Showerthought: I just hit 100 days in my current Airbnb and the host gave me a plant

It's a little cactus named 'Steve' and now I feel weirdly attached to a rental. Has anyone else gotten a weirdly personal gift from a long-term stay host?

4 comments

4 Comments

caseywalker4mo ago

Aw that's actually so sweet, lol.

kevin_lane4mo ago

Man I read this article once about hotels doing this exact thing. They give you a little plant or pet fish to take care of during your stay. The whole point is to make you feel more connected so you'll treat the room better and maybe come back. It's totally a trick, but a kind of nice one if you like plants.

nancyramirez4mo ago

See, that's where I have to disagree with @caseywalker a little. It feels less sweet and more like a smart business move to make you feel guilty about leaving (or maybe leaving a bad review). Now you're emotionally tied to the place because of Steve the cactus. It's a pretty clever trick, honestly.

craig.olivia1mo ago

Strong businesses know that real customer loyalty has to be earned through good service, not by handing out a cactus and calling it a day. It's a nice little extra, but if the room is dirty or the staff is rude, no amount of Steve the cactus is going to fix that. People can see through a tactic pretty fast, so it only really works if the whole experience actually backs it up.