If a guest chooses a house to share with not only the owners but also other Airbnb guests, if they are uncomfortable it’s really on them.
2 Likes
Sharing a house is one thing. Walking in on a family eating their dinner is another.
1 Like
Walking in on…that’s a phrase I’d use with someone in the bathroom or a couple making out, not eating dinner. Whatever, not important. If you feel that you have to take your dinner in your home and go eat in private somewhere so that everyone is comfortable, great.
2 Likes
Hi RitaP,
You might like to check out a post I wrote in december, titled “Company for an elderly host, and her gratitude” because I think you may have just stolen the crown from our reigning monarch on the Silver Sagacity host team!
All good wishes to you.
4 Likes
Personally, I would have to offer them food, if I had enough. But, I always know when my guest will arrive, so I would just plan to not eat during that time frame. I ask for an ETA, then, depending how they are coming, I ask them to text or msg when they are on their way. I have shared dinner with guests, but it’s when i’ve Invited them ahead of time.
My husband and I only have one reasonable place to eat, which is the dining room that guests must walk through to get to their bedroom. Occasionally, they arrive just as we are eating. We jump up and introduce ourselves and apologize for the inconvenience of our eating and one of us shows them their room, bathroom, etc. People have been very gracious, though a bit apologetic. I don’t really see another alternative aside from eating on our bed in the bedroom and that would be silly. We’ve had marvelous reviews so I don’t see this as a problem.
2 Likes
We offer a ‘homestay’ concept, and I always hope that guests choose us exactly for that reason. We welcome people to make use of our living-dining room and to interact. They are not allowed to use the kitchen or my workspace, but it’s all open plan so there’s no hiding for us. I would go even further: Within the concept we offer I do not want us to hide. For me it’s perfectly normal for guests to see us cook, eat, hang about in the sofa, watch television, work, talk, laugh, sing,… That is what they signed up for, and depending on the activity they are welcome to join in. Just the other evening we had an Australian couple here: The guy was playing a game on his smartphone at the dining table. My mother in law was cleaning the kitchen. The girl was watching something on her tablet in the sofa. My hubby was watching television next to her. I was working and listening to music (earphones). A bit later I got myself some take out (the rest of the family had already eaten before) and I had my diner next to the guy playing games. It all screamed normal homely situation and it was perfect like that.
@ritaP I think you just need to look at your ‘problem’ in a different way. Stop worrying and just feel at ease: No, you don’t need to offer them diner, that is not what they paid for. Yes, do offer them a homely atmosphere, because that is probably one of the reasons they chose your place.
2 Likes
I love this @GutHend. My place is also a homestay concept, and I do the same, and people love it. They rave about how comfortable and homey, yet special, it feels. I think we’re onto something. It fills a void that humans are experiencing as societies become unsustainably individualistic and isolating. I think of it as a service to humanity and food for the soul. SO NICE to find another homestay-creator!
2 Likes
I am so pleased I have a separate living room which guests are not invited to use. I would hate guests intruding on my private relaxation time. Many guests I really like but some are clueless or unpersonable, it would be a nightmare not to be able to escape from them! My teenage kids would hate it as well.
Do you have to constantly kick people out of there or do they get the message right away when you tell them it’s off limits?
My living room? I don’t show it to guests. In 3 and a half years only one has gone in, about 2 have asked, so a really good compliance rate.
My kitchen is more problematic because it has times (self service breakfast 6 to 10am, light use 6 to 10pm). I think give an inch take a mile, once they’ve got their foot in the door guests who are not inclined to follow rules will try to go in there more. Therefore I have to ask guests have you read my rules re kitchen etc to increase compliance. I recently also had a thread on here about a guest trying to use my family bathroom rather than the guest one, but that’s really rare.
1 Like