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Help Center - Hosts


Frequently Asked Questions

    We are eager to develop our host community with warm, caring people and skilled cooks who are interested in sharing their food and culture with travelers from around the world. We interview and meet with each host to ensure a good fit with our community, and would love to meet with you. Please visit our host page and fill out the provided form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

    If more travelers show up than what was originally expected, please contact us. After confirming the increased group size with the travelers, we will pay you the additional fee.

    Didn’t see your question answered here? Contact us at hello@travelingspoon.com, or through our online contact form here. We’re happy to help.

Food

    Travelers’ dietary preferences, allergies and spice level will be communicated to you during the reservation process prior to the experience. Please ensure all dietary needs and restrictions are met.

    We ask hosts to serve fresh homemade food using safe, purified water. Please make sure that travelers are served purified, bottled water with sealed caps.

Host Etiquette

    Our travelers look forward to your meal and may eat lightly before their experience in order to eat as much of your food as possible. However, due to cultural differences, they may not want to be overfed if they are already full. If your guests have stopped eating, please be conscious that they may already be full and may not wish to continue eating.

    We respectfully ask that you refrain from talking about costs or payments during the experience or otherwise solicit our travelers.

    Why? Conversations about money lead to awkward moments and we want to ensure that experiences with you are as natural, engaging and comfortable as possible.

    Our travelers pay Traveling Spoon in advance so that they don’t have to worry about paying hosts in person. Our travelers tell us that this is an important part of what they love about the Traveling Spoon experience and that it enables them to have a truly authentic home dining experience that does not feel like a transaction.

Hospitality Standards

    Our travelers are excited to meet you and look forward to your meal. Please greet the travelers as you would any of your guests and give them an introduction of your culture and practices. Welcome your guests with a beverage and snacks after their arrival as some of them eat lightly before their experiences because they look forward to your meal so much!

    The cleanliness of your home and pantry is very important for our travelers’ experience. We ask that you maintain a clean dining room, kitchen and pantry to create a safe and welcoming environment for your guests.

    Bathroom: A clean bathroom, stocked with hand soap, a clean towel and toilet paper goes a long way in making travelers comfortable. You might need to explain how the flushing system works if it is out of the ordinary.

    Pets: Pets are not allowed on the table (or where travelers are going to eat). Please note that some people might be allergic to pets.

    There will not be other paying customers when you are hosting Traveling Spoon travelers.

    Why does this matter: Our mission is to provide meaningful and private experiences so travelers can have quality time with their host and learn about their host's culture from them and their families. Our travelers love hearing you and your family’s stories. It would be a distraction to have other paying travelers or guests present.

    If you are running late: We understand that sometimes food takes longer to prepare than expected. If this happens, we ask that you are mindful and serve your travelers snacks while the meal is completed to keep them from getting too hungry. Some of our travelers eat lightly before their experiences because they look forward to your meal so much!

    Responsiveness: We request that you respond to reservation requests within 24 hours of receiving them.

    We request that you do not smoke in front of our travelers. Our travelers have requested a no-smoking policy and we want to ensure a comfortable experience for them.

    Being a great host includes not only following the other four hospitality standards, but also making the guests feel welcomed and catering to their needs.

Host Preparation

    We ask that you refrain from wearing aprons or other clothing, or showcasing signs or other materials, that include any business name and logo. This is important because travelers know and trust the Traveling Spoon brand, and have booked through us because of that trust. We don’t want there to be any confusion that travelers are experiencing anything other than a vetted, Traveling Spoon experience.

    Please let us know if you have any pets in your home. Some of our travelers may be allergic to certain pets, so we would like to give them advance notice or make arrangements to accommodate the allergies.

    Please inform us right away if there is a change in the location where you will be hosting your Traveling Spoon experience.

    Why is this important: Before travelers make a reservation they have seen photos of your home and food on our website. We don’t want to disappoint them by promising one experience and providing another.

    We understand that sometimes the best laid plans go awry – there are electricity cuts, staff don’t show up and things break down in the house. In order to give our travelers the best experience we request that you give us as much advance notice as possible, at least two weeks, when there might be events that cause a change to your plans.

Trust & Safety

    Your safety (and happiness) is our number one priority. If you have any concerns about the travelers you will be hosting, please let us know and we will provide you with as much information as possible to make you feel comfortable. If there is anything we can do to make you feel more safe and at ease, we would love to hear your feedback.

    Call or send us an email anytime.

Policies

    All Traveling Spoon hosts are paid at least 8 hours prior to their experience.

    We have a 48 hour cancellation policy for our travelers that book directly through our website.

    What does this mean? If travelers cancel a booking made directly through our website within 48 hours of the experience you will be paid in full. We want to ensure you are fairly compensated for the careful planning and preparation you put into these experiences. Please note that if travelers cancel their bookings made through our partner website, the cancellation policy of that partner applies.


General
Travelers