This article is part of the Community Center's Festival of Hospitality 2022 . The original topic was posted in the French-speaking Community Center by @Tarek63, and we have translated it below.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One year as a Host on Airbnb already, and what an adventure!
How it all started
It all started when a friend told me one day about his holiday and how happy he was with his stay at a home. “Why don’t you rent out your house?” he asked me… so I started in March 2021.
I was looking forward to my first reservation, checking my listing’s views every day, and happy to see it grow day by day. Finally, my first guest booked and came to spend the whole month of Ramadan with us. He was our guest of honor and even shared our IFTAR (dinner).
First bookings & first lessons… every stay is unique!
The bookings that followed presented new challenges for me. For one of them, the guest who booked was not the one who arrived, but everything went smoothly, and he even left me some gifts upon departure. The next one didn’t communicate much, and even departed with my keys! Finally, Mr. Albert, with whom everything was going well, had the misfortune to stay with us during a great storm on La Marsa, which burned our entire electrical system. As misfortunes never come alone, it was also the holiday season and no qualified electrician was available... All these experiences have taught me a lot about becoming a better Host, finding solutions quickly, and dealing with all possible situations. 🙂
What I learned from it
After the first reservation in April 2021, my first review followed in November. The scores were a little disappointing, but good luck smiled on me, and the numbers came up. Here are some of my helpful tips regarding what guests appreciate the most:
- For each reservation, I welcome my guest in person.
- I’m trying to learn more about their needs, so I can help them and save them time.
- I prepared a list of recommended local attractions for guests.
- I introduce my guests to local Tunisian products: mechouia salad, shakshouka, harissa, olive oil, and of course, Tunisian pastry.
Everyone appreciated these gestures, which makes me really happy, and finally allowed me to receive, on July 5, 2022, Superhost status!
After this first year full of lessons, encounters, and adventures, my dream and long-term goals are to immerse my guests in a typically Tunisian setting. It will take a lot of time and resources, but nothing is impossible with willpower and perseverance.
And you, what is your long-term dream as a Host? 😃