Interacting with your short-term rental or Airbnb host can have many benefits whether that be during the booking process, just before arrival or during your stay. Writing as experienced hosts we do have to admit we do like to hear from guests, not constantly of course, but we do value being helpful and answering questions that may come up. Hosts can be a fountain of really useful information from what weather to expect if you’re coming from another country, to where local shops are, great restaurants to try and scenic walks or drives to take in the area.
We take the time to create very detailed listings for our properties on sites like Airbnb and Stayz which help to spell out the basics such as if there is a dishwasher or a hair dryer so make sure you read the information provided for each property in detail, there’s a chance the answers to your questions may already be in front of you.
Whilst your host or holiday rental accommodation provider may not live in the immediate area of the property you’re renting the chances are that they’ll have more local knowledge than you do so it’s a great idea to reach out if there’s anything you’d like to know. Of course, the internet is our most valuable research tool these days and everyone has personal preferences and tastes but engaging with your host and asking for their recommendations can uncover some hidden gems and ideas you may not come across otherwise.
Here’s a list of great subjects you can ask your hosts about:
- Likely weather during your stay
- Good restaurants and places for breakfast
- Must-see sights in the city
- Locations of nearest tourist information offices
- Best places to buy groceries
- Scenic walks and drives
- Where to rent hire cars
- How to use local public transport
- Where to get a local sim card for your phone