Guests on their Honeymoon

Greetings fellow hosts,

a minute ago, I received a booking that really scared the hell outta me.

“I’m traveling together with my wife Alexandra. We are working in IT.
Our trip to Cologne is part of our honeymoon.”

I have nothing against people working in IT; in fact, I am working in IT myself. However, I’ve read so many warnings about hosting guests who are on their honeymoon.

Heck, if I went on my honeymoon, I’d stay in a five-star Hilton hotel in a posh ski resort, or something along those lines. I wouldn’t pick a cheap Airbnb in a run-down area of Cologne, which is what I have here.

So I am really worried that this young couple’s expectations will far exceed the standard of the room I am offering, and this will lead to a low review, or worse.

Is there any advice anyone is able to give me about hosting guests on their honeymoon?

Ha ha ha! I’m really curious to know what kind of guests you usually attract?

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This does seem strange! I think I would reply along the lines of;-

"Thank you for your booking earlier. I am not sure if you will be on a work trip during your honeymoon, or just visiting Cologne for xxx days. I do want to be sure that my place is a good fit for your needs, particularly if you are visiting as part of your honeymoon, not for work. You need to be aware that my place is situated in an ordinary, residential/industrial/etc etc area, not somewhere that people would visit or stay when on a celebratory trip!

Please let me know. If my place is not what you were hoping for, I would be grateful if you could cancel your booking. Otherwise, I/we look forward to welcoming you on xxxx".

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That’s easy. You click on my picture, which will show a link to my Airbnb listing. You then proceed to read about 200 more or less glowing reviews.

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No not really.
You could but a bouquet and a bottle of bubbles in their room, but that is it.
What part of the world are they from?

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“More or less”… :joy:

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Any man who takes me to an Airbnb like this for our honeymoon is sending me an invitation for a quick annulment

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A shared bathroom for honeymooners? That’s a bit of a no no.

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Sounds good. I guess I will get a bouquet and some cava. Not really something that will increase my profit margin, but oh well.

They are from Moldova, which is - I had to look this up - a small country in Eastern Europe, surrounded by Ukraine and Romania. Probably one of the most miserable places on earth.

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I understand your fear, this can go either way, we are in the same situation sometimes.
They either compare your place to what they can get in their country for the amount of money they pay.
Or they are happy with whatever they can get because the rest is too expensive for them.

it doesn’t strike me as a typical honeymoon resort, but there may be many reasons they’re travelling across the continent to stay at your place. Maybe money is a real issue, so 3 weeks in Hawaii (for example) would mean they don’t have a deposit for their new home. Maybe they won those flight tickets, so feel obliged to go, and just liked the look of your place. I certainly wouldn’t look down on them, if this is all they can afford. Maybe they have friends and family in the area, so are combining a reunion with a honeymoon.
Maybe they have been donated the tickets, but are lying about the honeymoon, just to get a $10 bottle of plonk!

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Also . . . . dark coloured bedsheets

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Hello @Eberhard_Blocher, I offer entire apartments on the platform in Budapest, in my first year, when I started, with very competitive prices for the European summer, I had many reservations for couples on their honey moon trip. What also made me have thoughts like yours. However everything went very well, they spent their money on expensive restaurants, cruises on the Danube and left excellent reviews. The only thing I did was to offer them a Hungarian wine as courtesy. I think the advice of @Joan is a good way to dispel your doubts and apprehensions.

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I am just having trouble understanding any Host who is afraid to book honeymooners!?! Shared room or not. What do you think they’re gonna do. bleed all over your place? Start some sort of riot? Have wild sex in your shared living room?

Just because they’re from Moldova and you’ve never heard of it does not make it “Probably one of the most miserable places on earth.” True they have a very poor economy per capita, which may be why they’re staying in your place instead of some millionaire suite on the Riviera. But don’t blame them for what their government does. We don’t blame you for your government’s attitudes or actions.

Buy them a nice bottle of wine and be gracious. Maybe coming to Cologne is a lifetime dream of theirs.

Your attitude is the kind of prejudice that Air does not like to see and hear from hosts or guests.

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Yes @Chris I think the doubt comes more from the side of our prejudices, about what should be a honeymoon and how to celebrate it, ask them if they are sure that what we offer is suitable for their purpose of travel is also a way to demonstrate superiority over the guests … it’s like telling them I would not book my own listing for a honeymoon, why do you? and @KenH says it well.

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This is probably just cultural difference. Basically all people I know, had their honeymoon just like any ordinary vacation, nothing fancy (if they went on honeymoon at all!). I know people which went backpacking around Nepal and China for their honeymoon, traveling and sleeping in their car around Scandinavia, riding their bicykle from Europe to Asia or around South America, even going as volunteers in Africa (yes, on honeymoon!). Five star Hilton would never even cross their minds! :rofl:

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I have been in your situation twice recently and understand your concern.

Both sets of honeymooners we hosted had high expectations that couldn’t be met in our average neighborhood and their disappointment showed in the stars given.

I’d rather not host honeymooners, either, for that reason.

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I agree with Rehny that there is nothing wrong with hosting people on a “honeymoon” in a humble flat. I recently hosted Israeli honeymooners. I didn’t do anything special and I don’t think they did either.

Honestly we have this elaborate and unrealistic idea of what a honeymoon is from the media, the wedding and honeymoon industry and people trying to get lots of clicks on their social media accounts. The vast majority of honeymooners aren’t having their fantasy fufilling romps on their honeymoon anymore…if they ever were.

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Just because they’re on honeymoon doesn’t mean that they haven’t been living together for the last ten years :wink:

I haven’t been to Cologne since I was a kid (I remember it as being quite nice?) but somewhere there must be some romantic places? Like a riverbank in a park where they can have a romantic picnic? Spend an hour or so researching that sort of thing on Google. See if you can find a deli that will make them a basic bread/cheese/fresh grapes etc.

Spend a further half hour typing to ‘A Romantic Day in Cologne’ with your suggestions for places to go that are romantic-ish (isn’t there a chocolare museum???) and free - or very cheap. (Romantic walks, a ride on the river etc.) Add details of the picnic places and the deli/s that will make up picnic foods for them. Suggest an evening riverside picnic by candlelight if you want to get seriously soppy.

Put a single rose in a vase in the room and a bottle of cheap fizz in an ice bucket (any old jug filled with ice will do) in their room.

Sit back and await great reviews :slight_smile:

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Ken, I did not read the OP this way at all, whatever his opinion of Moldova seems to be. My understanding is that he was simply concerned the honeymooners would be disappointed by his location and offering.

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