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It would be interesting to hear what factors are the most important to members of this forum (since we’re all hosts ourselves).
The most important factors for me are:
The most important factor is the location; I’m always looking for accommodation near the main streets / attractions if I’m a tourist or near the event / company if I’m on business travel. If I’m in a place for a very short time, like one day or one night, I’m looking for accommodation near the central station or other hub or near the airport.
Fast and reliable WIFI. I always need to be available and must be able to work from anywhere, so fast WIFI is a must have.
**Number of bedrooms and apartment lay out**. If I'm travelling with friends or family, I'm always checking the number of bedrooms and the lay out of the apartment. Separate bedrooms for everyone is important and I don't want to walk through someones bedroom to go to the toilet. I'm surprised so few listings on Airbnb have a lay out display.
View and balcony. If I find a listing covering point one, two and three, I prefer to have a nice view and preferably a balcony
I like **modern apartments with a high standard**, but can also stay more simple if the location is right and the other points above are covered.
Not important factors:
Breakfast / kitchen - not important. I prefer to buy food at nearby restaurants / cafes / grocery stores.
Safety, convenience (proximity to good transportation) and of course price.
If I were ever to rent an Airbnb, (I prefer hotels) I would only consider entire apartments, not shared homes.
If I were on vacation, the most important factors would be that I would have unrestricted kitchen privileges and that the kitchen be well stocked. I hate to have to eat out every time I’m hungry and I love to cook with local ingredients. Also, I would prefer a place with animals; the more the better.
Location is also super important for me. Last time I used AirBnB I chose a slightly pricier place, because it was walking distance from where I needed to catch an important bus.
WiFi is also critical - same reasons OP mentioned.
Access to a kitchen is also a must for me, as is cleanliness ratings and communication. If I was staying more than a couple of nights I’d also want access to a washer, as I pack super light and get through my clothes quite quick! Lol
What i most care is the safty. So i will not use airbnb i book only hotels. Maybe i am from the place where there is lacking of trust between people. cleaness and price are important. Location is not important. Since i have been to rom, lived behind st macro, very small and disgusting room one time in venice, in the center very expensive and smelly old room i don’t want to go to italy any more. Very disgusting. If i can speak italian i will take a train to go to suburben to live in some bigger, cleaner moderner comforter international hotels. If I have money i can rent some internation hotel chains’s appartment like adiago,citadine…But unforturnatly i don’t have money. Before if i were young, and don’t know some foreign lanauge i have to stay in the center in some non english speaking country. If i don’t speak spainish but want to go to bacelona i don’t use the public trainsport i prefer to drive myself or rent a taxt because i am scared of terror attact!
Location near public transit and/or near attractions. Walking distance to shops, restaurants and cafes. I don’t like renting cars and don’t want to have to worry about parking.
If it’s summer in a region that gets hot and humid, then AC is a must for me.
Some kind of view is nice.
At least one separate room for sleeping. My family is 50% night owls and 50% early birds, so we need different spaces or we go crazy.
No bad smells. If it smells bad, I’m out of there.
1-Cleanliness
2-Location in a safe, pretty-looking neighborhood within walking distance from shops, restaurants, transports (metro/tramway preferred), and preferably within walking distance (15 minutes) to the city center.
3-Outdoor space, except when I travel in winter
4-A pool on the property is a big plus in summer (I have rented this Airbnb in Rome because of its central location and pool even if I have seen that the apartment itself is not so great).
5-aesthetics: interior decor, city/greenery/water views, nice building.
I really do not care about WiFi (I use the 3G/4G on my phone), washing machine is nice and dishwasher is great but not a deal maker/breaker.
Location. Often central locations can be quite bad. In Frankfurt i stayed near trainstation which was very central and convinient but it was red light district and people were shooting drugs under my windows. I tried no to look anyoone passing by in the eyes. Noone bothered me and i did not feel not safe. 2.AC 3.No pets , especially cats. After SF experience where i could not breath of cat smell, no more.
KItchen: if a host lets me make tea at night, thats all i care. Laundry could not care less, i can do wash by hand.
This assumes that I am traveling for pleasure, not for a conference or family thing. Most of my travels have been around Europe plus Turkey. My wish list might be different if I was traveling to a different kind of place.
Entire apartment in a urban, residential neighborhood with a local market, normal city services like a bakery, restaurant. Though I would love to say I want a fully furnished kitchen, I have never seen such a thing when traveling so I do bring essentials with me. Heck, I am happy if there is salt and pepper and a few decent pots. If apartment is higher than second floor, I want an elevator.
Within a 10 minute walk to a major public transportation station, preferably a station that has both subway and some bus lines. I prefer that transportation not be up or down a substantial hill.
Bathroom should be a separate room, and have a shower.
Separate bedroom with at least a full/double bed.
Outdoor space. This can be a garden or balcony. I want it to be at least big enough to have two chairs.
Not near the primary tourist areas.
And, I want it to be a legal unit.
An owner and/or manager who communicates well, and gives me a sense of being invested in the success of their rental.
And then there will always be other criteria depending on where we are talking about, and why I am there. For example, if I am in Paris, I want to be walking distance from my cousins.
With the views you have; I’m sure that your guests don’t appreciate the bargain they’re getting. Even the pictures of your place are breathtaking, much less the reality of being able to smell the sea air while you’re looking at the technicolor sunset. However, I think that you have a different definition of fully furnished kitchen than Susan and I do. I mean all common herbs and spices, olive oil and neutral oil, baking sheets, baking pans, kitchen scale, stand mixer, mixing bowls, pots, pans, sharp knives, etc.
I do have the spices, and olive oil. I also have baking sheets and glass baking bowls. I also have mixing bowls, salad bowls, collanders, pots, pans… and I hope, sharp knives. I also have a blender ( a guest suggestion) and coffeemaker, electric kettle, pancake griddle. I have the potato peeler and graters. Prep stuff. I have things for BBQing, like platters and utensils.
I will concede though, I don’t have a stand mixer or a scale. You got me there. Those are the realms of a gourmet kitchen, which I definitely am not.
One correction… Hawaii doesn’t have the sea air smell like California. It’s because we’re an island and the coastline is a total drop off (1000 feet within just a few hundred yards of shore)…and far too warm for kelp, so we don’t get the salty smell. I miss that a lot about California though. I take it in and savor it whenever I go back to visit my mom.
PS. I also had a pyrex pan until a guest broke it and didn’t fess.
It sounds like a really good kitchen. Your guests should appreciate it. It is so much less expensive to cook when you’re on vacation. I always cook at least two of the three meals each day when I’m on vacation. When I’m home I cook all but one or two meals a week.
It’s not the best, or gourmet, so I downplay it. The gas range needs a safety lighter as the ignitors don’t work. I don’t want them to be disappointed. So when they get here and see the kitchen it is always a surprise.
A good majority of them don’t cook. They just don’t want to be bothered. Most of my guests are on a whirlwind circle island. With how much they have to drive to see or do things here, most just chow down on the road.
Some of my longer term guests settle in and cook and really appreciate it. So I am not sure why I get dinged on value.
I’m over trying to figure it out.
I also have a blender ( a guest suggestion) and coffeemaker, electric kettle, pancake griddle. I have the potato peeler and graters. Prep stuff. I have things for BBQing, like platters and utensils.
