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After 13 years of chatting with new and experienced Hosts, I have started putting together my tips, hints, and checklists. On a recent flight, I was editing the manual when I discovered that my "Le Pen" does not respond well to the difference in air pressure in the airplane cabin and decided to leak on my hands and the paper. Stay tuned for the release!

I ran a local 5k race last week. It was around a beautiful winery overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. I won in my age group. Couldn’t believe it. I am hardly fast, more of a steady pacer. After 30 years of entering the occasional 5k or 10k, I took home my first 1st place medal. My strategy is finally starting to work: I don’t need to outrun my competition, I just need to outlive them. When I hosted my first guest in May of 2013, Airbnb had only been around for just over 5

Dear Guest, It was 55 degrees with a beautiful breeze last night so you can imagine my surprise when I walked into the cabin after you checked out to find the air conditioner set to 60 degrees, completely ignoring the guidance posted. Why not just open the windows? I’ve had other guests crank the thermostat up to 89 degrees in the winter. If it were 89 degrees outside, you would be sweating. Why would you do that in someone’s home? Extreme temperatures max out the electric bi

My assistant Riggs insisted on helping with this great advice. Please direct any questions to him at imahost@hostinggoodness.com

Hosting doesn't always have to be all hard work. I love leaving hand-written notes for guests. After years of writing notes on various and sundry index cards, I "indulged" in very reasonably priced custom greeting cards from Topping Consulting.( https://www.project1128.com/services ) I now have notecards that look fantastic and are consistent with the design of my guest manual, website, and social media. Next level hosting! Just remember, a happy host is a 5-star host. Do som

When I first started hosting almost 14 years ago, Airbnb was just about 5 years old; we were still in the days of the enthusiastic "early adopters." Both hosts and guests had a sense of adventure. Hosts were more inclined to be offering a spare room or home, and guests were happy to try anything other than complacent hotels whose standards had lowered because their only competition was each other. That has all changed, especially post-pandemic. The guests expectations are MUC

Coffee pot or single serve for your home? Now you don't have to decide! I just ordered one of these for my log cabin in TN. Yes, the coffee side does require filters and coffee grounds so we can make the "traditionalists" happy, AND we have a fully stocked mix of coffees, teas, and hot chocolate for those who love the "one and done" option, especially when short on time. It was $149.99 on Amazon. I will keep you updated on the feedback. A happy host is a 5-star host AND a gue

This article is a re-post from Freewyld Foundry, a hospitality company that I have followed for several years. They have grown a lot over the past few years because they do STR's the right way: thoughtfully, intentionally, and people focused. If you would like to know more about the topics on their mind, take a listen to their podcast "Get Paid for your Pad." For help with pricing strategy once the FIFA 2026 schedule drops, connect with me at imahost@hostinggoodness.com . Let

Happy (post) Thanksgiving! We do not have any family in the area so we just "wing it" every year. Other than a family hike, we are never quite sure before Thanksgiving what our Thanksgiving will look like at its end. We had some plans, but they were changed last minute when our one guest changed her plans so...we heard about a local FANTASTIC bbq place that was opening their restaurant to a family meal, and we went. The place was packed, and they piled our plates high with tu

Do you host a large home? Wondering why it is not booked this Friday? This may give you insight into the answer... https://www.techbuzz.ai/articles/airbnb-blocks-halloween-party-bookings-with-ai-detection-system

It has been 2 weeks since the Airbnb Community Leaders Summit, and my canvas Airbnb bag is sitting next to my desk, still not completely unpacked...to include the yummy custom chocolate bars from Dandelion Chocolate. ( https://www.dandelionchocolate.com/pages/shop ). My flight did not arrive in time for me to participate in some of the Experiences that corporate had set up for attendees, but I was not deterred from creating my own experience. I avoided all the Waymo self-driv

It's hard to believe that it has already been one year since my Paris Summer Olympics experience. It takes a village to host the...

Great insight and hosting tips from Geoff Gedge, an Airbnb Community Leader with many years of hosting experience. I always recommend...

Great insight from Airbnb host Felicity Stevens. She lives in Australia, but her article is applicable to US Hosts. By Felicity Stevens –...

As a US Marine Corps veteran, I would be remiss not to take a moment to consider the impact of 9/11. It is one of those moments in time...

This article recently was published by Conde Nast Traveler. https://www.cntraveler.com/story/a-guide-to-the-columbia-river-gorge Having...

Sometimes unexpected relationships are forged through hosting. A neighboring home to one of our clients was in need of some cleaning...

Very excited to host the first new guests at the Bear Lodge Lookout this past weekend. The homeowners connected with me via the Airbnb...

On my travels, one of the biggest hosting mistakes that I observe (and a HUGE pet peeve of mine) is that a host has a great space in a...