I had a mixed experience at this stay. I’ll talk first about the things that bothered me (which may not bother you); then about the positive aspects, which were significant. First, when someone is rated as a Super Host, there are certain things I have come to expect. One is readily available WiFi information. When I arrived, my host was at work, and there was no WiFi information in my room. I couldn’t contact him to ask for it because -well, I didn’t have WiFi (Looking back, if hadn’t been so tired, I would have looked for my host’s phone number, though I don’t know if he would have been available by phone.) This was extremely frustrating because after a ten hour flight, serious sleep deprivation, hauling my luggage back and forth on the sidewalks outside the airport because of conflicting information about where the bus stop was, (the information my host had kindly provided was only partially correct), I was utterly exhausted and desperately wanted to connect with my family. I also felt super grungy and really wanted to take a shower, but didn’t see any towels in the bathroom so I used one of my shirts as a towel. Already, I was feeling not at all welcomed. Then I noticed a couple of scraps of paper on the floor left by the previous guess, and my sense of being disregarded was exacerbated. What about all those “immaculate” reviews my host had received? There was nothing in the room to counterbalance the shortcomings—no little vase of flower, no carafe of fresh water and a glass, no map of Dublin, no brochures about local sites, no menus from local restaurants. I think these extras convey a welcome that I always appreciate. I don’t need them, really, but in this situation, their absence exaggerated my sense of my host not really caring. Granted, all this is seen and interpreted through the eyes of a weary traveler; however, I think the shortcomings I’ve mentioned are basics that any host, especially a Super Host, need to attend to. Brian, my host, had let me know that he would be home by 6, which meant a three-hour wait. I tried to stay awake until he got home, but finally I just had to sleep. So I wrote him a note and asked him to leave the WiFi information outside my door, and asked him if I was expected to bring my own towels, as that could have been the case and I didn’t remember. When I got up from my nap, the WiFi info and two towels were outside my door, but there was no note of apology. Perhaps cultural differences played a role here. After all, I am from the U.S. and visiting Ireland for the first time. Maybe apologies aren’t offered as readily as in the states? The next morning, when I made the bed, I discovered that what I had thought was a small blanket at the end of the bed was actually a towel. Had there been a washcloth on top of it, I would have recognized the towel, but in my exhaustion, I just didn’t. Then I noticed that the overhead light in the bathroom didn’t work; thankfully, the light around the mirror did. I mentioned the non-working light to my host and expected him to say something like I’ll be up to fix it right away, but he simply nodded and asked me if the light around the mirror worked. Looking back, I see that I could have asked him to come and fix the overhead light; on the other hand, I expect a Super Host to take the initiative. The most uncomfortable experience was preparing my breakfast, sitting down at the table to eat, and noticing that the host’s dog, a lovable bulldog, had pooped in the corner of the kitchen near the table. My host came into the kitchen about 15 minutes later and I told him about it. He quickly scooped up the mess and said something like training was going slowly for the dog. Again, no apology. When I first arrived, there was one other Air BnB guest; but the next day or so two more guests arrived, and I decided that when I went out I would lock the door to my room. There was a key in the lock, a very old key, as this is a remodeled Victorian home. I locked the door successfully, and was able to unlock It when I returned, but unable to get the bolt to fully retract. This meant I couldn’t close the door completely. I mentioned this to Brian and he said something like he’d never used the key and not to worry about it. That was fine with me, but the fact that the door couldn’t be closed all the way meant that his lovable dog (truly a sweet dog – I’m not being sarcastic) wandered into my room while I was asleep and started rummaging around my suitcase, which woke me up, which was not good at all because I hadn’t been able to fall asleep until the small hours of the morning and really needed to sleep in. Taken individually, no one of these things is that awful, but put together, what I experienced was a lack of concern for my well-being and comfort. Now for the positives. The room was quiet, as he had said it would be (I’ve found that hosts have different ideas of what quiet means), the bed was super comfortable, the pillows and quilt soft and fluffy, and the dark-patterned shades almost made my sleep mask unnecessary. Here are the contradictions to my sense of not feeling welcomed. Brian has an exceptional talent for relating to people. He was quite solicitous about the fact that it was taking me some time to get my circadian rhythms on track. He obliged my request to be super quiet when coming and going. He checked in with me later to...