Hi I’m new, first guest will be on the 19th. If a guests books a room for one person and then changes it to 2, do I charge more?? The room will fit 2 adults and a child. Just curious! Thanks
It depends on how you set up your listing – how you have decided to charge. Some people charge “per person”, others charge “per night”. If you’re charging “per night” it’s more just a matter of keeping track of numbers.
We have a 1 room detached “cabin” that has one bed that only sleeps 2 people. We don’t allow kids or pets because it’s 6ft from a pool. If someone showed up with a kid or dog then I would just call Air and cancel them on the spot.
I’m in the same mindset as @KenH. You need to understand your market and your approach
70% of my guests are couples on vacation or visiting.
The remaining 30% are typically single business travelers.
I charge the same amount for singles as couples. Guest house with 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, Living Rm & Kitchen.
I’ve never had anymore than 2 people because I also don’t allow children (same reason as Ken; the pool is in proximity to guest house); My price point is on the higher side of things, so charging for an extra guest would work against me.
If you have a room within a home to share, and your price point is lower, you might think of things differently, and charge per guest.
With all that said, since you are new, and want to develop good reviews, you might start your approach one way, and then alter it after you get into a groove.
What you have to think about here is what your time and your sanity are worth.
Read some of the many topics here and you’ll find that hosts who charge extra for an additional person spend hours of their valuable time spying on the guest when they suspect that an extra person has sneaked in. Then they are totally stressed about it. They try to charge the guest for the extra and whether or not the guest pays the (usually) paltry figure, the host spends days worrying about it and the fact that the guest might write a crap review ‘in retaliation’. The whole scenario causes them hours of stress.
They have the misguided opinion that it makes their accommodation seem cheaper, and that they’ll get more bookings, if they advertise the room at (for example) $60 per night. That’s the price that’s shown. But if there are two guests, the extra person charge of $10 or whatever is charged also. To save the stress and the hassle, they should be charging $70 - for one person or for two.
How much extra money does an addition guest actually cost you? Work it out and add that figure to your sums.
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I don’t charge for extra guests. It’s one flat rate whether it’s 2 or 4 guests. I figured that guests would lie anyway to save a few bucks. I think it’s a matter of preference.