The Reasons for this Guide:
One thing we know for a fact is that "you can't please everyone" And neither can we (but boy we sure try!)
We have also learned that so many guests just don't always KNOW what hosts expect or how to get 5-Star Reviews! And since we LOVE to give 5-Star Reviews (and get them in return) we have just decided to let folks know what we and other hosts expect so we can give those excellent, glowing reviews.
First this:
The very first thing we want you to know is that we consider it such an honor to have any traveler interested in staying in our little hideaways while visiting in Humboldt for whatever reason! We KNOW that there are many awesome choices, so we are very grateful that ours is of interest to you or any person wanting to find a place that “checks their boxes”! :-)
And Then There is this:
We actually only (or usually only) rent to folks with 5 (or 4.95)-Star Reviews…. and that is an amazing perk we actually get from Airbnb for being 5-Star hosts for 7 years in a row in all 3 of our houses. But since some guests may be new to Airbnb-ing, and don't (and therefore couldn't) have any reviews at all we have decided to allow Airbnb to let guests, who are new to the Airbnb platform, be considered for guesting at any of our homes.
Often times the reason for no reviews is because potential guests have spouses or friends who have actually done the bookings previously, OR who have lots of great reviews on other platforms like Bookings.Com, VRBO, Expedia, Vacasa, etc. and are just new to Airbnb. Just let us know and we will happily work with you. :-)
First Time Guests:
We believe everyone deserves a first chance to start somewhere in this super cool alternative to motels and hotels so we just made up our minds to let new folks know how exactly how to get rave reviews so that booking becomes an "instant" thing for guests from their very first 5-star review forward. :-)
How Reviews Actually Work:
Reviews are absolutely critical to hosts for oh-so-many reasons, as we are sure a potential guest can imagine! Reviews are the most important aspect of the vetting process on both sides of the equation.
FOR EXAMPLE: The public reviews that we have received assure you that you will be arriving and staying in a safe, clean, comfortable, and convenient environment and that our descriptions, offerings, and pictures are an accurate representation of our properties. In other words, reviews are for assuring a potential guest that there is truth in a host’s advertising. A guest's reviews from other hosts provide just as much critical information. And from our perspective, as hosts, it's an equally equitable, as well as an awesomely brilliant way of feeling safe and secure about both guesting and hosting :-)
From time to time hosts or guests get less than flattering reviews and that creates a huge impact on a host or a guest's ability to book or a host's ability to get booked.
But like we already said - we know that hosts can’t always please all guests and guests can’t always please all hosts but chances are a whole lot better if both know the "rules of the game”.
So, On That Note:
We will share with you here what most all of us hosts are looking for in terms of being able to give a “rave review” so a guest doesn’t have to guess! :-)
If the kitchen is left neat and tidy with…
* dishes done (or stacked in the dishwasher),
* fridge cleared out,
* stove and oven wiped up,
* counters wiped down,
* trash consolidated and contained,
And if there was furniture that was moved…
* it is put back in place,
And if the “house rules” were honored and nothing was broken or damaged (and if they were the hosts were informed) and if check-out instructions were followed…then we are REALLY thrilled, and actually honored, to get to provide excellent rave reviews. :-)
Hosts (like us) still have to sanitize and sterilize, deep clean, vacuum, dust, do laundry, clean and prep the outdoor tubs and patios, etc. and get it all up to “COVID and 5-Star standards" in an approximate 3-4-5 hour time frame... and it usually takes all of that. If you are the kind of person who would like to leave a proud guesting signature worthy of 5-Stars, then we would be very honored to get to be that host who gives a guest their very first and glowing ‘rave-review' on Airbnb. :-)
And Lastly:
Once a "rave, 5-Star review" is in place in your "review history" your ability to just instantly book away becomes incredibly easy and streamlined (and won't be interrupted or cumbersome like an initial request to book is).
Reviews are such a BIG thing from the hosting side, obviously... but, like we say, everyone deserves a chance to start somewhere :-) so help us rest assured that you will make us be right (AGAIN)! We have taken quite a few chances and it's paid off 100% for all of us so far…we love being RIGHT about renting to people with no reviews when we have been seriously advised not to.
From Us:
Thank you for hearing/reading us out!
-Pauline (and Kevin)
P.S. Please don't agonize over this - we are like most hosts and don't have mansions or anything like that - lol… but most of us hosts do have nice little houses that we all want to keep that way! :-)
