Doctor in the House Accommodation and Host Approval Process

Our Hosts sit at the very heart of Doctor in the House

Our Hosts at Doctor in the House are special.

We’ve been working with our Hosts for over 30 years. Some have been with us for as long as 15 years, which is why we like to think of our Hosts as a family.

We don’t advertise for our Hosts, they generally find us through word of mouth, which keeps things personal and the way we like it.

Once we’ve agreed to take on a new Host, our bookers develop a close relationship with them.

What’s the process of joining the Doctor in the House family?

Prospective Hosts invariably contact us via our website. Then, one of our bookers will give them a friendly call to discuss how we work, the rates they can expect, and the service we expect them to provide. We also ask for a selection of photographs to give us a rough idea of what is on offer.

We discuss a range of topics with our prospective Hosts:

The proximity to any particular institutions or hospitals
Nature of the accommodation: self-contained apartments or a room in a family home
Transport links and travel time
Details of the accomodation: bedroom size, desk and chair, storage, en-suite, private, or shared bathroom, use of kitchen
What they are looking for
Our expectations

If our bookers are happy with the conversation and all looks promising, we send off an application form, which askes specific details of the accommodation on offer.

The all-important internal review

With the forms completed, our viewer fact checks location, travel time, and the finer details on the ground. Google street finder is very useful but our team has invaluably sound knowledge of London and any other cites we work with.

Travel time to work is always an essential criterion when choosing accommodation, and one of the reasons why Guests choose us.

Our accomodation is almost always within a twelve minute walk of the nearest tube station. Sometimes we stretch to fifteen minutes if the accomodation is excellent.

Host viewing

It’s not often we arrive at accommodation to find something very different to what we expect. When we check our accomodation, we look out for over-enthusiastic dogs or a questionable walk from the tube station. We check for street lighting and safe neighbourhoods during our vetting process. We put ourselves in our guests' shoes: how would it feel to arrive here on a late January evening after a long haul flight?

Our personal viewing process is what makes Doctor in the House different from other accommodation agencies, and it's something we’ll never change. We have a cup of tea and a chat with a prospective Host to discuss our history and ethos, the types of bookings, rates to be expected, and the enquiry to confirmation process.

Our Hosts are encouraged to share their expectations with us so that we can help match them with well-suited Guests. We then take high-quality photographs of all the spaces that the Guests will be accessing.

What are we looking for in a Host?

Friendliness
Patience
Compromise
Understanding

What are we looking for in an accommodation?

Quality and practicality of accommodation: safety, storage, comfort, cleanliness, facilities
Practicality of location: proximity to institutions, transport and local amenities
Warm and welcoming atmosphere

The homes we select for our Guests will always be warm and welcoming. They might not have recently decorated but the space is full of antique furniture: a very 'English', 'shabby-chic' aesthetic. What we would call a real home and not a characterless hotel.

Once we are happy and we have developed a good level of chemistry with the Host, we build a ‘microsite’. We send these as recommendations to prospective Guests.

The microsites provide sufficient information for a Guest to make an informed choice. Hosts are invited to edit these and write their own content.

After a rigorous and lengthy process, we have done everything we can to introduce a new member into our family of Hosts.

Why is our process of finding new Hosts so important?

We provide a duty of care to our Guests so that hospitals and institutions can feel confident when they recommend our services.

Guest feedback

After each booking, we ask our Guests to provide a star rating along with any feedback. This is published on the Host's microsite and on our website.

On the very rare occasion we receive negative feedback we speak directly with the Host to understand why, and what can be done to rectify the situation. Failing that, we decline to continue working with the Host. This ensures we maintain the standards our Guests expect.

Nothing is perfect

On occasions our Hosts might forget to tell us their circumstances have changed slightly. Their son has come home for the summer, or they have a new puppy which is not detailed. Over the years, such instances are rare and are genuine, honest errors which we rectify as swiftly as possible.

What you can be assured of when working with Doctor in the House is that we are there every step of the way to ensure your booking is right for you, your Host has been thoroughly checked, and provides the type of accommodation you would expect from us.

Our Hosts and why they are so very special