My guests do. They always seem to show up with a book or two, and I let them know which books on my book shelf they are welcome to read but need to leave here, and which they can take with them if they aren’t finished. And many of my guests have left me the books they brought with them and finished during their stay.
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My experience:
- most entertainment technology becomes outdated too quickly or is not one size fits all (i.e. Alexa vs Sonos vs HomePod, etc.)
- most bring their own gadgets including tablets and bluetooth speakers; I have an interior bluetooth speaker and an external one, and they are used maybe 25% of the time
I believe that you should invest in the technology infrastructure that can be leveraged rather than the actual technology.
Get the fastest / most reliable WiFI you can justify and a television that has easy access for different technology interfaces. That will make you more desirable to those WFH tech nomads who will bring their own technology.
I have a height adjustable desk that has garnered a lot of compliments of late and inquiries of where to purchase.
Not as glitzy (to a guest) but something that will make hosting a little easier, my next investment will likely be a WIFI / App controlled Tankless Water Heater.
I recently had a guest inquire about hotter water. My BAD: the weather has been so hot, that my heater setting has been on Medium but now that nights and mornings are a little cooler (if you consider low 80’s F cooler) the water heater needed to be turned up. I’m nearby, and the water heater is accessed via an exterior closet, so it was an unobtrusive adjustment. I’ve also had a few problems with this 4 year old tank water heater so I’ve been starting the planning for one that I can check temperature remotely and make adjustments as needed.
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We leave our water heater set to 140 (high I know). This way, when usage starts it will always be available with no lull for recovery.
We also installed a full-house hot water recycler pump (nearly instant hot water to every tap and shower).
We then hard set the maximum on the thermostatic valve inside the shower trim so a guest can’t possibly raise it where someone could get scalded.
Lastly, we use special sink hot/cold supply valves that are fixed so a guest can not adjust them. We anticipate that some guest or their kid would eventually play with them or be a jerk. Can’t be done without a special tool. Ours are similar to this:
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If I was in AZ, I’d have a solar water heater. Minimal parts and effort for a very good return. But if I was in AZ I’d have a Paolo Solieri half underground house. His Scottsdale houses and studio never needed air conditioning, and had solar heat.
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We put an extra laptop computer in the apartment, and no one has ever damaged it. We leave it open and the first thing guests see when they enter is the website we created with all the details about the apartment, dining recommendations, etc., Guests really appreciate both the computer and the website
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I never thought about this, but I did have a guy in my home-share unplug my google home located in the (shared) kitchen…It must have been some sort of privacy issue?
Please waste my time! I’m super interested.
I don’t know how I could access what they say in proximity to my Google Home speaker, in regards to privacy, and not sure how they could purchase something just by speaking into it…should I be concerned about this?
I provide a 43" Smart (Roku) TV fully loaded with Ad free spotify, netflix, HBO, Hulu, etc. in the guest room. It has 3 HDMI ports, bluetooth and USB port.
I’ve found that these work-from-home nomads bring their own tech. I’m not going to provide anything else, they probably wouldn’t use it anyway.
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I’m just curious, but all this stuff you guys are talking about, can I plug any of it into the fridge?
Technologically challenged of Andalucía…
JF
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Ditto. Wifi, Smart TV and one high amp phone charger with multiple plugs to accommodate any smart phone.
Guests can (and some do) bring whatever else they like.
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I stayed at a place in November that had an Alexa on the night stand of my home share room, which I unplugged. Yes, it is a privacy issue, which is why I won’t have Google, Ring, or Alexa in my house, much less impose it on guests.
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Both nightstands have embedded USB ports - 4 each. I used to provide a 3-pronged cable that had chargers for different devices, but I’ve pulled those since covid re-opening.
What’s a high amp charger, sounds like I might need one for myself!
Look for “2.4 amp charger”. Newer phones benefit from a higher amp smart charger. Here is a good choice. Similar to ours:
Here is the cable we use and have gotten many compliments for having a good charger and this cable combo.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0716NC4GV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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From my point of view, this is the most useful. A free Netflix account in the TV also it is nice
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As someone who lives alone and is older I decided that safety is more important than privacy. A friend of mine who was 68 fell ill last fall at home. He made mistakes in deciding what to do about it but ultimately by the time he tried to call for help he could barely use his hands. He has been in a nursing home since the end of the year slowly recovering from something very much like Guillain-Barre Syndrome. If not for Alexa he would be cut off from the world. No visitors are allowed and he still can’t use his hands to work a computer or make a phone call. Alexa allows him to use his voice to make calls to others who will install the App on their phones, listen to books on audible and listen to and change radio stations.
So imagining myself having a stroke, seizure, heart attack and knowing I could use my voice to call someone who could call for help (Alexa doesn’t support 911 calls at this time) as well as use it for a variety of others things if I actually was sick at home (like with flu or covid) gives me peace of mind. Two or three years ago I had the same concerns but I find those to now be much more remote compared to real life.
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This post reminded me I needed to set up this Alexa skill and then I still didn’t do it until today. With one Alexa outside and two inside hopefully I will be within range and everything will be properly working if I need it.
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With an Alexa enabled device being so inexpensive and with the ubiquitous (some would say predatory but that’s another topic) nature of Amazon I have definitely gotten my money and time’s worth out of my Echo devices.
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I have PS4 connected to the TV. The console is in a concealed clear container that is super glued on the top of the TV rack to avoid getting stolen.
They will be even cheaper on Amazon Prime day which starts in the U.S. 10/13 at 12:01 AM Pacific time!!
Edit to add, it goes through midnight 10/14
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I will be looking at Prime to see what’s available that day. A new gen of devices is available this month but if I got one for the Airbnb room it would be the basic hockey puck style. BTW, I saw your post about wanting detail on setting up Alexa for a guest.
I’m going to be honest, that’s not an area with which I’m familiar other than knowing there are controls available. I’m not super tech savvy, more of a determined plodder with lots of cursing and/or tears when I deal with technology. I’m still wondering if I got the Roku and Spectrum TV app set up okay and safely in the air room.
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