Our ultimate goal as short-term rental hosts is to ensure that every guest that crosses our threshold leaves happy and with fond memories of their travels. We make a point to provide a comfortable, sparkling clean, welcoming space and share all the advice we can give as locals. Drawing from our experience as hosts should intuitively help us be awesome guests when we travel with Airbnb, but here are a few things you can do to help to make your trip a success.
Help Us Help You
The best thing you can do is to be open and honest with your host. Let them know your expectations ahead of time. Do you have allergies and need specific bedding? Are you planning to host dinner or looking forward to cooking for yourself? A lot of details about amenities are available in listing details but can be easy to overlook and are sometimes just not even covered. If there’s something that’s a necessity and it’s unclear if it’ll be provided, it never hurts to ask. Hosts are often happy to help, and it’s much easier to accommodate any special needs you might have with advance notice. Bonus: you’ll be heading into your trip with confidence knowing you’ll have what you need for a great stay.
Be Prepared
Preparedness can ultimately make or break your travel plans. First things first: download the Airbnb mobile app if you haven’t already (!). This is a tremendously useful tool for both travelers and hosts.
For example, have you ever traveled with Airbnb and received a text notification that begins with what is, undoubtedly, important information only to have it … and the rest is hidden? This is a really common experience. The text notification is usually just a preview of a longer message available in email or on Airbnb. To avoid the hassle of logging into your email or Airbnb’s desktop site while on the go, simply use your trusty app* and ensure you’re logged in before you leave home.
The app will probably open to the Hosting side; get to your travel details by going to Profile > Switch to traveling. From there, you’re able to view full messages from your host, send them messages, and see all the pertinent info in your trip itinerary. Being able to easily access this info while you’re on the go will save you a lot of time and worry.
*[Of course, the app requires wi-fi or data access to work. If you’re going somewhere with neither, go old school and print everything out beforehand. Yes, really.]
Reach Out
If your Airbnb has self check-in, don’t hesitate to reach out to your host through the app once you arrive, if only for a quick greeting. Any good host wants to ensure an enjoyable stay, so take advantage of their attentiveness to get the most out of your trip – ask for restaurant recommendations, sightseeing and adventure tips. Your hosts are local ambassadors and have insights as to what their cities and neighborhoods truly have to offer and are well equipped to help you have the best visit possible.
Ideally, everything will be perfect for you when you check in. If that’s not the case, let your host know as soon as possible using the app so they can get it sorted. Keeping your communications in the tool allows Airbnb to track your exchange and (hopefully) take action if something goes amiss and you escalate the matter.
Traveling on Airbnb can be intuitive, especially for seasoned hosts. Simply mimicking the traits and actions of your ideal guests and communicating effectively with your host will help immensely. Follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to a five-star trip!
Updated: 13 March 2019
Great suggestions! Thanks!