This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
We recently had three couples traveling together at our home (full-house rental in the Caribbean). We’re a bit unique compared to most AirBnB properties in that our home is staffed (housekeeper, groundskeeper, night caretaker) and we have a driver that works with us to provide transportation around the island for guests. This arrangement is fairly common in our area, though.
My DH and I met them and showed them around, and they seemed nice and very complimentary about our home. All of them are 40-year-old successful professionals. But it went downhill from there. They basically behaved like spoiled children, perhaps fueled by copious amounts of alcohol.
They continually left their dirty dishes on the dining table and around the house, attracting bugs and birds into the house (open-air house in the tropics)
The house was continually a mess. Towels and clothes on the floor, used tissues all around, toilets not flushed. Items they took out of the closets were never put back. Every unlocked closet door was opened. They never picked up when they left.
They were very wasteful. Left the A/C and lights on when they left the house during the day. Used every bath and beach towel in the house and tossed them on the floor.
They badgered our driver into giving them a partial refund after they had agreed to the terms of a trip and then changed their mind. Then they snubbed our staff and driver even after getting the refund and refused to speak to them. I don’t know if they were pouting or hung over!
Everything in #1, #2 and #3 was covered in the house rules posted on the refrigerator or in the orientation we gave them.
The reason I am torn is that it could be argued that they only behaved like this because we have staff. They took FULL advantage of our staff and let them clean up after them. No actual damage (except the $200US they squeezed out of a hard-working local guy).
I wouldn’t go so far as to block them so they cannot come back, but I am not going to give them a glowing “can’t wait until we see you again” review, either, but I cannot recommend them to others.
So - what about this group would be helpful for others?
Hmm, I consider how people treat “the staff” to be extremely important. I’d mark down on cleanliness and rules, do not recommend. I’d also mention the behavior (in a condensed form) that you mentioned here in the review. You’re speculating that they only acted like that due to having staff. But you know for a fact that the results were.
As a host without staff I wouldn’t want to take the chance.
Much of what you describe has no bearing on staffed or not - These six were wasteful, sloppy, inconsiderate and rude. And from my perspective in addition to cheating your worker out of what he was rightfully due, they were also slacking off tipping the staff … something that seemed warranted especially considering all that they had to do above and beyond.
What confuses me is your ambivalence to blocking them. Do your staff a favor and never have this group back again.
Gah, sounds like my Moonrise Festival guests who dropped Ecstasy, added vodka and god knows what else … and flung open every cabinet door and left 'em open. Maybe looking for carfentanil, who knows.
I would mark them down to three stars or lower, leave an honest review and say you wouldn’t welcome them back again.
Personally, I would also make up the $200 dollars your driver is out because of their bullying behaviour. Your staff need to know that you have their backs and shouldn’t be out of pocket because of your guests from hell.
One issue to check, did you at any point during their stay remind them of the house rules they were breaking ie not leaving dirty plates out that could attract insects? And call them out on how they were treating your staff.
Really?
So your staff do not mean anything to you?
If you accept that guest treat your staff like this, at some point your staff will return the favor.
I would mark them down to 2 or 3 stars overall, and leave a honest review on how they treated the place and your staff.
In my experience people who have staff at home or have stayed with friends who have staff treat them very well when staying with them, at hotels or a rental. It is normal to leave them a tip. Did your guests do this?
I would give them 1 star for Cleanliness and Rules but leave a lukewarm neutral revue. If they ever check it out they will think about what that might mean. You could even leave them a private note: “my staff were very upset at being treated like servants. They are valued employees and friends and not there to pick up after entitled guests”.
I personally would not want those self-absorbed, entitled brats! As for the review, I would simply state that they disregarded house rules and were rude to the staff.
As Queen Elizabeth (apparently) said to Meghan Markle after the latter got angry at her staff for some minor stuff up at her wedding: “We don’t talk to people like that”.
That was just a story made up by right wing tabloids here @JamJerrupSunset who didn’t like having a new member of the royal family who wasn’t of the ‘right lineage’
Personally I would never leave a luke-warm review for such awful guests. Mine would be honest and direct and call them out for their awful behaviour, but mind you I would have asked Airbnb to cancel the booking when they were rude to the staff looking after my home and disrespected the property.
My father’s family have paid staff that look after their homes and no-one would dream of exhibiting such behaviour or being so rude towards them.
I just checked - they tipped the housekeeper. But I did not ask how much.
No - I found out about it after the stay.
Good advice, thank you.
My housekeeper does not want me to leave them a review. I’ve already told her I don’t want them back.
Thanks all, you’ve given me good advice! I’ll post my review here before I submit it. They’ve already reviewed us so no need to play the “wait until the last minute game”. I suspect we’re not getting a great review - our internet had some problems while they were there and there was an area-wide power outage (we have a generator and started it within a few minutes, though).
The home I rented in Costa Rica was very similar. We had power outages and a leak on the kitchen floor from the auxiliary sink. Those are things outside the homeowner’s control. Things they can can control like quality of furnishings and fixtures, excellent staff, good service…that’s what should be reviewed. Please warn other hosts clearly.
Did you know that you can block guest profiles now, so they can’t contact you or book with you?
Might be worth doing so in this case.
As a lesson learnt, it would be worth reminding your staff that if there are problems with guests in the future to let you know ASAP so you can deal with it, rather than not letting you know until their visit is over.
I can block the guy who booked, but then any of the other five could still book from their account. I don’t think they will be back anyway. Most of our guests tell our housekeeper when they leave how they can’t wait to come back. These folks just said “bye”.
I would actually block them and give them a bad review. They were not someone I would want to host. Just state the facts in your review. They have no respect for you, for your property and your staff. They did not behave like children, they behaved like entitled people.
I’ve only once been in a situation where I wanted to block a guest (who had implied he would be returning, and I didn’t want him to). ABNB CS advised that I first needed to review him and then following that, I’d have the option to block him.
