Sounds great. Beware of the popcorn. We used to leave microwave popcorn in the suite but after the clean up (finding popcorn in the bed, shower (yup) and stuck in the sofa and chair cushions) we stopped. I leave a bowl of fruit. Flowering plant or wild flowers. We do not provide breakfast anymore - takes up too much of my time as guests want to chat. They can order breakfast bags for $12 and they are in the suite when guests check in. Bags include orange juice, milk, granola, fruit, sweet muffin or pastry, hard boiled egg or quiche or egg and ham muffin.
2 Likes
Well Iām not impressed and I wouldnāt be as a guest. Iām impressed by quality, not necessarily name brands.
2 Likes
I understand exactly what you are saying and itās a very lovely unexpected gesture to have this already offered in the Airbnb space be it need it or not. I too have sometimes forgotten small toiletries and some SOME are already in the room but many are not and not always offered at the desk nor do I really want to approach the desk staff for such things with a big label on my head that says Iām not too bright cause I forgot my toothpaste. Not to mention if there is a line or the desk staff doesnāt have the best interpersonal skills. However I definitely wouldnāt just make it part of my check in routine to ask for this and that when I walk up to check in.
Anyway I will be taking a page from your book and offering a small value based offering basketā¦thank you Robin, lynick, Christine
Headed to Trader Joeās !
2 Likes
Now thereās a visual teehee
There are plenty of reasons to ask for toothbrush/toothpaste besides being a dingbat. We routinely overnight at our connecting city between our main home and our vacation property, and I donāt carry a toothbrush or toothpaste since I have them at both properties. So I just ask for it when I check in.
I donāt understand the reticence some of you have to asking for amenities when you check into a hotel. How is getting the item when you check in any different than it being in the room? The hotel just has those items at the front desk to minimize their losses because not everyone needs it. A vacation rental doesnāt have a front desk so the item has to be somewhere else, and the bathroom is the best place for bathroom items.
1 Like
Interesting. A guest asked me if the spices I supply are safe. My response, āIām counting on it. I use them when Iām there. If you want to buy your own Aldi is across 17 & DollarTree & Walmart are a mile north on the rightā
Different strokesā¦different levels of risk tolerance or maybe itās because I think the risk is so low because I donāt a use large quantity of the spices except shrimp/crab boil.
1 Like
Awesome response, I too was thinking the same as Muddy to be fair but then just over half thru reading your list I figured you Must have copy and pasted it here thatās why itās so detailed so I smiled and kept reading. In the end I thought I need to stay at this place but WAIT ā¦I am a mixed Latin gal and thereās no Saffron say what??
So yea add that do you want me to suggest the best brands of the worlds most pricey spice?
2 Likes
Wow, nice and smiling HUGELY not because Iām a great writer but I appreciate and agree what you are saying. Screen shot this comment!
2 Likes
Thatās me fecked then, better look elsewhere.
JF
3 Likes
I think youāve gone ALL in on what you provide. I stuck with spices ( dry ) , olive oil and vinegar. We donāt even tell them what spices - thereās just a sign ( communal spices - use what you want , leave what you want , and add if you feel like it )
Since the cleaning crews have to empty the fridge - we donāt offer anything that isnāt shelf stable. That being said - like others - I wouldnāt leave a list of what is made available. That way people canāt complain when something is out. Also thatās a hell of an inventory list to maintain / manage.
2 Likes
Couldnāt resist
JF
2 Likes
Niceā¦ Paella of course. But no, actually I was meaning her list was so thoughtfully curated I had to idea something insane. Wonderful but insane. I myself can not stand the smell of many spices in closed quarters. Haha Boot me out with my paella pan in hand Tish
1 Like
When I first moved to the part of Mexico Iām in, I couldnāt figure out why they sold herbs and spices in the local stores in these tiny cellophane packets that were essentially only enough for one or two uses.
I quickly understood when my spice jars that I didnāt use up real quick turned into an unidentifiable greyish clump with no smell whatsover aside from a hint of mold. 
Now I put very little in the jars and keep the rest of the spices I buy inthe bulk store in the freezer, to refill them from.
1 Like
Many of the comments to my post were focused on the fact of a written list and the naming of brands.
Some thought naming brands was pretentious. Perhaps @JJDās right-on explanation that brands here really do convey valuable information will cause some re-thinking.
Still, there was useful feedback for me in that some of you thought adding the brand names was pretentious and were put off by that, though I donāt know how much of those comments were personal. For now Iāve added a statement in the list āBrands are included as this list comprises our shopping list for replenishment.ā
Some thought that the list was problematic if some of the items ran out. Iāve added a statement that the list is āaspirational, not a guarantee.ā I already had a statement that we stock these āunless the last guest consumed them all and we could not replenish in time!ā But I intend to keep our stock complete and donāt expect any lapses.
I understand, of course, if many Hosts would not want to add the creation and maintenance of a list and stocking of condiments, teas, amenities, etc. to their chores. I find merit in the treasure hunt idea, as well as under-promising and over-delivering.
This list is valuable for me so I know what I aim to have (e.g., if someone finishes the Tamari I, or my cleaner/helper, can check the list against the pantryās actual contents to make sure our stock is complete. With the full names and brands, I can easily cut and paste items to put in my online grocery cart.
If I were a guest I would like the list so I could take it to the grocery store and avoid duplicative purchases. So I feel that this list is valuable for the guest. Generally I wouldnāt care which brand of spice. But thatās me. [If I were buying saffron or pepper sauce I would care.] I wouldnāt mind that thereās more words on the page because the first line for each spice is the name of the spice, not the brand. My eyes are still nimble enough to move down to the next line. As a guest I would interpret the list as thoughtful and also a reflection that the Host is intentional about what is being provided.
One of my scheduled messages, 7 days before check-in, says āPantry includes many spices, Olive oil, Toasted Sesame oil, Braggās Apple Cider Vinegar and other vinegars, Huy Fong Sriracha, Tamari, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon cubes, shelf-stable condiments. I can send you a full list if youād like.ā Now I have a list I can send. For the cooking guest whoās planning thatās valuable.
You might have noticed that I put expiration dates on most applicable items; the list recites that most of the spices have an approximate two-year shelf life from purchase, which the list says is marked with a Sharpie at the bottom of each spice jar. Listing the expiration dates helps me, so I can know when I need to order/buy a replenishment without access to the listed unit. It also conveys to the guest that weāre keeping track of expiration or ābest byā dates, for their benefit.
I havenāt curated the spices. I bought a decent brand for most that I could instantly replenish, a brand that if a guest cared or knew represents organic food processing, sustainability, fair trade, charitable giving. In the future I expect I might curate some spices and teas. @JJD mentioned steak sauce and Balsamic vinegar, but which ones? So Iāll research this and select ones based on reviews Iāve read, cost, ease of replenishment.
I donāt suggest that Hosts āshouldā do this. I am retired, have the time, and as a quasi-foodie it is as someone said part of the fun of this gig for me.
The guests are free to take the list if they liked some of the products. They were each selected for a reason. I mentioned that there is mouthwash in the unit, actually two, one Act!, a fluoride mouthwash and one a non-fluoride mouthwash. The soaps, hair products and other amenities were also selected based on reviews Iāve read, cost and ease of replenishment. If someone really liked something, they can take the list and buy it at home. [Weāve been approached by other guests for the exact brand and model of our bed warmers and port chargers, and other amenities, so I guess Iām expecting this.]
The input I was seeking was actually not about leaving a list or including brand names but whether this effort to āupā my hosting game was likely worthwhile given that weāre already getting very good reviews without doing any of this. And the āthisā I was thinking about was mostly adding the spices and condiments. I threw in the teas for good measure but I think if someone has a favorite tea they might just buy it themselves and use it up during their stay. Theyāre less likely to buy baking powder or smoked paprika when so little is typically needed for a recipe and theyād be forced to pack it or leave it.
Some have suggested to have some items stocked for the guest checking in late, so theyād have something to eat or drink. I offer to pick up sundry groceries (no charge, just reimbursement) for such guests and also offer that they can use Instacart to order groceries to be delivered at or after 10 am, that Iād take the groceries in and put them away so that itās there for them. So I feel less the need to stock items for that reason.
In the end, because we have a very large and nice kitchen and we tout it, I thought I should go the extra mile here, try it out, and see what the use is and what the feedback.
I do expect, however, that more people will cook, that there will be more wear and tear, probably more cleaning weāll have to do. I wonder whether Iāll regret this concept of making cooking in the kitchen that much easier.
Weāll see. Itās an experiment. Thank you for letting me share this with you.
1 Like
How far are you from the nearest market?
We toss any open foodstuffs other than salt and pepper, and have noticed folks still buy their own salt and pepper.
However we are about a mile from an entertainment shopping area that includes a market, and we provide shopping totes, bikes, and even a golf cart to get them there. (Most use the golf cartā¦)
Our guestās range on kitchen use. Some eat out almost every meal, others will cook an entire holiday dinner. That does mean some times the kitchen looks untouched before the cleaners show, and other times it needs more care.
1 Like
Weāre a little under two miles away from the nearest grocery store.
So, when you say you throw out any open foodstuffs other than salt and pepper, does that mean youād throw out spices, oil, vinegar?
We throw out or ourselves use anything opened in the refrigerator. If the guest as left something shelf stable and it is not expired we keep it in the pantry, although not something easily contaminated like peanut butter. Iāve been thinking whether I should label that shelf āPast Guests Have Left These Itemsā
We have not had any guests buy their own salt and pepper.
For the guests who cook an entire holiday dinner it would seem likely [?] that theyād need spices and condiments, just a little bit from several, and then would be forced to leave or pack the partially used bottles. So thatās what I was trying to save them from. Of course, if theyāre uncomfortable in using opened spices they could buy their own.
Absolutely. Anything where I canāt guarantee the contents will be tossed or taken by the cleaners. Iāve seen presumably tiny guests write on every other page of the post it notes, and then bury the pad back in stack. Iāve seen garbage hidden in amazing places in the house, like used cigarettes under the couch cushions in a non-smoking house. I donāt trust that a guest wonāt add or combine ingredients in open packages. And I donāt want to be liable if some crazy person puts poison in there.
Being in a senior community, the groceries are good at having tiny packages of everything just because there are lots of permanent residents that do very little cooking.
No one has complained about lack of spices or olive oil.
Thank you. Thatās solid input.
Well, seeing all this has made me decide to āup my gameā and from now on, Iām going put six tea bags out instead of three, four salt sachets instead of two and as an added bonus, Iām also now going to add some dinky little sachets of black pepper. I hope my guests will be grateful, I mean it takes me ages to walk to McDonalds to get these. I did have a thought though, should I maybe list these, just so the guests know that they wonāt have to buy any in advance?
In addition, Iām going to recycle our old cooking oil from upstairs by putting it down in the apartments and renaming it unfiltered extra virgin olive oil direct from the factory. Do you think our guests will be impressed?
Iāve also decided that itās probably been a bit mean of me to only allow three sheets of toilet paper, per guest, per day. So, what I intend to do is put a full roll in at check in, with each sheet carefully numbered, and when they check out I only apply the penalty charge for usage over and above ten sheets per day. By allowing guests to share their allowance Iām sure theyāll cite this as a positive in any review.
Iāve started numbering my first roll, and what a job this is. I started off with a permanent marker but that didnāt work very well, so Iām now using little sticky labels. Works a treat.
The things you learn here, itās like every day is a school day 
JF
8 Likes
You make some good points here. Iām glad I inspired you! And whatās this about āmaybe listā these? Maybe?? Maybe?? I know I wrote that Iām not suggesting that Hosts āshouldā make a list, but I was being nice. Please, set aside an hour and read my posts again.
Sticky labels? Thatās genius.