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I’ve told this story a number of times… I would provide organic coffee… but got cracked with… WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF IT WERE KONA ORGANIC COFFEE…
Or the the time I left bagels and papaya for my first trans guest in an effort to help her feel welcome.
It was inedible she said… as it was not organic, GMO-free and the bagel was not gluten free. In addition her review cracked me on a few other unrelated things.
From then on. No extras. NONE. Even this year, I left my guests a special box of choclate covered mac nuts and got reviewed with with how my neighbors are pretty loud so you need ear plugs (only sometimes true)… but yeah.
The more you give them, the more chances they have to smack you down over it! Or be unappreciative. If someone left me a gift I would not mention minor neighbor noise… sigh. Guests.
Ok if I’m being TOTALLY honest I also stock pads and tampons, q tips, cotton balls, small toothpastes, aspirin, allergy meds, sunscreen, first aid stuff. But I decided to stop stocking those awhile ago and am just letting them run out now.
Oh these aren’t too bad actually. I actually offer all that as well, but shampoos and such are leftovers. I never buy them.
So there are all the pads, cotton swabs, pads etc (good protection for your sheets in case Aunt Flow visits unexpectedly at the midnight hour)
I was talking more about goodies… wine, etc. What wine is acceptable? I mean I will drink Barefoot Cabernet but if I left that for guests? I have friends that would rather drink arsenic than Barefoot brand. LOL.
“Host left an insulting low end wine. Thumbs down.”
I was doing a plate of cookies and a bottle of wine for awhile. Just the 2 buck chuck from Trader Joes though. It was helpful to get me through a 4 star review slump.
Do you find your guests taking home the toothbrushes, mini toothpastes, razors, pads, and tampons? If guests are just filling up their purses with freebies, then yeah…that can get expensive.
Are you leaving out whole boxes or just a couple of the items?
Still!! Cookies are pricey. It’s the one thing that keeps me from binging on them all day.
Take a hard look at all that the pulls away profit and when you realize they don’t result in better reviews, ditch them! When you have had to cut your price back that far, it’s time to go on an austerity program.
I write for a glossy home magazine, and I also write for a major travel guide book with a name you would know. Often we get comped rooms at the best hotels… Five star ones. Not one of those places left a bottle of wine in the room. Tropical fruit basket maybe. With fruit they probably gathered from the property. I mean… keeping in mind I may be writing things about your hotel that will end up being seen by thousands of potential guests. And yet STILL no wine! LOL.
Air hosts do WAY too much for guests! Would they do it if not for reviews? Doubtful!
I recently added a refrigerator and microwave, no coffeemaker but I do leave instant coffee in individual packets, some teas, sweetners, creamer and disposable hot cups. I put a bottle of water in the refrigerator per person. I also started putting a small individually wrapped dark chocolate after thanksgiving. The idea was that it would be for the holidays and when they are gone, they are gone. But I’ve had two people compliment me on that. So my thinking it this: the water and chocolate and facial wipes and q-tips and etc probably come out to $1 a person per night. Not everyone uses/takes them. They don’t take the small individually wrapped soap or toothbrush or the large suncreeen or shavecream. So if these additional amenities is what caused me to have my best month ever last month, maybe it’s worth it. I wouldn’t leave cookies or wine though.
I had one guest recently who made a cup of coffee and managed to spill it on the outside of the cup. They then set the cup on top of the microwave, on top of a table and they spilled it down the front of the white vanity in the bathroom. It probably dripped on the quilt as well, I’m not sure what that spot was. So I think the fridge/microwave is getting me bookings but it leads to more mess in the room. I just raised my rates a little beginning May 13th for summer.
I provide q tips and cotton pads in each bathroom. But they are not individually wrapped, and only once in a great while will I need to replenish the jars. I have a grocery store just down the road. It’s open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. So guests can buy sun screen, etc. on the way to the lake/pool. But likely the toothbrushes and toothpastes aren’t necessary. I don’t know…but I’ve never fogotten to pack my toothbrush and toothpaste when traveling.
I do have a first aid kit that I need to recheck. I found the old first aid kit that Air had sent me years ago. And my partner said it should replenish the other one just fine. I think it’s likely just a couple of groups who may have helped themselves to the items in there and stocked up their purse.
I’ve been bad about replenishing the pad/tampon emergency kit. I did put out a ziploc bag in each bathroom with a couple pads/tampons/floss box, and a cheap razor. Right after I put it out, one set of guests took the ziploc from each bathroom. Then I ended up using the replacement stash when I was staying there one night and hadn’t replaced it since. I will try again as I don’t want women staining sheets and towels if there is an overnight emerency.
I definitely bought them.