Dear AirBnb/VRBO hosts,
Firstly, thank you for opening your homes to weary travelers. I’m a big fan of your concept and have stayed in some absolutely gorgeous units/houses and love the flexibility your service offers to travelers. Especially those of us that get tired of eating out and want to cook our own food. I’m currently sitting on the patio of a rental, watching the Seattle skyline and harbor across the Sound. This is a million dollar view. All for less than the cost of two rooms Downtown. (We’re traveling with the husband’s parents.) I would not hesitate to stay here again. However, we need to have a serious chat.
Like so many of your compatriots, this rental is sorely lacking two key amenities – pillows and washcloths. One pillow per guest is simply not enough. Especially for us crotchety middle-aged women that need our pillow fortress in order to sleep. And then there is the dearth of washcloths. There were only two here when we arrived – for four of us. Thankfully this host was incredibly responsive and delivered a few more shortly after I asked for them. Sadly, this is not always the case.
On my adventure with a friend through Spain and Portugal we stayed at a few rental flats. While we enjoyed those places and hosts, the only place we had a decent number (at least one per person) of washcloths was in a hotel. And the pillow situation was almost as dire – one per person. What’s the deal with that?
Okay, I get the need to keep costs low in order to pay your bills and attract more travelers with a lower price point. That makes sense. But as a frequent guest, I would willingly pay a dollar a night extra to have at least a couple of pillows and washcloths per person. That doesn’t seem excessive, or expensive. Right?
Perhaps what needs to happen is an addition to the filter in the websites search section – one for the number of pillows and washcloths. Or even a section in the reviews to rate the adequacy of pillows and washcloths. That would make my life a lot easier so please – help a girl (ok, older woman) out! It doesn’t seem like a big ask. My back and knees would be happier too.
Will the lack of pillows and washcloths keep me from booking a place like where I am now? No. But they sure would make it a little bit nicer.
Thank you for you time and attention,
A travel addict and her old knees
Do you own a rental? I’d love to hear from you about my idea in the comments. Are you a traveler that struggles with the same issues? Let us know about your experiences. Maybe we can come to a solution together!
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Shannon R. Brown 