check-in time, and recommended a nice beach nearby where she can rest and have breakfast in a beach bar. If the others do check out early I’ll offer an early check-in. But not breakfast!)
Ridiculous she expected breakfast and pool before check in. Good job you referred her to the beach. Make sure you prevent her from taking other liberties. Red flag.
Unbelievable. I don’t understand how things change from one year to the next, but this year I’ve also noticed guests are “telling” me about things rather than asking. Nothing as outrageous as expecting breakfast on the morning of checkin, but things like, “We’ll need to store our bikes in your garage.” No asking, just telling.
This type of behaviour does annoy me if English is the entitled person’s first language. However, I check my annoyance with people who are speaking English as a foreign language, where good manners can often get lost in translation. For example “could we” comes out as “we will”. I had a lovely Hebrew speaker for a few days recently but I really had to think hard about what was getting lost, and about possible cultural norms. The way she spoke English made her seem hugely demanding, constantly calling me “Jon, Jon, how does this work?” and variants of. Her enthusiasm simply came out as demanding. The best was when I had meringues sitting ready for a friend’s birthday, whilst I was busy preparing fish. She pounced on me to know how they were made in minute detail, which I was too busy to give her verbally there and then. I offered the recipe book but she was so upset at distracting me, I felt guilty to my boots, washed my hands and fetched it for her.
Yes I am very aware of language issues too, and this guest is not a native English speaker, although her English is excellent. That doesn’t account for the breakfast thing though, even if I hadn’t already told her I had guests the previous night! It’s not even as if I provide breakfast for a price and could charge her for it as an extra. I am just bemused at the fact she even thought breakfast was a possibility!
@EULiz - I can’t quite tell from your posts if you offer breakfast as part of the stay, or your “I’d probably have offered her breakfast” in the first post was just you being a kind person. If you do not include breakfast as part of the cost, you should be VERY clear with her that breakfast is not included. Some people just assume it is, especially since the site is “AirBnB” . And some people think they’ll get what they want simply by announcing their expectations - that the host will want to make them happy and just make breakfast for them.
My listing says I provide breakfast for people to help themselves when they like - a lot of the reviews say what a wonderful breakfast I gave them! I might offer breakfast with an early check-in, because I am a kind person 
A bit off topic but not worth starting a new topic for … but on the subject of being bemused, I had a guest recently who puzzled me with her ‘demands’. Separate apartment, a nine day stay, one guest.
She went grocery shopping and bought loads of stuff - I saw her a couple of times walking by with supermarket carrier bags loaded up. One her first evening she messaged me saying that she’s done lots of food prep and could I let her have an additional garbage bag. (The kitchen has a tallish garbage can and there were two spare bags in the kitchen - not hidden away).
The next day she requested more loo paper (three full ones in the apartment). The next day, paper towel (one full one - good quality - supplied). Next day, dish soap.
Now the good thing of course, was that the dish soap, garbage bags and paper towel meant that she was being clean. But I always find that guests’ grocery shopping includes stuff like that.
I supplied the items of course, like a good little host 
but still…
@EULiz - “…where did she get the idea that she could have breakfast on the day she arrives?”
Could it be because your listing indicates you serve breakfast and that it is available for self-service at any time ("I provide breakfast for people to help themselves when they like…”).
Mixed message perhaps?
On the other hand, it could be a simple misunderstanding.
“Unfortunately our previous guests will still be there in the morning, and we have previous commitments. We very much look forward to seeing you (on that day) at (check in time).”
Bahaha, good one!! The cheek of that request boggles the mind.
Thank you! What will you be bringing for all of us?
Just what I was thinking! The correct answer was “Oh great, if you’re bringing breakfast, pick up a croissant for me, please”!
Just don’t send her onto me afterwards! (In the interests of transparency, @EULiz is my friend and fellow Malaga host!)
Further to all of this… the guests who thought I’d give them breakfast before check-in have just left. They were SUCH nice, interesting people. They brought two kilos of lemons and a bottle of gin (I provided the glasses and ice…) which we drank together during the course of their stay, and they helped me pick fresh figs and left everything super clean and tidy. They just sent me a whatsapp from the airport to thank me again for a wonderful stay.
I didn’t ask them about the breakfast puzzle, it will remain one of life’s little mysteries.