other hosts experiences [advice!] on late night bookings + requests to call before even being able to accept/decline?

[Tiffany728]

Has anyone experienced a time when a guest [sometimes with a group or solo] has requested to book your place on the day of, but really late into the evening and then they ask you contact them via cell or text?

I recently had this situation where a guest booked my listing at 9ish p.m. for a group stating that they were "just an hour away," then in 5 minutes sent another message asking I give them a call [verbatim: "Look can u give me a call come from ____"]. I felt like it was too sudden as I normally have it set so that I have a few days notice to give me time to check the listing and makes sure it's set up nicely before guests arrive and to send them check in info. Maybe was the time or way that the requester sent the message, the tone of it just felt off? I also didn't have their number because I manually accept/decline all requests, and I believe in order to get a guests number, their request has to be approved first. I ended up replying and declining politely within 30 minutes (this was also a weeknight) but I let them know that the area has plenty of local hotels, and after declining + my message, I am honestly not sure what happened after that.

As a newbie host, what have you guys done in the past to these situations?

[Helen3]

Set up your listing so guests have to give one or two days notice of booking. @Tiffany728 

Often last minute same day bookings can raise red flags particularly when they ask for your number before a booking is confirmed . 

[Tiffany728]

Hi Helen3, 

Thanks! When this happened I had to go and double check, but the main host has it so that listing requires at least 3 days notice in advance.

This is why I was confused so late into the night seeing a message from a potential and not approved guest letting me know that they were an hour away! This is did raise a red flag for me, hence I ended up declining their potential request.

[Suzanne302]

@Tiffany728  Even if it is set up for 3 days notice, there is still the option to allow guests to make a request so that's what might have happened. I would double check with the main host to see if that is the case. And if you don't want to accept requests, I would uncheck that option and then the listing won't show up as available within 3 days at all.

[Helen744]

@Tiffany728 you did the right thing Tiffany . These type of guests have their own agenda and really have no idea of rules checkin times or anything else. There is no time for you to check it all out either.Change your checkin time to about six oclock , unless by previous arrangement . Sometimes people have a legit reason for checking in late but if they have alerted you earlier then you can refuse ,simply by saying that you are not available to check them in . Some of us prefer to see people by daylight and during regular hours but others travel at night and only try to book close to where they want to stay . I found that I had to make a choice as night travellers require 'night people ' and are a very different category of hosting from day to day hosting.... H