I once stayed in a lovely AirBnB in wine country that had no wine opener!
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Quality of sleep is THE most important thing as far as I’m concerned. Good mattress/mattress topper/soft sheets and pillow cases (all white) and variety of pillows. Good mattress cover – vinyl lined is best although I’m trying a bamboo one that is more breathable.
Towels that don’t get scratchy! I just read that dryer sheets and fabric softeners are not always the best choice. Especially for people who are sensitive or allergic to certain odors.
OTOH, you can’t please everyone!
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I agree about the comfort of the bed, non-scratchy towels, and not using dryer sheets and other scented laundry products. But “all-white” has zero to do with quality or comfort. 
That’s simply a matter of personal aesthetics.
Easier to get stains out!
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As a person with allergies I would never use the makeup remover. You might want to consider just the gray towels you can buy in bulk.
Well you won’t please me at all. I and many people are allergic. I use fragrance and dye free laundry detergent and fabric softener and reusable wool balls for static in the dryer.
A lot of people who have eczema don’t realize it’s the chemicals and products that bought their skin that make the condition worse.
Someone with allergies to specifics would always make choices based on their needs - nut allergy? Don’t eat nuts; makeup remover allergy? Don’t use makeup remover. Allergic to dryer sheets? Ask BEFORE booking.
Airbnb hosts tend to want to ‘please’ guests, but I for one do not (in these cases). I prefer guests who do not put themselves ‘in harm’s way’ simply to save a few dollars on a hotel room.
My worst guests have been those who book and then are disappointed that their idiosyncratic needs were not met. A message saying ‘I am allergic to the smells from laundry detergents’ after they have checked in means I have a ‘guest who assumes the world revolves around them’. Do guests expect me to have another room for them sans whatever annoys them?
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Having severe reactions to chemicals and scents is not an idiosyncrasy and it’s in my opinion a disability. I book airbnb’s because hosts are more accommodating and have more flexibility in cleaning than hotels. I know you hate this but I don’t communicate my needs before I book (and others on this forum have also criticized me) but what I do is:
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If it’s in driving distance, I just pack my own bedding and towels and just ask that they remove air fresheners.
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If it’s not in driving distance, I offer to ship them (at my cost) cleaning and laundry supplies. I really think that that does not make me a problem guest. If there is a washer/dryer on the premises, I just pack my stuff and just ask that air fresheners are removed.
You attitude speaks of not understanding what true allergies are like. I do not have a sensitivities, I have allergies. Even if they were just sensitivities, the reactions are real.
It sounds like you are almost not believing that these allergies/sensitivities exists and are difficult to live with. You also imply that people like me think the world revolves around myself. The only way I can avoid any harmful chemicals and scents is to never leave my home. I expect to have reactions but try to minimize them as much as possible without asking an undue burden on the host.
Here’s a link to perhaps educate yourself and maybe you might show more compassion.
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IMO, regardess of whether people have allergies or sensitivities to chemically scented products, it can’t be good for anyone to breathe those things. It can take decades for cancers, for instance, to develop. You don’t get skin cancer from a sunburn you got 6 months ago, it’s from sunburns you got as a child.
If there are non-toxic alternatives to products, it seems like a no-brainer to use them.
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Of course! And I for one am very adamant that the products I purchase have these attributes. But it’s not about toxicity, it is sometimes about sensitivity - I have heard of guests getting specific about the presence of certain food items that are benign to others, or the need to avoid certain fabrics. These are not things that can be forseen by a host - a package of peanuts left for a guest or even specific ingredients of a cleaning product, for example.
Additionally, without a discussion with a guest who fears allergic reactions so that they can be either prepared or to cancel we hosts have no way to avoid the dreaded ‘3 stars’ when a guest decides that the host does not cater to their situation.
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Well that is what she probably means when she says,
It’s manipulative, it’s taking advantage. (Some) hosts will accommodate her to avoid a bad review because hosts have tiny tiny fragile businesses that one bad review can wreck.
If she sincerely thought that hosts wanted to or could easily accommodate her then she would tell them before she booked. It doesn’t matter what the special request is it is expected that it is requested before booking. It’s no different than booking and then afterward disclosing an ESA, the need for grab bars in the bath or even just disclosing an RV, a kid or a 3am arrival time.
A one or two person cleaning team with one unit does not have more flexibility than a staff of 50 people with 250+ guest rooms. If so, there wouldn’t be so many posts about guests wanting to check in early (or late).
If you had more flexibility than a hotel then your guests could check in at any hour they please without a fee, instead of having to be there at a certain time to accommodate your sleeping hours. If hosts had more flexibility than hotels then there wouldn’t be so many house rules, fines, house manuals, cleaning fees, etc.
Yes, I believe it would be considered a disability in at least some cases. However, people with disabilities have a right to request for a reasonable accommodation. You are bypassing that and demanding to be accommodated and unilaterally deciding that it is reasonable for any host you book with. If your main concern is your disability then it doesn’t serve you to take chances like that.
I don’t know what @Rolf was implying but it didn’t seem to have to do with your MCS.
For me, you have a lot of strict house rules, fines and requirements for your guests, which seem to serve to accommodate you and not them. So it sticks out to me that you expect an especially high level of accommodation when you’re a guest as well. It sounds like a whole lot of accommodating you. And you’ve posted more than once about guests who need to check in later than 11pm and how annoying they are when they need to be accommodated. So it comes off as a little insincere.
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I’m not going to go by each of your critiques. I will just say that this has been my experience and what I have to navigate. I have all 5 star reviews from places I’ve stayed at.
I feel like this conversation has become personal and nasty.
I apologize if it feels that way. It’s not the intention, but maybe just hard to hear. I understand that. I just don’t see any reason to have the conversation without having the whole conversation.
Guests who reveal special requests/needs after they book is one of the oldest and most traditional host issues. It is consistently complained about and stressed over. It is really not acceptable. And you’ve also expressed that it’s not okay with you when guests do it. So, I’m sorry if it’s hard to hear, but you don’t get a free pass on it. It would be better if you contacted hosts prior to booking, both for you and for them.
A lot of hosts advertise such a thing, I think a filter for it would be a great idea. And a lot of hosts would be happy to accommodate you. I would. But not if you booked before telling me. Especially when I look at your profile and see that you’re a host. I would be put in the position of not trusting you. And therefore not accommodating you.
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I don’t really appreciate when folks think it’s ok to not take people’s disabilities seriously. That was what I was addressing. To call disabilities idiosyncrasies shows a level of ignorance toward those who are handicapped.
You and others went much further and were not kind. And yes, it was personal.
I think I add valuable advice to this forum but there is no place for how nasty you and other have reacted to my comments. You did get personal.
I apparently need your cleaners. My cleaners have their way of cleaning, and that is that. I could supply them with your cleaning products, but I’d guess the chance of them using them instead of what they are long used to is about the same as the chance they’ll fold the towels the way I like or set out the amenities I supply. I do a quality control walkthrough when they are finished, to refold the towels, and set out all the amenities, but at that point I wouldn’t be able to tell if they washed the sheets with your detergent or cleaned with your products.
What you are looking for are hosts that clean their own places. I don’t know of a way to filter for that, so if you really are looking for people to guarantee your needs you really need to ask before you book. Demanding once you book might not get you what you need.
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It’s not a sure-fire method by any means, but it’s more likely that listings without a cleaning fee are hands-on host cleaned.
I didn’t say anything like that. I validated that MCS can be a disability and addressed reasonable accommodation requests. I mentioned it in passing and only because it’s my area of expertise, it is what I’ve done for 30 years as a licensed professional. My patients and clients also stay in Airbnbs and I tell them the same. You’ll get nowhere playing that card with me. It’s not an excuse for poor guest behavior.
This is a hosting forum. My interest in what you said was about the expectations of guests and hosts on Airbnb. I felt that I was clear about that. I suppose it was technically personal since I was talking directly to you about something that you said and then brought up other things that you’ve said in the past that seemed to make you the exception.
I think you sounded hypocritical and that you’re openly manipulating the system to your own advantage instead of upholding the communication and behavior that you expect of your own guests. I suppose that’s “personal” but, more importantly, is it clear?
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You are probably right about the cleaners. After I re-opened after the pandemic I had a hard time finding cleaners that cleaned the way we need to for an Airbnb. I do the cleaning myself.
Well I disagree. I made a comment about make up remover and suggested using gray towels. That’s when someone patronized me about allergies.
It’s not even safe. The only reason to book first is to try to compel a host into accommodating it. And you can’t count on someone who has been compelled.
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