The history of AirBnB dates back to the early days of 2007 when two young guys; the founders, welcomed three strangers into their house for a price lesser than what the hotels in the area charge.
At first, to the ears of many, allowing strangers to live with you for a pay sounded crazy and like a bucket full of risk.
However, as at the year 2023, 4 million houses have signed up as hosts to strangers all over the world; validating this crazy idea, and making the company worth billions.
I know this seem like a fairy tale, as the sugary portions of the story is all I have been saying and truly it is, because from the time when the idea became an adopted model, till date, series of horrors and multiple concerns has been raised about the risk of this type of business.
A few of the red amber alert questions has been received, reviewed and policies have been put in place to ensure the safety of you as a guest or a host.
Before we dive into the policies, how about a little background check on hostel.ng; one of the first, biggest and trusted AirBnB for Hostels in Nigeria?
Let’s go!
Background Check on Hostel.ng
Let’s begin with the exact words of a member of our team who has been with us for more than a year. Here are the exact words of “Ayegbusi Temitope”
“Every business thrives on the foundation of an idea, the tenacity of the leader and the team behind the wheels. In the early days of 2020, I was hiking around different social spaces, when I saw a post from a young man, Davidson Okafor (A click will lead you to his page), who believed so much in hospitality and the synergy humans can breed in a presumed toxic world. I followed closely to know the man behind the brand and how the team operates. After a series of interviews and a chat with him, he has proven to be trust worthy and customer-conscious. The thought of this gave me a good reason to join the team to expand across Africa, and hopefully, the globe someday. If I don’t believe in anything, I believe in their love for every customer who uses their services. Here is a podcast link to one of the chat with him.”
It has been proven over the years by business enthusiasts and practitioners that one of the deciding factors when it comes to what Brand to trust, is Leadership, hence the reason I choose to pick, word for word, the story of one of our team members, as this will surely lay a foundation as we proceed into discussing the policies set aside to help every user win.
What Does Hostel.ng offer?
Hostel.ng works just like AirBnB. In case you haven’t heard of any, allow me to bring you up to speed, quickly!
Hostel.ng is a platform for two sets of individuals:
- A traveler or anyone who needs a place to stay temporarily but doesn’t want to spend excessively on hotels. They are called Guest.
- A user or anyone (typically students staying off-campus) who has a room or apartment to rent out quickly to make some cash. They are called Hosts.
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Picture this scenario…
Amaka has a self contained flat, and won’t be in town for a few weeks, so she takes great photos of her room, uploads it on the hostel.ng platform, put a price she wants to be paid per night, that way, when she is out of town, she can make money with the empty room.
On Hostel.ng, guests who are mostly travelers moving from one state, community, or location to another needing a place to stay for the night or more, can find rooms in the area from their phone and make a selection of which room they want, based on their location or preference and reserve it.
In a nutshell, hostel.ng allows you earn from your room, and also allows anyone to book a room to stay for short periods of time.
Protection for the Host
One of the pressing issues, and raised alarms so far is the question of “Is there a guarantee that the strangers are who they say they are?” and “How secure is my space and belongings?” We have taken an overview of these questions and here are policies set aside to assist hosts have an exciting experience while they make more money.
Verification of Guest –
Before a guest request is allowed to be sent over to the host, a background check is done by our team to access the bio data of the guest and pick details that assure us a decency in behavior and management of the space entrusted to them within that short while. It is also important that all guests have a means of identification shown to the host, to be certain of their personality and profile. Host are also allowed to have their house rules, such as (no smoking, drinking, etc.) Guest must be comfortable with the rules to be accepted.
Household Insurance cover –
We’re working really hard to ensure the best experience for our users, which is why we have an insurance cover on the way that will cover up to N500,000 worth of damages to properties in a room. This insurance policy covers damages, fire, flood, and special perils. It will be live soon, as integrations are ongoing.
Host cancellation –
As a host, you have the liberty to cancel room reservation request, if at all you feel uneasy with the applicant. Note, that all cancellations must be in line with our non-discrimination policy.
24/7 customer support –
We are always ready to help. A standby customer attendant is available to chat with you swiftly. Both the host and guest can always reach out to us at any time of the day.
Booking Protection for Guest
In the unlikely event a host needs to cancel a booking for reasons accepted by our policy, we will find you a similar match within the area, based on your previous request. If the need arises, you can always get a refund.
If you have check-in issues and the host is unable to solve it within your time of leniency, we will find you a similar apartment within your area, and if the need arises, you can get a refund.
At room confirmation, you’ll have your host and reservation details in the message thread for your trip.
If for some reason, the room isn’t as advertised, we’ll find you a better place within the same location to stay in.
A 24-hour safety line is also available to receive your complaints.
It is important that you have a look at our terms and conditions, and the refund policy as well to be safe at all times. These policies are laid down to ensure both the host and guest get the best out of the experience.
We can’t wait to get you your first reservation!
