Airbnb 2022 Summer Release: What you need to know

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Airbnb 2022 Summer Release: What you need to know

Our 2022 Summer Release represents the biggest change to Airbnb in a decade. We’re introducing:

 

  • Airbnb Categories: A new way to search that makes it easy for guests to discover millions of homes they never knew existed

  • Split Stays: An innovative feature that pairs two listings when a guest searches for a longer stay

  • AirCover: The most comprehensive protection in travel, included for free with every stay

 

Get all the details on the Resource Center, and tell us: Will you be updating your listing for Airbnb Categories and Split Stays? How will you update it?

1,048 Replies 1,048
Gillian166
Level 10
Hay Valley, Australia

@Beth44 

not a who, it's a computer that is doing it. it's going to be very clunky for a while. 

My property is more of a hybrid. There are beautiful views, but none if the categories apply.

 

Our listing is a tiny house and is shown in the tiny house category *and we still went from a packed calendar to no bookings*. As someone who lives in and loves tiny houses, I have no idea why someone would think finding a tiny house is the most important part of their vacation. IMO this is not working for hosts or guests.

 

Pausing and unpausing got us 2 bookings… for the entire summer. We’ve been superhosts for years but if this isn’t fixed very quickly we will have to leave the platform. 

Enri1804
Level 10
North Topsail Beach, NC

@Sybe are you saying AirBnB chooses the category of my property themselves? Well can I get their service fee they take paid back to me? My home is clearly a beach home and AirBnB has left it out of that category. The  “machine learning” has proven in many other cases it does not know anything, why use it for a new update just before summer vacation season? Are you kidding me? What does a host have to do to get basic respect from this company?

@enrri1804. This is exactly what is happening, like you I have beachfront homes and when the guest chooses "beachfront" they disappear.

Airbnb is basically proposing what "they" think is best for that guest based on their algorithm, regardless of what the guest is searching for.

It seems criteria is more price than any kind of proven track record, stars or service.  And perhaps something that the AI is looking for in the photos.

@Sybe  @Enri1804  have a look at this fabulous explanation I got from customer support today:

 

**[Private conversation removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

Sybe
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
Terneuzen, Netherlands

@Susan1188 While adding the "beachfront" amenity and feature to your listing description doesn't guarantee your inclusion in the category, it does indeed increase the chances of being included.

 

As we've mentioned before, we're reading, collecting and passing on all your comments and suggestions on these updates to the team so thank you again for sharing them here!

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@Sybe 

I don't just "claim" to have beachfront feature.
It is proven, documented in the photos and hundreds of reviews I have received.
I generate six figures of sales per year on airbnb with my BEACHFRONT properties with AMAZING VIEWS and AMAZING POOLS all documented in the photos, description and dozens of guest reviews mentioning these specific features.

So why, when a guest searches for my neighborhood, then taps "beachfront", are myself and thousands  of my neighbors bypassed to have properties 60km away appear top of the list?

Why, when a guest inputs my neighborhood and then taps "amazing pools" (we have 4 amazing pools), properties 30km away are proposed?

This new website has destroyed my income with a careless blasé act. How do I feed my children now? Criminal

 

Mark116
Level 10
Jersey City, NJ

This will end well.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Mark116 

 

Some say that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but in this case, I think I  would disagree 🙂

Jesse192
Level 6
Boulder, CO

There appears to be a bug where the cover photo chosen by the host, is NOT the photo displayed in search results.  For my listing, I have the bedroom photo selected as my cover photo, however the kitchen photo is shown in search results.  This makes my Airbnb look less desirable to guests.

Browsing the search results, it appears many other listings are also affected.   Is this a bug, or is "machine learning" also being used to override the host's chosen cover photo? 

same here.  the picture the bot selected is not the cover photo that I selected.

When I limit my search to "SHARED HOMES" category only, then the kitchen is shown as my cover photo. When I search for ALL HOMES then my selected cover photo (bedroom) is displayed correctly.

 

I do NOT want my kitchen displayed as my cover photo EVER. It's very frustrating that it appears Airbnb is trying to get clever here, while removing control from the host.

Sybe
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
Terneuzen, Netherlands

@Jesse192 @Cathy899 Thank you for your sharing your thoughts on this.

 

When you're using the category search to find listings in the category you're interested in, the search results will show the pictures of that listing that are relevant to the category. This is done by design as this way the category selected will be highlighted on the listing. When using the normal search, your listing will still show up with the cover picture and title you chose. 

 

We've taken note of your feedback and will make sure the team is aware. Thanks! 🙂

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Please follow the Community Guidelines // Volg de communityrichtlijnen

@Sybe Thank you for the feedback.  If this change is "by design" then please note that I (and many other hosts) are incredibly unhappy with this design.  You have taken away my control as a host to choose my cover photo.  I want my bedroom photo used as my cover photo ALWAYS ... my kitchen photo should NEVER be used as my cover photo.   My guests care about the bedroom as that's where they spend 90% of their time ... and the bedroom is where I've place 90% of my effort.