My home is a split level ie. all baths and beds either up or downstairs. This is clearly spelled out in the description including not handicap accessible. Last night the upcoming guest asked if any of the toilets were on the main level. I told her no- she then writes back and said that’s fine we’ll make it work. From a safety issue this raises a red flag for me. Perhaps I am overreacting but I would prefer she find another location for their visit. The reservations are for Christmas week so she has enough time to find another location. I would appreciate any suggestions on how to handle this.
If the guest has indicated they are happy with the arrangements then there is no reason for the booking to be cancelled @Katrina
Christmas prices are likely to have gone up and I’m not sure I agree it will be easy for them to find comparable accommodation .
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You might ask if she has a specific concern about the stairs and indicate that if this is a major inconvenience you would be willing to waive any cancelation penalties.
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I don’t understand. Did the guest indicate that one of the group has mobility issues? If not, why do you think there is an issue? The guest simply asked a question and said fine to your answer, that they’d make it work.
Where’s the problem that would lead you to want the booking cancelled?
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The guest asking if a toilet was on the main floor and then stating they would make it work. That makes we wonder is there is an issue with mobility. My concern is one of liability in the event of an accident.
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This would be a flag for me, too, and I’ve had potential guests give me the off-hand response of “We’ll make it work,” when in fact, one was in a wheelchair and my home isn’t wheelchair friendly.
Write back NOW and ask why they specifically asked that question and if someone has mobility issues. Your home is NOT a good fit for someone like that and you’ve described it accurately in your listing.
Then if you’re not happy with their response, say “I’m not comfortable with this reservation,” and CALL AirBnB directly to cancel.
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Why wonder and imagine some bad scenario? Why not just ask the guest why she was asking about the bathroom placement? Maybe it has nothing to do with mobility issues. It’s quite possible that someone is a senior and simply would prefer not having to climb stairs to use the bathroom, but has no mobility issues, nor would it have anything to do with safety.
And even if a guest did have mobility issues, saying “We’ll make it work” would indicate to me that another member of the group would help them up and downstairs, it would just be more convenient if that wasn’t necessary.
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From a business perspective, you’ve got it documented that the guest was warned and was fine with the arrangements.
From a human being perspective, I would make further inquiries and in doing so emphasize that the bathroom has no grab bars, is small, has a high walled tub, or whatever specifically would make it difficult for someone with limited mobility without asking about their personal health situation. I would also provide names/urls of nearby airbnbs in a similar price range that would be better suited. And waive cancellation penalties.
A fall would be a dreadful way to celebrate Christmas, and as we know unhappy guests sometimes project that onto their ratings when reviewing.
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I had a guest this weekend who booked a room with a shared bathroom, and house rules the guest agreed to twice, and then proceeded to give a low star rating on value and also overall because “for the price you are charging I expected a private bathroom, a TV, and the ability to not have to honor house rules 2, 3 and 4”. This was sent to me as the ‘private’ part of the review. A guest who is going to have to ‘make it work’ is potential trouble at the review point of the booking. I was blindsided when I got low stars because the guest wanted what was impossible to provide.
We as hosts need to figure out a way to deal with entitlement and ‘review culture’. I also agree that while there is no reason to panic and cancel this person’s booking, I would be looking at ways to make sure that when they arrive that (for example) everyone on the booking knows what is to be expected.
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Do you have hand rails to building code on the steps?
Yes I have double rails going down stairs and a single rail upstairs.
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I agree with you Katrina, they have mobility concerns.
What has worked for me is to get a friendly dialog going with the guest. In this case I would find an AirBnB with a first floor bathroom and send them the link.
When I’ve done this in the past, the guest canceled.
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