I get quite a few of these types of bookings in December.
1 Like
This gives me an idea, a host could take pictures now of their decorated listing, open a new listing and just open the calendar for next december.
Hmmm
RR
3 Likes
Thanks for all the ideas here. I did end up putting up lights, antique stuffed Santas, a tree, and light up vintage blow molds on the porches. The guests were delighted!
I think I’ll take pictures and place them on my listing next fall for holiday seasonal bookings.
2 Likes
Take pictures and post them here. It sounds lovely!
3 Likes
We have a beach house on Air BnB and VRBO. We have guests for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year. I put up a small tree decorated only with white lights, silver bows and white starfish, seashell and seahorse ornaments. I kept it pretty safe.
2 Likes
It’s always good to ask. If we were staying we’d ask for no real tree. My partner has bad asthma, and she’s found Christmas trees really trigger it, so we have to use a fake tree.
People have lots of reasons for things, you may or may not agree with them, but it never hurts to ask.
3 Likes
I have five guests between Dec 20 and Jan 3. Once the first guest who booked leading up the Christmas or on Christmas said they wanted a tree, a tree was committed. After that it was really more of a warning and not an ask. I’m not there to take down the tree until after the run of guests.
Once I know that I’m not spending the holiday season there I will decorate the tree with only unbreakable ornaments - the convenience of my guests and my cleaner.
As for the tree, my demographic runs very much towards the Brooklyn hipster / creatives / “maker” folks. Folks who view a fake tree as ”inauthentic.” BUT if I ever find a fake tree that looks 100% real - and I could afford - I would definitely get it.
5 Likes
Last year I had tree and a fully wrapped rail on the staircase, plus the appropriate table toppers, little gift notebooks. The people who rented during the season really appreciated it and said as much in reviews. Guests typically love the decor.
2 Likes
As a host who is far from my rented home that kind of decorating is not an option for me. But as a non Christian I would say that most people like the pagan aspects of Christmas, the lights, the smells, most of the decorations… I know I do! But I would forgo the baby Jesus in the manger, the three kings, or anything referring to the religious aspects of the holiday…
But of course only if you want to and hopefully have excess decorations laying around. If I was nearby I would try and do something festive, wreath, potpourri, some twinkly lights.
2 Likes
I do “winter” decor which doesn’t push me to take it down until Easter is approaching. Ha.
Snowmen, little ornaments (small animals on sleds, snowman, etc) hanging from Kitchen and bathroom knobs and hooks (but not making it annoying to open cabinets or use hooks), a few feather trees, wreaths, outdoor porch planters with evergreens and berries etc.
I also have a number of vintage seasonal framed postcards I prop up above sinks and on a few shelves for patriotic holidays, Halloween, Easter (I stay away from Christian stuff- more bunnies and chicks) etc.
Less is more, just a few references to approaching events. And I just put on my calendar when it’s time to swap out, and try to remember where I put things. Nothing more than a thing or two in a room, just a nod and to show I am paying attention.
3 Likes
I like that approach. We do much the same.
1 Like
For the 4 Christmases I have been in business, I’ve offered a permit to harvest a tree from the nearby national forest. No one has taken me up on it yet. The folks that are here this week for Christmas were told where the decorations are, including holiday dinnerware, in case they wanted to use them. One way it’s hard to go wrong: put out Christmas candy.
2 Likes
We put up holiday trees in our beach house. I am pagan, so we don’t use Christian themed ornaments. We have two trees. One 5ft tree downstairs in the family/kids area with fun, non-breakable ornaments. They are kids themed such as dinosaurs, animals, sea creatures etc. Last year we left the tree undecorated so our guests (with a 5 year old) could decorate it during their stay since it was in Dec. They loved the idea. When they left, I added a sign on the tree saying “decorated by 5 yo Milo”. The upstairs tree is 9 feet and it has all our beach themed ornaments. Some guests have left both made and purchased ornaments for the tree as a thank you. We also have fun finding/making new ornaments each year.
Since our trees are not a specific religious theme, I don’t feel like guests would be offended. December is a month of many different winter celebrations, so it would be odd to not have any decorations at all. Additionally, our guests enjoy being a part of the process!
5 Likes
Interesting conversation. I read that a number of hosts (including the immediately previous contributor) describe themselves as “pagan”. Purely out of interest, does this actually mean Pagan - i.e. polytheistic / nature worshippers - or just plain agnostic / atheist?
I like to use the term because I think it helps to normalize a word that has mistakenly had negative stereotypes associated with it. And my favorite parts of winter holidays include “pagan” solstice, trees, yule log and my birthday is solstice in east Asia/day after in the west. Sometimes I use other terms like humanist, pan-theist or agnostic.
I call myself pagan, too. Also humanist.
I find “atheist” offensive. It literally means “without god.” I don’t define myself as “without” anything.
2 Likes
The term doesn’t bother me but it’s a simple one that many people seem to understand. Atheist is probably closest in reality to my beliefs but since it doesn’t mean the same to me as to others I tend to avoid using it.
A friend of mine who is very religious was fascinated (and perhaps disturbed) when I told her I’m pagan. So disturbed that she bought a book called something like “Pagan for Dummies.” She wanted to understand my “beliefs” and my “tenets.” She doesn’t get that I have no religious beliefs or tenets.
I told her I’m not observant. Another time I told her I’m neo-pagan.
3 Likes
We did a Christmas tree and decorations this year. We celebrate Christmas, but we aren’t religious. All of our guests loved it. Will do it again from now on.
2 Likes
Stating that you’re Pagan has a specific upside, when mentioned on the doorstep to missionaries, of various faiths, who choose to cold call at inappropriate times.
JF
3 Likes