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We don’t have a dishwasher because we’re not allowed to have a dishwasher or washer machine in our apartment because the building isn’t built for the units to have them. We mention the lack of a washer machine in the listing but not the lack of a dishwasher.
In any event, I think leaving an old sponge as a bit rank. We leave new sponges for every guest along with freshly laundered dish towels and paper towels. I also think the lack of keys is stingy.
We have only one key for guests but point out a secure place that they can leave it if the guests are going their own separate ways.
Or spend the cash and get another set of keys cut…
It’s not a cash issue. When we used to provide two keys, one would often get lost. Having a secure place for they key is much better, especially if you need to allow access to cleaners, plumbers, handymen at times.
Don’t decide on your rating based on what you know as a host. Do it purely as a guest. In other words - yes we hosts know 3 stars is awful but a guest does NOT know this and 3 stars is therefore totally appropriate.
This host has dropped the ball in so many ways that I consider 3 stars to be absolutely spot on. Others argue it’s not so bad - I see one mistake as not so bad, but no access instructions (never ok but this might have been an oversight), no breakfast supplied and when it comes it’s quite frankly inadequate unless the exact breakfast is noted in the description. No microwave is borderline since they didn’t say they had one but goodness, they could pay for one with their first night’s booking and these days it is expected in a nice / expensive listing. The key… meh… I have had a “one key” complaint from 2 guests and despite it being in my listing that they only get one, so that’s borderline to me. No paper towels and dirty sponge, yuck. Cable tv, another meh one, that’s not for me to say.
It didn’t make for a “bad” overall experience, but it made for an average one, and 3 stars out of 5 in any rating system in the world is average.
It’s a hospitality issue, and it’s being stingy. Most people do not have just one set of house keys and leave it “somewhere secure” for their family to also share. They take their house keys with them.
We have three sets. Two for guests (our limit is 2 guests); one for us/tradies/etc. If the guest loses a key (which they haven’t done so far) then we change the locks and recharge their security deposit. Easy.
Unless it’s stated in the listing, I’d expect a party of four adults would be given more than one set.
My issue with the one set of keys (at this particular home) was that there was no lockbox to store the key. We had to leave it under the table on the porch and I’m sure neighbors and passersby know that it’s an AirBnB house. Doesn’t seem safe for the renters or the owners.
Thank you for your reply. I was trying to be objective and not think like a host, but it’s a bit difficult to get out of that frame of mind, ha. Agreed that 3 stars out of 5 is definitely average in any rating system. I ended up giving her 4 stars overall (I sound like a judge on Star Search, LOL) because when I brought issues to her attention, she was quick to respond and remedy the situation. However, I dinged her on some of the subcategories and gave plenty of polite private feedback.
In my review, I included information about the minimalist breakfast as I’m sure some travelers won’t budget for a full breakfast if they think it’s going to be provided as part of their booking.
It’s certainly been entertaining to learn other people’s perspectives on this topic. I seriously thought not having a microwave would’ve been an issue for everyone, haha!
Yes, they should have provided a secure place for you to leave the key. Our maximum occupancy is two guests but even so, they often go their own ways. I’ve also seen guests who are going out together use the lockbox just to be sure that they don’t lose the key - they seem to appreciate the fact that they’re not responsible for the key when they’re out and about, especially if they’re going to the beach or paddleboarding or similar. A lockbox or other secure place removes the necessity to change the locks if a key is lost or mislaid.
Although I can see it’s inconvenient, I think it’s a bit presumptuous to assume that most kitchens should be equipped with a microwave. It may be a basic kitchen accessory in the US, but certainly not in Europe, Asia and probably only half the places I’ve stayed in Australia.
Face cloths - same thing. I’ve stayed in 5 star hotels in Europe that don’t provide face towels.
Breakfast- an issue when they’ve said it’s included and I believe that should be pointed out.
Keys - again I would consider this an issue. I would point it out but wouldn’t ping her on stars for it.
I’m assuming from your post that you’re from the US - often my most difficult guests - friendly and polite however they do seem to expect that what’s usual at home in the US should be usual everywhere else. I don’t travel to the US and expect a kettle and tea bags in every place because it’s not an American thing but where I’m from it’s as essential as perhaps a microwave is for you.
I’ve just gave a recent lovely host a 4 star rating as it said fully equipped kitchen and there was 1 scratched frypan, no pans for the oven or saucepans to boil things in and nowhere to hang clothes. It was her first less than 5 star review and I felt bad about it, but the reality was I was there for a business trip and having no hangers or place for clothes was annoying. If I’d wanted to eat out I would have stayed in a hotel - I use ‘entire-space’ Airbnb locations so that I can cook a healthy meal.
Wilbur, I believe s/he is from the USA and rented a place in the USA. Presumptuous seems like a pretty harsh word. I have to agree. I don’t consider a dishwasher or microwave a “given” as it happens but the OP did.
I recently gave my first ever 3 star review. Here were my reasons why:
Toilet paper ran out 3 times and took 24-48 hours to be replaced on each occasion (live in host situation so unnacceptable)
On several occasions the family had dinner and then went out, leaving plates on the table with food on them and a mess in the kitchen
Excessive clutter through the house, piles of washing everywhere on every surface etc
Massive bag of recycling in the kitchen that attracted A LOT of flies … I also saw maggots all over the bin but that was outside in the garden
During a three week stay no chsnging the sheets / fresh towels until after I asked at the end of week 2
No cleanjng completed in the room until I asked after week 2
Limited cleaning done in the bathroom despite it being used by 3 paying guests and a family of four.
The host was lovely but I just couldn’t forgive the above so 3 stars. For me the things you mention are irritating and inconvenient; I would probably rate 3.5 but since I can’t …it’s 3 stars.
I totally agree with you. And I suspect that the problem is caused by the thousands of articles on the internet that urge everyone to Airbnb their spare room and ‘get rich’.
So we get hosts who have no experience of the hospitality industry and no desire to learn.
I don’t have a microwave and I provide one key per apartment. I don’t specifically note “no microwave” nor “one key per apartment” so I’m kind of surprised that you found this to be unusual. It seems odd to me, as most of my guests do travel together and come and go at the same time. The few times that someone has asked for an extra key it’s been no problem to drop it off. Every once in a while someone will ask if I have a microwave (once they’ve checked in) and I’ll say “nope, no microwave” and that’s that…for me it’s not anything other than a lousy electrical system and no good place in kitchen to put the microwave. If a guest was really upset by not having a microwave I’d go out to walmart and get one, it wouldn’t put me out that much.
Out of all of the things that you note, the breakfast issue would bother me the most and that would make me knock it down a star.
yes, you’re right. Too harsh - I was really just meaning to presume, or be presumptive - but that’s an old-fashioned meaning now. Sorry MissKris816 if you were offended.
We eat a lot of fresh food over in Europe … microwaves, toblerones and cable TV are reserved for the 420 tokers.
1 key is stingy for 4 guests…but possibly an oversight.
Breakfast served at midday is a honeymooner’s delight… but would piss me off if i’d paid for it.
a new sponge for every guest ? your landfill must be overflowing.
Yes, but my point is that I don’t want guests to have more than one key for the reasons I mentioned above.
For an entire home listing, I can’t believe that apples, instant oatmeal, & coffee constitutes breakfast. That’s embarassing.
Yes, I’m American and the AirBnB house I stayed in was also in the US. When I travel to other parts of the world, I bring my own face towels because it’s not standard practice to supply those in most other countries. The difference is that face towels are a standard in America. A 5 star hotel in Europe might not provide face towels, but a 3 star hotel in the United States does, again, because that’s the standard here.
Regarding the microwave - I understand wanting to stay in an AirBnB because you want to cook a healthy meal, but even healthy meals need to be reheated if there are leftovers. I don’t ever intend to cook every night while I’m on vacation but that’s just me. 