Probably best in that scenario to just have a stash on-site anyways. We have a second AirBnB that’s 20 mins away and have a locked storage bin with backup supplies and extras just in case the linen closet isn’t enough back-up. If someone asked for more of anything and we don’t feel like going there- we can just give them the combo.
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Hosts want glowing 5 star reviews for mediocre experiences, being in the hospitality business, the service business but saying “we aren’t a hotel”. ouch!
Let’s see review
Scenario 1
I asked my host for if they could give us a couple of more towels or perhaps just wash the ones we had, we had this, this or this going on and didn’t think it would be a big deal, host said they would if we gave them $20 bucks, can’t recommend staying here with hosts with this sort of attitude when there are so many other choices instead. It’s the little things that count.
Scenario 2
I asked my host for if they could give us a couple of more towels or perhaps just wash the ones we had, we had this, this or this going on and didn’t think it would be a big deal, host said no problem at all here are a bunch of fresh ones. We really appreciated the hosts gracious attitude, everything was great, loved our stay! It’s the little things that count.
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I can’t imagine refusing or charging for extra towels when only leaving one per person. I host at the beach and accept two guests maximum. I leave about 8 bath towels in the bathroom along with bathrobes. I also leave two sets of beach towels, six towels by the outdoor hot tub and another six in the outdoor shower along with hair turbans. I only allow stays 4 days or less. I have lots of outdoor hooks all over for guests to hang their wet, sandy towels. Sometimes folks will use 4 towels a day. Some will use 1 in their 4 days stay. My job is to cater to their needs. Not to judge them or nickel and dime them. It balances out in the long run and my $25 cleaning fee more than covers the extra towels I have to wash and dry.
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Using up lots of towels isn’t a “need”. It’s an entitled, first world indulgence.
It isn’t my job to assist people in wasting resources because they feel entitled to use a towel once and drop it on the floor. It isn’t my job as a host to “cater to” guest demands or expectations. The expectations they can have are that I will provide them with what I say I will in my ad, and be hospitable and pleasant.
That said, providing only one towel per person seems like what one could expect if staying at a hostel. There’s a balance between reasonable and overindulgent.
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So is tourism and leisure travel.
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To each his own. Did you read my post?? They go to the beach and take beach towels. I have an outdoor shower where they wash off sand and salt after the beach. They need towels. I have an outdoor hot tub. They need towels, not ones with sand in them because I don’t want them getting out for a beer and wiping off with sand and getting back in the tub. I have an indoor shower they use in the morning. Would you have them bring the sandy ones up or the ones from the hot tub? Do they bring them up the night before or in the morning? Either way, I don’t want the sand in my house. Frankly, I’ve been at it 6 years and have tried everything. I have a document in their room asking them to reuse whenever possible but I take a lot of one night bookings and this is the routine. I don’t follow them around with a tally sheet to see how many towels they use. And yes, hosts do cater to the needs of guests whether that’s the word you use or not but you prep a room/house for the arrival of strangers and hope you’ve met their needs. This works great for me. I’m sure you could do it better.
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Thank you.
2020202020
Interesting that there wouldn’t be a larger supply of clean towels on the property for the guests to use charge free. That being said, my properties are quite close to the ocean and guests rely on having clean towels all the time, they are free to use them as long as they utilize the washer and dryer. Unless you suspect that something has damaged your towels and a charge is necessary, I would supply them with some extra towels to provide a great experience for this first timer. When guests are charged for every little thing that should be included in an Airbnb they might stop using STRs and switch back to hotels. At the most you can explain your situation to the guest but I recommend having extra towels on sight so this doesn’t happen again. You can always ask them to wash them before they leave.
Sigh. I’ve had to use the wet vac to get sand out of my washing machine tub. I will gladly give them a dozen towels so they rinse the sand out of the beach towels and and not have to worry about having fresh dry towels as they need.
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And leisure travel during a pandemic… I have entitled traveler stories.
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Ah yes…the “how many towels should we leave in the unit” debate continues! When we first started hosting, we filled our bathroom with towels! Every place a towel could go…a towel was to be found. (along with dozens of hand towels and washcloths) Alas, we discovered that the more towels you supply…the more towels guests will use. We had two guests here for one night who “used” 17 towels! Seriously…17 towels!! We do have a pool, jacuzzi and sauna but still…17? Now we provide one “pool” towel, two bath towels and several hand/face per guest. We rarely have long-term guests so this has seemed to work for us. However - if a guest requests additional linens we are always happy to provide them.
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That seems excessive indeed. I don’t host that kind of place so I’d probably feel differently if I suffered this kind of abuse on a regular basis. I leave one bath towel per person out but there are typically 2-3 more in the closet. I host mostly one night stays and rarely is more than one towel used. Occasionally a guest doesn’t even use one.
I can’t think of a single guest request that I ever turned down once they arrived.
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For 4 years, (200+ guests) I had a guest house that typically catered to couples, typically with 3- 7 day stays. In addition to having a W/D in the unit (with provided laundry pods), my approach was:
- two (2) bath towels and (1) hand towel hung on a towel bars, along with two (2) face cloths on the vanity
- makeup remover wipes on vanity.
- several sets of towels (bath, hand, and face cloths) in the vanity drawers; totaling six (6) extra of each type.
- four (4) pool towels in closet
My experience / observations:
- Most guests used one (1) set of towels throughout their stay
- Occasionally there were guests who went through two (2) or three (3) sets.
- rarely did anyone use the W/D for towels.
The occasional guests who wanted more towels than the norm, was the rarity. As most have already noted charging for extra towels seems cheap and inhospitable and will likely lead to a review you’ll regret.
ANSWER: Happily accommodate the guest with the requested towels without question, charge, or judgement.
SUGGESTION: Consider adding additional towels in the linen closet so that the ‘one off’s’ don’t have to ask / disturb you. If you experience similar to what I describe it becomes a non issue and potentially an asset.
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Is anyone thinking about duvets? 🥸
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I’m thinking if the guest asks for a second or third duvet, that’s it. I’m done.
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One of the few times that I was asked by a guest for an extra something, it was for a flat sheet. The bloke said “we’ve never seen that thing you have”.
Yes, he was referring to the duvet…
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And what about kettles……
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But I would supply a quilt instead….
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Rather meager allotment I think. And hardly worth the trouble of not providing extra towels. When you do the laundry at the end of stay cleaning does it really matter how many towels you load in the machine. Are you counting cups of detergent?
Never saw a duvet until traveling in Europe.
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