Certain things work certain ways.
When you get on a plane (remember that?) you expect a safety briefing, the expected timing of the trolley cart, and precise announcements. It’s just the way it works.
The same with hotels and AirBnB’s. You expect the bathroom to have tissues and soap.
Here’s the anatomy of a private review of an AirBnB in the Southern Highlands of NSW Australia. I’ve avoided personal preferences, and none of these things were enough to detract from the 10/10 review. The place was (and is) amazing.
This is one of the best AirBnB’s I’ve stayed at, yet it too had room to improve.
First impressions were awesome
Fantastic communication with the owner over a few days. Instructions were clear, and they even suggested a shortcut which is better than Google maps.
The place itself is stunning, private, and gives a wow factor when you walk in.
They even had a detailed compendium highlighting the hidden treasures of the apartment.
But the devil is in the details
It was pouring rain and windy when I checked in. Rain exposes things.
The Entrances
A soaked front door mat – most of us respect other people’s property but I couldn’t avoid bringing wet shoes into the studio apartment. Another doormat inside the door would fix that.
The back door had no doormat. Again, wet shoes were dragged into the apartment.
The back door had no awning over the nice french doors, so there was no space between inside and outside.
Kitchen
Very well equipped but no salad tongs.
Noisy fridge
No table mats – we didn’t want to mark the table with hot plates.
The bed
Squeaky. Enough said.
Appliances
Complicated TV.
Complicated taps – took a while to work out how to get hot water.
Fireplace – yes it had one and it was pre-loaded (nice touch) but it didn’t have instructions on how to control airflow.
The stove exhaust fan just recirculated the air back into the apartment, without external exhaust.
Bathroom
No tissues
No powerpoint
Am I being picky?
There is always room for improvement. If elite athletes keep refining their game, so can a 10/10 AirBnB.
The point is that we can also improve and I’d always suggest an independent set of eyes to make things better.
