Preparing for Guests

Yesterday I read that most of the huge numbers of people who visit the Louvre in Paris come to see the Mona Lisa and two or three other artworks. But my best times at the Louvre have been when I stumbled on an out-of-the way gallery with something that amazes and surprises me. I’m usually the only person there.

For me, travel is more than pushing through crowds at popular tourist sites.  [Read more…] about How to Create a Visitor’s Guide for Your Guests

I’m a non-technical short-term rental host with a “dumb” home—a home without any smart home devices.   I use a metal key for my front door, I have no smart speaker to chat with, and my guest welcome package consists of printed sheets in a nice blue folder.

It’s not that I don’t use and appreciate technology.  I was among the first of our friends to buy a computer, a clunky thing called a Franklin Ace that cost more than $1300 and was slow as mud.  But I’ve graduated to an Asus Zenbook, an iPhone and an iPad, and I’m proud to say that I can text almost as fast as my granddaughter.

I’ve learned to appreciate technology.  But I’ve never felt that I had to run out and buy the next new device. [Read more…] about Smart Home Devices for Non-Technical Hosts (Like Me!)

I’ve read a lot of blog posts about how to wow your short-term rental guests. I’ve even written some myself.  But let’s get real:  how many of us hosts bother to learn much about what our short-term guests really want?  We make lots of assumptions, but do we know?

I needed to find out. I read reviews that guests had left about their stays, talked to my traveling friends, and thought about what I loved, hated, appreciated, and would have changed about places I stayed in as a guest myself.

[Read more…] about What Do Short-Term Rental Guests Really Want?

Everyone’s talking about smart homes these days.  To find how smart home technology can help those of us who swap or rent out our homes, we talked with someone who knows: Smart Home Expert Dana Young, Founder of the Virtual Concierge Service.

Thanks for talking with me, Dana.  We hear the term “smart home” all the time.  For tech newbies like me, please explain what a “smart home” is.  

A smart home system includes a number of devices that “talk” to each other and take direction from a central hub. Common devices include thermostats, door locks, light switches, appliance modules, video management devices, and water leak detectors, but there are more. A smart home setup may also include a ”virtual concierge,” using Alexa or Google Home to provide guests a valuable resource for their stay.

Why should I use these devices?  How do they help me as a host? 

For hosts, one of the most compelling benefits of a properly designed smart home system is that it is all managed through a calendar. You enter the guest’s arrival and departure dates.  When the system sees a guest arriving, it “wakes up” the house, setting the temperature, adjusting the lighting, activating codes, and so on. When the guest is due to check out, the system puts the house back to sleep by changing the temperature, re-adjusting the lighting, and locking the doors.

What’s the difference between a good short-term rental host and a great short-term rental host?  The best way to find out is to be a guest yourself.  We’ve stayed in many short-term rentals over the years, and here are some of the lessons we’ve learned.

Lesson #1.  Make sure guests know what to expect

Many thanks to for Candace Quinn of Guest Outfitters for this post.

As a chef and frequent traveler, I often get asked to share what I think would serve as a great home-away-from-home, perfectly stocked kitchen.  When I travel, I want to experience the local cuisines and I love to try to create the same.

Part of the excitement for me is to visit the grocery aisles and delis of the local destinations where I travel.  However, it is nice to never have to buy the basics…as long as what is in the very clean pantry has been stored properly and has not reached its expiration date.

These handy checklists can help you greet your guests with what I consider to be a well-stocked kitchen.

Essential Appliances

Your well-stocked kitchen should have at least these appliances:

• Toaster
• Coffee maker
• Microwave
• Stove top or free-standing burner
• Oven or toaster oven/convection oven

[Read more…] about Greet Your Guests With a Well-Stocked Kitchen