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So I had a 3 day minimum at New Years then I got two bookings from the 24th to the 30th and figured nobody would book 3 days for a Wednesday holiday. So I raised the price from $295 TO $395 and took off the 3 day minimum. A couple of days ago I received an inquiry on VRBO asking what was the cancelation policy if he booked it and cancelled, I sent him the policy showing he would get no refund.
So he just now he instant booked and paid for the night, 6 guests (my max) one night. He has an @aol.com email which makes me think he is, well not young so there is that. I still am suspicious this could be a party but idk. I sent him this message:
Thanks for booking River Rock Retreat in Idyllwild for New Years eve! I see there will be 6 guests, just a reminder there are no parties, pets or extra guests allowed. Check in is 3:00, check out is 10:00 I will send check in information closer to your reservation. Do not hesitate to contact me if you need anything once you check in I am only a few minutes away.
Hopefully my worries are unfounded and the message is not too off puttingâŚ
How would you feel as a guest in these circumstances reading that message?
I wouldnât have a problem with it. Since my party-boy group last year, that is pretty similar to my standard welcome message where I mention the check in, check out, the number of people, no parties/visitor rule and toss in that my caretaker lives âadjacent to the houseâ. Knock on wood, it seems to have held off the partiers. I had one group get that message and promptly cancel ⌠Bullet dodged! (?)
I would say itâs perfect, just a friendly reminder of house rules. I especially liked that you mentioned youâre minutes away. They would be foolish to have a party. Keep us posted.
I agree that the message is not off putting. Even the asking about cancel policy could be innocent. Iâve had properties I liked and wanted to grab but plans werenât final yet so a strict policy would keep me from booking; Iâd have to wait until I confirmed everyone or look for another place. And as for âparty,â when I went to Costa Rica our party of 8 partied the entire time. We also had a chef and his crew of 3 in to prepare dinner one night. Yet we were perfect guests and wouldnât have considered anything we were doing to be an event or party. LOL.
Iâd try to check them in in person or maybe stop by later to hand deliver their complimentary bottle of bubbly.
I will do that for sure. I am guessing its a group of boomers, aol email has 100% of the time has been someone over 50 so far Which is better than a group of 20 year olds for one night on NYE
Interestingly I used ThatsThem dot com to check the email and it came up with a different name with no other information. That in itself is not conclusive to anything though.
I am not too concerned, if I get any indicators that something is up I will spend the night in the guest house 40â awayâŚ
id feel ok. i did something similar myself with my NYE guests but they claim they are going to a party and I should rest assured, no one else will come to my house. Iâm installing outdoor cameras.
As long as they do not have extra guests or disturb the neighbors we are good. This is not a party destination, the only âflagâ is six adults one night NYE but I am not that worried. I am close by.
I think this looks great! Iâve found it smart to highlight a house rule or space condition that I think might be helpful for that particular group to know, so they can make an informed decision about where to stay.
Group of 8? Ok, as long as you know thereâs one bathroom and thatâs the absolute maximum amount of people the space can accommodate!
A full family for 7 days? Ok, just confirming that youâre booking a space with only a kitchenette and not a full kitchen!
4 women for a 20th birthday? Ok, please be aware that of the indicated Quiet Hours and No Parties allowed!
