02/15/2026
People ask me why I do so much to prepare for my guests. I use my past travel experiences as a measure of how i want to serve my guests. Creating a unique experience and a warm memory is my goal. There may be fanicer places with more amenities but you’d be hard pressed to find a cleaner, quieter, more serene airbnb.
The cottage is not like any other. It has a heart and soul. You feel it when you walk in the first time. You immediately feel like you are home. I like to add special touches in my vintage home such as freshly ironed, hand embroidered pillowcases, guality pillows and sheets and bedding, along with handmade quilts scattered about for their use. I also get a chance to pull out my vintage collectibles and play house🙂 I really do enjoy spoiling my guests. I always try to treat them like I would want to be treated.
I remember one time when me, my sisters and mom went on a fall excursion to North GA. We ended up in Helen GA one evening around dinner time and decided to stop for the night. We finally found a vacancy. The guy at the desk was hair lipped and said he had one queen, a bunk and a futon. Donna said “a fruit jar?” I had to turn and run over to the travel brochures to regain my composure. I was crying! Donna looked at me and said “well, I couldn’t understand him!”🤣. Oh my goodness!
We got the key to the room, a little chalet, A frame type house, and we had to climb 3 steps sets of wooden steps to get inside. We were all so tired. AND…to make it worse, it was Sat evening and AL was playing MSU, starting at 6:30. Mother was in a huff! Had to get inside to that game.
Well, they had a little 19” tv and the reception was fuzzy and she was hangry! She pulled the chair up to the tv and we knew we had to go find food before things went south quick. Can you believe every food place was closed on a Sat evening in Helen GA? I’m sure there was probably a bar or restaurant but we were going for deli sandwiches, wings, etc. We finally found a place that had a couple of pizzas that had been sitting under a heat lamp for most of the afternoon and the clerk gave us a real deal on it. We grabbed chips and drinks and took that to Mother and she gnawed on it and grumbled the whole time. We all went to bed fussing and moaning. We were past the point of having fun. We needed good food and rest.
I crawled up to the top bunk and they turned the heat on for mom and I about had a meltdown. My head was about 10 inches from the ceiling and I was blowing smoke signals. Donna thought it was so funny. I have never been so glad to get back in the road the next day. Needless to say, they did not get a good review.
So…long story long….i always try to think of how I can meet the needs of my guests. Food and drink after a long trip, comfy beds and pillows and…fans in each room🤣. Thats the difference in an ok stay and a 5 star review. It’s not so hard. It’s how we were raised. Thank you, Mother and Granny ❤️