Hi everyone, (I was unable to choose a flair for this post)
We’re new hosts and could use some advice on how to handle a situation.
Due to a mistake on our end, we didn’t set a minimum night requirement early on. Because of that, someone who owns a nearby cabin booked our place for one night only (Saturday-Sunday) during peak season, at a relatively low price, for 7 wedding guests. To be honest, we’re a bit frustrated about this since it blocks another (Friday-Saturday) prime weekend night.
Recently, and after booking, they asked to come by for a preview. Since they’re technically neighbors (though we don’t know them), we’ve been open to it, but haven’t managed to schedule anything yet since we’re not at the property very often.
Now they’re also asking for early check-in (3-4 hours earlier than usual) due to the wedding timing. This is where we’re unsure how to proceed. Allowing early check-in would mean we have to block the previous night (Friday), because we wouldn’t have enough time to travel there and clean if we had a booking ending that day.
There’s still a chance we could get a last-minute Friday booking otherwise, although this may be low.
We’re considering declining the early check-in request and explaining the logistics, while offering them the option to book the Friday as well. Another option is to say we can allow early check-in if the Friday doesn’t get booked.
For context: we’re very new (only 2 prior bookings and 1 5-star review), and we obviously want to provide a great experience and hopefully get a 5-star review. At the same time, we don’t want to be overly accommodating to the point where it hurts us financially. How would you handle this balance between being flexible and setting boundaries, especially in a situation like this where it’s for a wedding and they’re local?
Thanks in advance!