Hosting Indian tourists and guests on AIRBNB- Airbnb tips

 I have been a little around the world and stayed at Airbnbs and thus I can understand the differences between hosting styles, guest expectations etc. across different cultures.

Below I'd like to mention 5 points to remember while dealing with booking requests and reservations by Indian hosts. Also I would like to mention that most Indians are best hosts, know the nuances and will do everything to make you feel at home.

However, there might be some who are still leaning the nuances of Airbnb hosting and because they aren't aware of a lot of things- may appear indifferent or ignorant.

I'd like to mention here that I'm not trying to sterotype my fellow Indians n any way and only sharing my personal experience with some Indian guests barring these all were super warm abd fantastic.

I hope you find it useful [Hit the thumbs-up button if you do, and I shall post more tips]. Also note that India is a country of extremely diverse cultures, thus you might not have similar experiences with all guests.

 So here we go:

1. Be ready to answer a lot of queries - Airbnb is still a fairly new concept in India and is growing faster than ever before. Most guests are first time users of the Airbnb platform and aren't very familiar with the concept of Home-sharing. You might encounter some obvious questions like "What's the total price?", "Can you provide your contact number?", "Would we have the entire place to ourselves?" etc. although these answers are present on your listing, please try to be patient in ansering these questions.

Remember that these are people who haven't used online payments as much as you and are sceptical about it as it's their first time. There is a great economic divide in India so 50% people are super affluent, literate and have all the idea but for other online banking/use of credit cards is not that common and so is Airbnb that is yet to establish a strong user trust in India as conventional hotels still dominate the market however people are quickly realizing the benefits of staying at an Airbnb and are willing to try out.

So be a little patient, helpful and supportive in your approach. 

 2. Online discounts are a welcome - Negotiating before renting any service or purchasing any commodity is a common practice in India. It's a necessary skill that most posses and use quite frequestly so in case someone tried to negotiate with you by asking to give a Special Discount Offer or offer Free Meals or Airport Transport, don't be surprised or upset. It is not considered as bad practice and guests might sometimes appear to be a little more pushy/demanding. If you aren't okay with this, try explaining the same politely if you are successful, the guests would be convinced that you aren't overpricing and would readily book. Give them context about the normal rate in your surrounding, add details about some of the extra facilites that you provide and why your costing is appropriate.

3. Take sometime to explain how your facility is a home and is different than a hotel - As mentioned in point 1, most guests are quite new to the concept of Airbnb and so it is important that you firmly yet politely establish prior to booking that your are opening the doors to your home which is your personal space to a complete stranger and it is absolutely necesssary that guests follow the house rules and treat your home with respect and care. Use the word "Home" insead of "Property", "Listing" during your communication to emphasize the same. Tell them I am sharing my home with you; I am hosting you at my place- hoping you will treat this as a home and not a hotel. Once guests understand this well, they'll be more thoughtful about how that treat your home.

 5. Share instructions especially with appliances- Best is to have a house manual but even if you don't have one, for appliances like Nutribullet, Nespresso, kettles etc. you should paste instructions - In case you are allowing your guests to use your Kitchen, make sure that when you are giving them a house tour, you explain in detail what they can use and what they should not.

Use sticky notes to mark cabinets which have stuff that's for guests to consume/use. Note that Indian/Asian food uses plenty of spices and flavours, so if your guests are cooking, it's quite possible that you might be exposed to strong aromas/smells which you haven't experienced before. If you aren't going to be okay with this, talk about it in advance and arrive at an agreement.

Another important point to note is that most Indians who can afford to travel overseas can still afford to have maids at their homes and thus might not be used to washing the dishes after use. Ensure that you have this conversation in advance and explain that guests are expected to clean the dishes and the kitchen after use. I'm certain they'd be happy to do so.

 There's much more to learn but I shall stop here. Indians are mostly very humble and caring folks and are known for their hospitality and if you communicate well, you might end up making friends for life.

Always over-communicate so that there's minimal scope for confusion later.

Please remember that if you see that the guests are well travelled on Airbnb and have got good reviews, you may skip teh coaching and let them enjoy. These tips are for the first time AIRBNB users obviously.

 If you have ever hosted Indian guests, feel free to share your experiences below :)

----rewritten from Inderjeet's post on Airbnb community

AIRBNB stay in Mount Abu, RAJASTHAN INDIA

Mount Abu is an oasis in the barren desert land of Rajasthan. The cool climate of Mount Abu is due to its extravagant flora, which consists of flowering shrubs and coniferous trees. Situated 1,720 meters above sea level, this hill station is the most visited of north-west India and is known for beautiful lakes, the Aravali Range, ancient forts, hidden picnic spots, and first class resort accommodations. The area hosts varying religious temples (Jain & Hindu), and well preserved historical architecture throughout the town.

Mount Abu is a hill station in western India’s Rajasthan state, near the Gujarat border. Set on a high rocky plateau in the Aravalli Range and surrounded by forest, it offers a relatively cool climate and views over the arid plains below. In the center of town, Nakki Lake is a popular spot for boating. Close by are the centuries-old Dilwara Temples, ornately carved from white marble and of great spiritual importance.
Elevation: 1,220 m

Mount Abu is the only hill station in Rajasthan and therefore, you will find it jam-packed during the summer months. If you want to beat the rush and enjoy its cool and calm atmosphere, avoid going here during the peak tourist season between March to June. Another attraction here is the world famous Dilwara temple. These clusters of Jain temples are famous for their delicate lattice work on marble. So, they are worth a visit even if you are not particularly religions. The temples are open only for Jains in the morning. Others can visit them noon onwards.

Apart from the Dilwara temples, there are no tourist points in Mount Abu. But, you will really enjoy this place if you like to appreciate nature in every form! So, come here if you want to beat summers in style!

My stay at Mount Abu was with Tia. It is a peaceful place in an Indian village nearby a spiritual ashram (place of meditation and retreat).After travelling around India for the last 20 years I have found THE place: peaceful, a moderate climate around the year, surrounded by a wildlife sanctuary, located in the outskirts of a small town, unobtrusive but very friendly neighbours, wow!

Fondly referred to as just ‘Abu’, it is a great destination to spend a few quiet days away from the city rush and heat. Continuing with the Hitchhiker’s series, here is a handpicked list of travel recommendations and tips for you if you are planning a visit to Mount Abu.

Nakki Lake

The highlight of Abu, Nakki Lake is about a kilometer long in length and a top draw among tourists for a variety of reasons. Depending on your mood, you can choose to spend your time boating or atop an air balloon overseeing the Aravalli hills. I chose to sit by the quiet café overlooking the lake and spending some serious lazy moments reading a book over eight cups of coffee. To each his own!!

Aero Balloon & Boating at Nakki Lake

The Aero Balloon is a great idea if you have kids in your entourage else you can skip it. The balloon put you on top of the world for a few minutes from where you can see all of Abu. The charges for adults are Rs. 300 and Rs. 200 for children.

Boating is a favourite activity among tourists and a paddle boat can be hired for Rs. 100/head for a half-hour sortie. The Shikaras charge Rs. 120/head for a half-hour ride and are more popular among couple and families alike.

Jodhpur Bhojanalya was the place I headed to for dinner that evening. As the name suggests, the food here is Rajasthani and the serve the most amazing Daal-Baati-Churma! Many of us are not even aware of what Churma is. Let me explain: Heat and crush the Baati in pure ghee (clarified butter) and add a generous quantity of gud (jaggery) and continue to heat it till all of it melts into the Baati. Serve hot. This is the most amazing dessert I’ve ever eaten. It is simply wow! Arbuda is another popular eatery at Mount Abu.