…hi Cabinhost they were fine with email message …but im sure had I not sent it they would have showed up at noon
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we have 10 guest showing up this afternoon …lord save me now … its always a bit stressful when the house is full …I will take a breath and tell myself it will be over soon
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Actually, they did respond with their arrival times, they weren’t early, it’s just that they said they would be 2 hrs later than they arrived, and I ask for an update if it changes much because otherwise I am forced to sit and watch for them because I don’t always hear the doorbell. What on earth they were playing at with the upgrade thing is anyone’s guess. I was very confused when there was no response to my email welcoming them and making the pretty generous offer, so when they came at me about it(after both coming from different directions from within my home - they guy not the least apologetic, acting as if it was totally normal to walk right in and make himself at home), it was like a two headed snake! he opened with ‘so you got our message about wanting the upgrade right?’ Looking defensive already, and I said, No! I didn’t actually! How strange! The woman also looking weird and defensive starts claiming she definitely sent it, and then it over time went to ‘will have to check if I sent it’. I mean, if you got this message, would you think it needed a response?
Hi Cindy,
I understand! It is truly the perfect time, too. We would love to welcome you for a relaxing stay.
I wanted to give you the option of the … room, which is a lovely room too, and has a few added benefits such as Queen bed, sofa, but the main reason (although by no means a necessity) extra quiet/privacy as it is on the opposite side of the home to the other room we have booked presently. If you prefer this option, we can make the adjustment, and I am happy to change the price to be the same as the … for you:). Otherwise I’m sure you will enjoy the … too!
Warm regards,
Sandy
I clearly say ‘if you prefer this option, I can make an adjustment’. Now, if the next thing you heard from me was below (because I heard nothing from them until the night before arrival), wouldn’t you wonder if I had gotten your response on the adjustment and would have double checked to make sure I would do it? Obviously there was no response, but just saying.
Hi Cindy,
I’m sure you have read the itinerary, but just letting you know we appreciate an ETA when you have an idea of it. Any time after 4pm and before 11pm is fine. When we hear from you we will make sure to be around to show you to your room.
Safe travels!
Sandy
But no, still nothing about the upgrade/adjustment, just an arrival time. So I have no idea why they pulled that. The woman definitely knew she hadn’t messaged me, and the man was so exceedingly unpleasant, my almost unflappable husband almost had me try to get them to move out today because of his behavior at breakfast. He barged into the kitchen, and started to bombard my husband with negative conversation, my husband tried to ease him back into the dining room, but by then, our other sweet guests had arrived. My husband kindly asked if they’d been comfortable, when he stood right in front of where the other guests were trying to access the coffee etc, and started a litany of complaints about how he couldn’t sleep, not his own bed, away from home etc, wanted to call his kids (27 & 29), anxious about them and on and on. Not really the polite conversation he was hoping for, and meanwhile my husband kept trying to get to the other guests to enquire after them, but he kept pushing in front of them and speaking loudly about his complaints. The wife (when she came down) was decidedly more happy. Ecstatic even. So, well. Ah.
Yes, I agree about that discount guy, he was pushing hard, when I was thinking, you want me to get up now, run around getting everything ready, AND you want a discount? if that wasn’t bad enough, he kept me waiting over an hour for his decision. I was livid by then. I’m sure there’s a better way!
Oh I hear you Carol, and know it well. If everyone’s nice it’s always fine. We had 7 last weekend, 6 this (our preferred max). I hope you have great guests this weekend.
Agree… I have all excellent reviews, 4.5 stars, and 4PM check in and 11AM check out. ( They may ask, and they don’t receive. 
But just like ME in Seoul, I asked… just in case. And it was OK. If not, I go to plan B.)
I think, from looking over my reviews, I have determined that it seems as though Guests like that I have all the beach gear here and that I am knowledgeable about the area. It helps when you only have a short time to enjoy the Big Island and you want to make the most of your time… especially since driving distances here are so vast.
I don’t love midnight check ins, but sometimes flights from the East Coast get in really late so it is not their fault… So I’m able to accommodate them and greet them I do, If not that’s OK… I just text them to let themselves in and just go to bed if it is really late. I’ll meet them in the morning!
It really depends on your situation. For me; I can offer a late night check-in as I live next door. For you;that may not be an option. What I like about having my own business is I can make up my own rules. I never meant to imply you dont get good reviews. Everybody does this business a little bit differently; I dont allow pets;no more than 2 adults; and I charge a cleaning fee and if they need a late check-in they can. You have your business and your rules; and I have mine. I dont mind accomodating the rare late check-in; after all these guests are paying my entire mortgage on the property.
Diamond, the thread was really about early check ins, and late check outs. These are the most asked for and most frustrating to get, as guests are trying to extend their stay by hanging around a day or so beyond what they have paid to be there for.
Many have already responded to the late check in. Most of us know that it is sometimes unavoidable. In that case they are not trying to get extras, they simply can’t get there before then, in which case some flexibility is needed. I say 11pm is my latest, but allow a little later if asked. I don’t think you are doing any favors by allowing this. I dare say every airbnb’er does.
Hehe, I have to add a new story. I guess there is a first time for everything.
My today guests just showed up at the door at 10:45, while the guests from previous night were still packing in their room. I opened the door and at first I couldn’t even understand who is this young cople and how they know my name.
When I told them they can’t come in because I have people in their room, and and I need to clean, and actually check in time at 3 pm., they were sincerely shocked. It’s raining like crazy here all day, so they cant really go to the beach or anywhere at this point.
So, they became obviously sad and and asked me if they can leave their bags. Then they asked if they can stay in a living room. I did not even had a chance to answer, but probably my facial impression said something and they immediately said: that’s ok, we will just catch a movie.
I had people asking me about late check outs all the time. May be I was lucky but no one ever wanted to check in early. But not to ask at all and just assume that house is always available anytime of the day and I am home waiting 24 hours a day for them to arrive…?
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I have to admit, many of the stories here are giving me a laugh! It’s true we all have different setups, so different methods work for different hosts. I am smack in the middle of a huge metropolis, so I have options more rural hosts don’t. My door is always very much locked. I use a lockbox for folks who arrive early, and I have no problem allowing early check-ins IF and only IF nobody is checking out the same day (I work full time, so I just block a night on my calendar whenever anyone is checking in or out mid-week, because I cannot handle the back-to-back thing). But, the lockbox is only out when I am expecting an early check in or a check or I am otherwise not home. There is no way for anyone to barge into my house unexpectedly (so, lucky me). Whenever folks want to check in early, I am fine with it so long as nobody is checking out the same day…when somebody is checking out the same same (only on a weekend in my case) my response is pretty standard: your room will be ready for you at 3 PM. Feel free to drop your bags in the foyer ahead of time if you’d like to enjoy the sites and sounds of Hollywood bag free while you are awaiting check in time.
Yana,
Curious as to what these guests were told prior to arrival. Do you typically ask them their arrival time, or are you just always home on the day guests are checking in? I guess what I am saying is that if I were the traveler, I would want to know how I am getting into the place I rented. Just wondering what kind of communication you had with these guests.
Usually I ask them about time of arrival only if it’s the same day booking. I am on instant book, so my bookings are usually with IB and many last minute. If they say in 1 hour, I always have keys in a secret place and if I am not home I just tell them where they are. I think I will stop doing it when season starts, now it’s pretty empty, very infrequent so one of rooms is always ready.
I also ask guests when they are arriving if its getting late and they still didnt arrive. If they say they are stuck in traffic, and it’s realy late, I just leave them keys and they enter themselves.
But I don’t ask every single guest about time of their arrival. I have check In time 11, check out 3, and ussualy it worked perfectly. I assume if they need to arrive early they at least will ask me.
With these particular guests it was the same as usuall. They reserved ahead of time for 1 day, and that was it. I welcomed them by text. And expected them not earlier than 3. That day I was home in a morning but later on I had to leave. I texted them saying that if I am not home where to find keys. I do it with all my guest and it works very well.
They looked very surprised and confused that other people were occupying their room.
The same day I had another guest, and at 10:30 I texted him abut check out time just to be sure. I think from now on I will be reminding about check in times and check out times all the time.
I know people hardly read everything on a listing, but I would think such an important info as timing wouldn’t go unread, but obviously it is.
Hahahha… - I just received this message on my screen when typing “This topic is clearly important to you – you’ve posted more than 21% of the replies here. Are you sure you’re providing adequate time for other people to share their points of view, too?”
My sincere apologies go out to anyone who feels offended that I am not timing my responses before others respond…ha!
Yana - yeah it is so hard to tell when people are sincere that they truly did not even think to find out exactly what time they could arrive. I would never assume someone is just going to be sitting in their home and not at the grocery, in the shower, or anything. Then again, I have no idea if you have a huge house with 10 rooms. I would just assume I would need to double check how I could enter the home. It also seems strange that they acted put out because of the rain. Are there not plenty of other things to do? I would not want to be sitting in someone’s living room just because it is raining. Do people just sit in hotel rooms all day long because it is raining? No.
I guess those of you who rent by the room get different types of guests who have varying reasons for needing to stay, and they may not be on vacation. All of my guests are either attending an event, visiting family in the area, or are on vacation. They will still go about their business even if it rains.
Lol Cabin. Love your posts. Surprised I there isn’t an algorithm for me ‘you have written a sixty page novel - no one has the kind of attention span required for your brand of paltry, boring, and self pitying messages’ 
Glad jackulas got a laugh out of my distress! Happy to hearyour situation works so well for you.
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It didn’t look like they did it on purpose. I think they are new also to Airbnb.
When I travelled as a guest I always texted host a day before and asked about keys. I always informed them about plane arrival and so on.
Wha?! What do you mean not ‘on purpose’? Do you have a check in time listed, or is it just stated flexible? Did you communicate with guest prior to arrival if it is stated flexible? If you don’t have a set time and didn’t communicate I’m afraid it’s actually your fault for not informing your guests of expectations, and I’m surprised they aren’t upset with YOU! After all, if you’re set to flexible and didn’t discuss expectations, it could be assumed given that flexible means ‘anytime is fine’ that they did exactly what your listing suggested. Of course, it’s not necessarily intelligent, or polite, but many guests need to be treated like kindergarten children, with your expectations spelled out clearly and loudly, otherwise misunderstandings like this are assured.
I always hear this same story with people renting condos, etc. I just wonder how much of it is a “surprise” or acting demonstration. It just seems so strange to me to travel for hours only not to have any instruction on how to be able to access the home.
I know I have now resigned myself to giving only 1% of guests the benefit of the doubt. But it just seems odd to want to sit in a living room. Why? Is it to push their way in earlier? Why would anyone want to sit in a living room? You can sit in a living room at your own home and look at each other - unless they are renting because they are displaced or need to rent for work travel purposes.
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Cabin!!! Apparently I’m a post hog as well!
Bwahahaha! I usually like to hear from only 21% or less of people 100% of the time anyway. Works for me!
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NO, it’s not flexible. But even if it was, what does it even mean? That host is always home? I think flexible means that a host can accomodate a guest upon agreement but it doesn’t mean physical presence of a host In a house waiting for a guest to arrive. Especially when I saw in listings “flexible” I had to be sure my host knows about time of my arrival and arranges for me to get into the house.
I just looked them up again. They have no reviews , and they became members right before they booked my room. So, that might be an explanation.