Hosting Our first Air BnB
“Are they going to like it? Was it clean enough, cozy enough? Ahhh!” those were the running thoughts from Jimmy and me last week when the clock turned to 12 pm. Our first guests checked out and it was time to look at our apartment. Even though we decided to only go with guests with excellent reviews, the anticipation was real!
This blog is about our first experience as Air BnB hosts and all the wisdom we learned that came from reassessing our three lessons and wins.
The 15-minute daily tidy-up system I usually apply turned into a 3-day cleaning, organizing, and decorating manifesto! Although we had a plan and a shared checklist, the list was updated every 15 minutes. “Babe! Check the list I added something else!
We had forgotten ONE important essential item.
A few blogs ago, I wrote about Packing Light and how reflection is crucial before creating a list, and I also mentioned that once the list is ready and it’s game time, the one thing that can helps with the heart of our task is to…
Breathe
Yes, breathe, not drink, that comes afterward. I had prepared the wine tray set-up days before our first guests to remind me of the heart of why we were Air BnBing our apartment. And even with that reminder, the clock was ticking and we were focusing on preparing fast.
I missed the deep breathing to get my body into a parasympathetic state, which is a relaxed state. Being more relaxed helps me to remain in my purpose.
To think about why hospitality is important to me and how I want our place to be…
Home away from Home.
We want couples to experience how we have felt in so many of our stays as guests. The main one being, an Indiana farmhouse that had wine waiting for us at the kitchen island table, and a fully stocked kitchen that felt like ours.
That feeling still remains in my memory.
Breathing helps us channel and bring back those memories. So our first lesson is to stop and breathe right before cleaning, organizing, and decorating.
Now we do want to celebrate our first win: The wine tray as soon as you walk in! It’s all about first impressions. Welcome, Explorer and Learner at heart!
The second lesson for us is to ask for any special accommodation in advance. Our first guests are in a habit to bring their own sheets, towels, and comforters because they’re allergic to certain detergents.
It would have been a nice surprise to have left the bed clear for them and have more space in the bathroom. This is a simple ask for an even more comfortable stay with us. We loved our first guest because they left our place
Spotless and tidy
The second win is the 3-minute video for our guests explaining all the details about our cleaning supplies, fire distinguisher, closet, and drawer space. Our guests were very grateful and appreciative of the video.
The third lesson is adjusting the Air BnB website with every lesson. We realized that having access to a private driveway is a plus for people who have big cars. Listings help future guests and upcoming guests who are quickly checking the site for more information to make final decisions.
The third win is their appreciation and review both on our guest book and on the Air BnB website. In addition, they left us a separate note with the items they use or didn’t use for our knowledge.
In conclusion, keeping our purpose in mind with visuals (wine tray) helps. Breathing helps to shift our mind and body in a more relaxed way to do the work. And reflection helps to reassess so we can set better systems for our next guests.
Do you currently Air BnB? Is it your own apartment or a separate one? Please let us know about your experience and let us exchange ideas.
Do you want our checklists for Air BnB amenities, and last items to take care of right before your guest arrive? I’m going to be working on a sharable PDF checklist for the next blog!
As always, share this blog with a friend.
Love,
Me
