Yep, that’s me 
Is it OK with you if we use this photo too? Love it!
It depends on what the whole thing offers. Most of the time it’s not that great in Branson, MO, lol.
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The most important things when I travel is; a comfortable bed, cleanliness and safety.
I completely agree. But I am not sure about the TV. Well, safety and a calm atmosphere are my preferences.
The photo isn’t “mine.” I don’t care if people copy my idea. The image belongs to a shop on cafepress.com
I start with location and always search by map. I have a wide budget although I frequently don’t book the most expensive place (and often recently renovated/constructed) that I can afford if there’s a “cute” alternative. So I often forego the newer units with stainless kitchens/new tile for older, less expensive homes with a cozy aesthetic – many of these have “vintage” furniture that appears thoughtfully selected (rather than just any random used furniture found in an alley…). I have young children so I avoid places with furniture that looks “too nice” or fragile – I look for surfaces that I can easily clean if my kids make a mess. I’ve decided against a condo that mentioned its “beautiful white couch”.
Kid-friendly amenities (pack and plays, beach toys) get my attention as they make a place much more convenient since I usually rent baby gear and boogie boards if it’s not available.
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That is pretty similar to my selection process as well @cabinhost
Location is probably most important, then price and decor are tied for 2nd (I won’t book the most high end property but I will pay a little more for something cute and well put together decoration wise, and I will nix an otherwise decent place for a decor faux pax like a 90s motel quilt). That said, I could be swayed by a really well priced gorgeous place in a slightly less than ideal location. It kind of depends on the priorities of the trip.
I guess a perfect listing has the trifecta - price, location, and decor.
Then there are some deal breakers like no wifi. Or one place I almost booked that required you only cook vegan food in the kitchen (even though it was an entire house listing). Sorry but if I can’t cook eggs that is a deal breaker.
Kid friendly stuff is definitely a bonus for me and could be a factor in selecting one place over another.
Also I do consider good previous reviews (especially if they mention good tips about the location - that it is close to the beach or restaurants or whatever). And I do consider a well written listing and good photos to be an indication that the host is professional and thorough (as opposed to some places that seem sketchy due to poor quality photos and hardly any info in the listing). That could be a deal breaker also.
After hosting 200+ guests from over 50 countries, I’ve narrowed it down to a few things. Most would pick a location that fits their needs anyway. My location isn’t the most glamorous but it’s convenient. I’ve had guests who thought they were lost when they arrived but were pleased when they entered the actual apartment. This accounted for most of my 4 stars, which is unfortunate as I can’t change my location or remodel the exterior of the home that easily.
As for the apartment itself, the most important is cleanliness. A single hair on the bed or bathroom sink and it’s a 3-4 star review. We spend 2-4 hours cleaning after every guest. Oddly enough some hair from guests get curled into pillows and sheets and they’re very difficult to clean/remove. Also we’ll forget to wear hair nets and our own hair ends up on the sink while we’re cleaning. True story. Secondly, the comfort of the bed. Lastly, the noise.
FWIW, more than 70% of my guests use the Chromecast on the TV and less than 10% of them use the stove.
My question for guests would be “How important is the stove really?” I have another unit without a stove and it hasn’t been doing so well. I have a feeling guests want to see a stove even though they won’t use it. Reason probably being that it gives them more of a sense of home and comfort.
Secondly, I would like to know what guests think of having cameras on the outside of the house. The feeling I get from guests is that they feel safer. I know for a fact they deter people from bringing the party home and cause mischief but for good guests, it seems like it’s not a big deal.
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A small thing that I had never considered until a guest brought it to my attention is a pizza 
pan (the round/ventilated kind) and a pizza cutter. Our kind of guests are typically travelling construction workers who find it more economical to buy frozen foods at the nearby grocery and prepare their own meals in the full-access kitchen, to include frozen pizza. They’ve also asked for measuring cups and measuring spoons for those who wanted to prepare non-frozen meals. This is a property I had never lived in so had not thought of the little things like that.
A large “Butcher knife” is the best thing I’ve found to cut pizza. I threw my own “pizza cutter” away after discovering the knife was better.
A pizza cutter is a great way to cut your crackers before baking, trim your pasta before cutting [and sometimes cutting the pasta depending on what shape you want], is brilliant at cutting an omelette into strips to feed a baby, trimming and shaping puff pastry, but for pizza, @KKC is right. A big chef’s knife is the answer.
@Bacon LOL – As a ‘woman of a certain age,’ my hair is starting to fall out of my head at the most unfortunate times 
Every time I clean the cottage, or worse, put the new sheets on, I panic that my long dark hair is going to land on the sheets before I notice. For this reason, I keep a lint roller in my cleaning bucket and give the sheets a final roll before I put the comforters on.
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