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Like GutHend as I see this from more of a traveller point of view. I have been there with too much luggage that I wanted to carry with me …
I remember one time in Mexico in 1992…travelling by bus, bus dropped me off at a crossing in the middle of nowhere …the hike to see some ruins was really way too long to lug the heavy backpack so I left it with some friendly folks at a house at the corner …
Similar 2 years in Panama …left my heavy stuff with the hosts for a few days off to see some island and taking only a daypack … (99.5% of my guests are tourists flying in and out of San Jose or passing through)
So, yes …if it makes a guests travels easier with little inconvenience to me I have always offered to take their stuff - sometimes for weeks or months. I have flexible check-in/out because my set up allowed for it, but then that was for a private room.
It is also not anything that hundreds of guests will actually do. Did it result in better reviews …proably not …did it make the experience better for the guest - sure did.
Yes I always find that if I agree to early check in the guest is late. Something the questionnaire didn’t cover this time is what length of check in window do you allow i.e. ETA between 5pm and 6pm? I try to whittle my check in window down to 30 minutes as I am in an easy small city location. I do expect guests to message me in advance if the ETA will change. I am not impressed if they wait until the time they’re meant to be checking in to let me know they will be late. Even if I am at home and not juggling appointments, I still want to know the ETA. I want to know when I can relax and cook a meal, take a bath etc…
To be honest I am getting increasingly frustrated with guests around late check outs.
When they arrive I always remind them about check out times and ask them what time their flight leaves/plans for their final day (most of my guests fly in or have a train or coach booked on their final day).
The vast majority book an evening flight/coach/train. When I ask them what they plan to do with their luggage on their last day, they look at me blankly
Recently, I had some travellers who I kindly let leave their luggage and keep their keys to return from a days sightseeing before leaving. Not only did they not thank me but left their room in a state with the duvet dumped on the floor and wet towels thrown across it. And they didn’t bother to lock the door when they left.
Oh Helsi, not you? Somehow it is sort of comforting that a seasoned host, such as yourself, still gets their tail pulled.
No longer will I allow left luggage, early/late check-in or out. We had a lovely couple re-book directly for another w/e, at the last minute from London. They were expected at 7.30 pm, then 10.30 pm, then they hadn’t left, then he had to go home to change his wine-sodden t-shirt at 11.30. When they said they we’re just leaving, at 11.30 pm, would be with us in an hour and a half (1 am), I told them to bugger off; I’m neither a hotel or concierge.
This happens to me as well in 90% of the cases when guests ask for an early check-in. Recently a guest asked for an early check-in, didn’t inform me that he changed his plans, and showed up an hour after the check-in starts. I got 3 stars for check-in.
I did, I asked him for an explanation in general as his feedback and stars were completely crazy and contradicting. I wrote about it on a different topic. As for the check-in, he said that my mom (who was welcoming them) said that she loves animals, but doesn’t like to pet them, and this ruined the impression for them, as they came with a dog. I was speechless.
I had a fellow show up two hours before my earliest check in time. He also did not reply to my Airbnb message about check in. Lucky for him the room was ready. I was home and saw him pull in and went to greet him and I told him a few things about the room but I also mentioned he was two hours early. I interpreted the 4 stars for check in to be due to me greeting him/having the nerve to say anything about it not being check in time yet. A lot of people can’t take any kind of challenge/correction/scolding. Especially men being told things by women. So in retaliation he gave 4 stars. 100 people before him and 100 people after him gave 5 stars for check in (not exaggeration) and they had the exact same check in experience. So the only justification I can think of is that one. If I had been away from the house and he rolled up and went in two hours early I’d probably have gotten 5 stars.
I’m not GutHend, but I offer baggage storage. I have a detached garage with a lockbox on the door handle. Guests can put luggage in there and lock it up. It’s also handy for the few times guests have brought bicycles.
@GutHend - this is a fabulous survey! (and I say that as someone who used to write them professionally)
I found it interesting how many people charged for the extras. I host in one of the most expensive Midwest destination towns, so often guests are paying close to $300/night for the upstairs of my little old house. I may have some guilt about this! At any rate, I suppose they could knock over a glass of wine or flush the toilet a few extra times in the couple hours before or after their official reservation, but it doesn’t seem enough to fret over so long as it doesn’t create extra work for me.
I’ve also been burned by people asking for early check-in who don’t show up for hours later. When I’ve really busted a** to get them in early, that’s super irritating. Now I just offer if it’s getting close to the reservation date and I know the room will be cleaned the night before.
I think that was an issue too. But imagine the nerve to nitpick and downgrade someone after they let you check-in 2 hours earlier than they’re supposed to. Or my mom being scolded for such a harmless remark, after she cleaned late the night before so that they could check in early, and preparing the barbecue fire for them when they didn’t know how to do it. I wouldn’t have the heart to downgrade someone for that, even if some sentence did rub me the wrong way.
Sadly this is why I had to become stricter. It could be a gross stereotype but perhaps the ones who look at you blankly are not organized in other ways, such as thinking it is a hotel where they are used to leaving a mess.
I’ve told the story of the pushy guests who kept pushing me for constant favors including late check and then when that was a no, checking out, then leaving their luggage, borrowing the snorkel gear, returning it late, and then being clueless enough to ask if they could take a quick shower and use the bathroom when they got back, even though it was 4pm and the room was clean and I was already expecting the next guest. The guy was already down the stairs and on his way into the room when I had to physically stop him. No sorry, the room is clean, you can’t go in!
What part of check out and leave do you not understand? Didn’t say it but thought it.
Hi, sorry for the late reply…I came up with something better!!..the airport in my city has professional, secure luggage storage for a low fee…so I just added that info. to my listings (along with a note on how we cannot accommodate early check-ins/late check-outs) and VOILA! Problem solved. Have not been asked since about luggage. BOOM
Also, have only been asked a few times about early check-in since adding the note. (Before it was a fairly frequent request). Now I just say, “we’ll see what we can do” but we still don’t allow any early check-ins anymore and I’m not going to make any exceptions. This has become a huge red flag: any guest(s) asking for special requests. Especially requests that go against our house rules. These people account for our only reviews of less than five stars…even after we used to (joyfully) accommodated them!! ugh
Makes sense, because it’s a strange attitude to feel entitled to “something more” than what everybody else gets. So nada mas. We provide beautiful accommodations…for less than the price of local motels. That’s my job. The vast majority of our guests are wonderful…and grateful! Am now to the point where I will decline anyone making special requests, as we don’t need their business. Our city and listings are popular now. Who knows in the future if we relax this, but for now, it makes me feel better to not feel put out and stressed for nothing.
I cannot stand special requests anymore…especially early check-ins/late check-outs!! These guests are what we now label “high-maintenance/problem guests.” They are nearly always entitled and ungrateful.
After scrambling to accommodate these early check-in requests (and the back and forth messages that go with them), many of the guests would then say “Oh we stopped and had lunch, so we won’t be checking in early after all.” No apologies, no thanks. Nothing. So rude.
So now we just drew a line in the sand and surprisingly…it’s working out even better than before! Now all of our reviews are five stars and we have less headaches. Go figure!
I’ve only been hosting a few years.
