It goes without saying that this is one of the most beautiful homes in the beach area, and although my actual stay was perfect, the check-in process was my least favorite part.
after booking, i spoke one of the hosts, and seemingly confirmed my reservation & the amount of people. I thought everything was squared away, only to never receive the house info, and then eventually my reservation being cancelled as I was on the way to the home, due to comments shared about the host not feeling good about my “guests + additional visitors” even though, we verbally discussed everything the morning of the reservation. I was led to believe things were ok, and then had to re-answer questions about what our plans were & who we would invite after already making it clear that i was there to relax & not to “throw a party.” I was asked if, the houses i book are normally nice? — i was repeatedly told that the host doesn’t want 20 cars, or more people than i planned to be there at a time, i was asked to “be straight” with him. eventually it was revealed that he knew my occupation (musician) and that made it clear that he had researched me, and whether it was my job, or my ethnicity, something made him pass judgement, even after reassuring me that he’s seen that I have good reviews on my profile. I had to verbally prove that i was “responsible” to the host and that ruined the check-in process. if I didn’t actually call him directly, 3 separate times, my reservation would have been cancelled, so I’m thankful the decision was reversed, but the screening process was very stressful.
I understand that these are expensive homes, and that I don’t look like the average renter, but having to explain that i’m not the type of artist to “throw parties” at an airbnb was really unnecessary. I’ve never been through a check-in process where I’ve had to explain my character before checking in. I’m sure that most renters won’t run into this problem because most of them do not look like me, or work in the music industry, so in the end, it’s a great house, I just wish there was a little more trust in the booking process. Anything that any past guest has done, has nothing to do with me.