Problem: Apartment and studio kitchens gradually lose items throughout the season—glasses break, plates disappear, cutlery goes missing, corkscrews vanish. Properties stock kitchens at the season's start assuming full occupancy, but by mid-season, apartments that should serve four people have only three wine glasses, five forks, or two coffee mugs. Guests discover these shortages at the worst possible moments: when they've just opened a bottle of wine for their group, when they're plating breakfast for their family, or when they're hosting friends in their rental.
Impact: The frustration is disproportionate to the missing item's value. A guest who just spent €2,000 on a week's accommodation feels disrespected by a missing €3 wine glass—because it signals you don't care about details or didn't bother checking before their arrival. Families with children face practical problems: not enough plates for everyone to eat together, forcing someone to wait or eat from unsuitable containers. Guests feel embarrassed when hosting friends. The missing items create a perception of neglect that contradicts your property's positioning, and guests wonder: "If they can't even ensure basic kitchen supplies, what else are they not maintaining?" This compounds with other small issues to create an overall impression of declining standards.
Solution:
- Implement post-checkout kitchen audits—after every departure, housekeeping checks and documents all kitchen items against a standard inventory list
- Maintain full occupancy standards—if the unit sleeps four, provide service for four (minimum), with one spare set as buffer for breakage
- Create kitchen starter packs—pre-assembled sets of glasses, plates, cutlery ready for quick replenishment when items go missing
- Track patterns—identify which items disappear most frequently and stock accordingly (wine glasses and corkscrews are typically highest loss items)
- Budget for seasonal refresh—plan replacement costs into operational budgets rather than reacting when guests complain
Result: Every guest arrives to a fully equipped kitchen, regardless of when during the season they book. Families can sit down together for meals. Groups can share wine without awkwardly passing one glass around. The kitchen functions as promised in your marketing materials. Guests perceive your property as well-maintained and attentive to detail—the foundation of positive reviews and recommendations. The operational cost of replacing a few glasses per week is negligible compared to the reputational damage of guests discovering you couldn't be bothered to check.