自我介绍

On a cold winter morning a long, long, long time ago I was born in breathtakingly beautiful, Ireland. At the tender age of 23 I left the Mothership, moved to London and being young and very foolish, I decided to work in an investment bank. I quickly realised that while money didn’t make me happy, at least it did allow me to cry in beautiful cities like Paris, Rio, Rome and the Amazonian jungle city of Manaus, where I stayed in Airbnb’s and met wonderful, inspirational people. I eventually changed careers and have worked with the more vulnerable in society for the last 19 years, ensuring that they get the fairest deal possible. I’ve taken a few months away from work to have an extended break following the pandemic and having had some unexpected game changing news from a close family member. I am temporarily trying out Airbnb because work wise it allows me the flexibility to be more available for family and because I am lucky enough to have a very old, very charming house and so why not share it with all of you lovely people? I’m very easy to get along with and I pride myself on being kind, generous and fair. Events such as wars, attacks based on anti-Semitic, homo or islamophobic ideas and the vicious, often racially motivated attacks on black people and frequently carried out law enforcement officers have made many people feel quite fearful when travelling. It’s important for me to make clear that I don’t tolerate people, I accept them and so ALL guests are welcome in my home and they will be treated equitably and with the respect and the dignity that they deserve. We all remember how particular experiences where we have been made to feel ‘othered’ or unwelcome have made us feel. I want everyone to feel warm, safe and like they’re at home when they stay with. Aside from a few House Rules, which are based on mutual respect, I want guests to feel relaxed and comfortable and free to be themselves. I’ve had unforgettable times travelling and I prefer Airbnb to the formality of hotels. There is something so unique about staying with someone and seeing a city like London as an insider. Ive also had the misfortune of staying in places that felt soulless, were shabbily decorated with poor quality beds, bed linen and once or twice with questionable sanitation. While any host could easily place profit over quality, I have chosen to decorate my home to the highest standard I could afford and with the same quality furniture, rugs, towels and bed linen that I would want for my own mother or my sister. I hope that guests recognise my efforts which are for their benefit and so will treat my home with respect. I’ve used a common sense approach to decoration and the amenities that are included in each listing are based on what I like to have when I travel. In the interests of being open and honest with potential Guests, the following are some of the things that I really appreciate from guests followed by some things that I really don’t appreciate guests doing! So here goes! I appreciate it when guests: *communicate with me clearly before their stay so that I know how and when they will check in *are patient and recognise the difference between my home and a 5 Star hotel, and manage their expectations accordingly. *recognise that while I will do my best to help them, I am not a PA, a tour guide and I don’t work for Transport for London. *read my listings carefully before booking, for example my home is not a party venue and so guests should avoid booking it if they intend to have a soirée - are adventurous tourists and show initiative by challenging themselves and going off the beaten track - are kind, open and honest and if they have any questions or concerns or things that they don’t like they share these with me in real time and I will do my absolute best to make things better. Nothing is more disappointing than finding out for the first time that a guest wasn’t happy by reading a horrendous review! I don’t appreciate it when guests: + unexpectedly arrive before the 3pm checkin time which creates havoc with the cleaning schedule * go to bed wearing makeup or hair products that damaging bed linen which often has to be discarded * use guest towels for dying their hair, removing makeup, mopping up spills on the floor or using them as bath/shower mats! Please DO NOT do the above, it is disrespectful. * leave wet towels on the beds or on the mattress *when guests think that they are being helpful by stripping the bed linen from the beds as this actually slows down the cleaning of the rooms * do not flush the toilet or flush sanitary towels down the toilet *order food online and then expect me to answer the door and deliver it to their room *eat food in bed and don’t dispose of leftovers properly * are noisy, cause a commotion on arrival/departure or knock on my neighbours doors even though my door number is clearly displayed *make a booking without reading the listing only for me to discover that they don’t like or are terrified of puppies, becoming hysterical when they see them - which then frightens the puppies If the information above has not put you off staying with me then I hope to see you all very soon! Take care