Airbnb 2022 Summer Release: What you need to know

[Airbnb]

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?

[Helen744]

@Laura2592 Its already happening . I just read the latest review for one of my nearby neighbours and the very young guest said'sorry I could not give you a five star as some of the lounge furniture was different to the pics' yikes H

[Susan1854]

How disappointing.  Over 200 5.0 Super-host stays, and my desert oasis with a beautiful pool, horses and amazing desert mountain views doesn't even come up in a category in my own city.  Instead of pointing to my listing in my city,  they send potential guests to UT and Rocky Pt. Mexico.  When I reached out to Airbnb, they were rude and discourteous.  I thought we were business associates.  To think I cared so much about my guests and their experience on Airbnb, that I continue to clean my casita even with a broken arm, only to be told to watch the video.  

[Stephanie]

@Susan1854  I'm so sorry to hear you had that experience with a member of the team. If you don't mind, I'd like to hear more details on this so I can follow up. I've dropped you a message.

Thanks

[Susan1188]

I'm so sorry @Susan1854 

Same happened to me, I moved out of my own home urgently this week to provide it to guests, because the neighbor of my airbnb was doing some renovation during work hours.  So I urgently moved our private stuff got 3 cleaners in and provided my own 3 bedroom seaview apartment to a couple of guests visiting from America, moving myself into my city center airbnb.

I've also been offering short stays, breaking even but earning no money due to cleaning costs and turnover costs, for lots more work  (no money for me, just money for airbnb), in order to fill all gaps and get more reviews.  This was working to keep me high in the search results, in the old system.

All of that work and care for guests, for nothing now, since the algorithm is hiding my properties and proposing properties 1 hour away from novice hosts with 1 review who are cheaper.

[Christine3300]

I am excited to see a sustainability category in the future! Our suite doesn't fit in any categories but is highly curated and designed to center sustainability and a non-toxic environment for guests.

[Till-and-Jutta0]

That's a great feedback, @Christine3300 !

@Anna1403 

[Huma0]

@Christine3300 

While I agree that that would be a great category, how on earth would it be regulated? What counts as sustainable or not?

Bear in mind that the listings are being categorised by AI that cannot even recognise a beachfront or lakefront property as that. How on earth is the AI going to correctly categorise sustainable properties? Does one have to mention 25 times in the listing that the property is sustainable? Even in that scenario, what makes it so? Only a human being with knowledge and expertise and some way of verifying the sustainability factor would be able to make that call and I doubt that's work Airbnb would want to put in. They can't even bother to pay staff to check basic, obvious stuff about the categories, let alone anything as nuanced as sustainability.

The whole thing is messed up. Did you know, for example, that the only listings in the 'historic homes' category are in France? Apparently, historic homes in any other part of the world do not qualify because the French government requires historic homes in France to be called 'historic homes'. This is one of the most ridiculous things I have heard. How on earth did some rational human being decided that, because of that, no other county qualifies as having historic homes?

[Mary3894]

Wow! Unbelievable. So is it accurate that Airbnb has decided to only support specialty homes, and obviously from the comments, not all of those either? I just went in to look for a few day stay in my home town, and almost every listing says "Home in Eugene". No discernment, no description, nothing to invite any guests. I guess we all need to get a yellow submarine. I am shocked that this has happened, and that this is being promoted as the best thing in a decade? Maybe for people of means. What about us regular people that want a comfortable  place for a few days?  What about us super hosts who are highly regarded by our guests, but now I have no idea how guests will find my place. Unbelievable!

[Stephanie365]

Oh, yay. <roll eyes>  Letting Artificial Intelligence determine the category for my property instead of letting ME check the boxes about my property. Sorry, but AI isn't there yet. 

I am going to be adding a listing soon. My home is not ocean or beach front; it's not lake front. Its RIVER front with access to the OCEAN.  How is your AI going to categorize that?

[Mark116]

It's sad that a company founded on the idea of an air mattress in someone's living room as an alternative to expensive hotels has become besotted with marketing itself to solely to people who can spend $600 a night for a tree house or $2500 a night for a castle.  

Never have I been happier to have a plain old vanilla 'apartment' listed on Airbnb because since the property was never luxe, or plus, or ocean front or had a chef's kitchen I don't have to go ballistic that our humble apartment doesn't fit any of these exotic 'categories'.

[Anonymous]

@Mark116  "Tree House" and "Castle" are exactly the search terms an 8-year-old would choose if you gave them holiday planning duties. You almost expect to see "unicorn parking" and "free ice cream" in the amenities list. Sure, those inner-child-oriented categories are actually real places, but they collectively account for maybe 0.001% of the listings while representing like 80% of the brand identity. I do wonder sometimes if there's a grown-up in the room.

[Suzanne302]

I take back any comments I've made over the years about Airbnb trying to everything to everyone. With this update it's clear they want as far away from their roots as possible. The listings that show up on the home page? Most are $400-$800 PER NIGHT. There's one in Joshua Tree for $16,000 a night!

*sigh*

[Stephanie365]

Oh you get that one too?

[Stephanie365]

Depending upon the dates, it goes up over $17,000 per night. Or maybe they have Smart Pricing on and with everyone wanting to know what could possibly be worth $17k, all the clicks have driven the price up?

[John5097]

1) The only search options for guest are.

 "Any Week" which means 7 nights or longer. This is the default so if you don't offer 7 days or longer your listing will not show up at all to guest. 

"Any Month" Same.  

"Any Weekend" This only will display if there is a weekend available. 

As it is now, the only way for my listing to display at all is if "Any Weekend" is selected or for guest to enter the exact dates I have open. This means that for weekday nights that are available guest will not see my listing. I have a 5 night max and most of my guest book 4 nights or less. 

My listing also has a beautiful view across the marsh and tidal creek, but when clicking "Amazing Views" it zooms out to only expensive beach houses along the entire state. The "lake front" isn't a good idea, as the only lakes in the area are man made retention ponds, much like a sewer treatment pond. Why not just have "waterfront" as the option as that's the only option for host to check in the amenities? And also how other search engines like Zillow have, they only have "waterfront" as an option.

The biggest problem though is blocking out any available weekdays from guest searches. I'll need to either offer 7 days or longer or list on another site like VRBO. I'm thinking I better go ahead and set up account on other booking platforms.

Mine is one of the most popular in the area. Why not just add "any dates" to the options. Its also not displaying the number of reviews. I've kept my rates at ABB suggest price, all 5 star reviews. Now they don't even what to book it after its always been on the first page.  

 BTW clicking the number of nights at the bottom and I"m flexible also doesn't change this. Why even have that option of selecting 2 or 3 nights if it doesn't work and defaults back to 7 nights or longer?

Beyond frustrating! Even if I offer 7 day stays, most of the time I won't have 7 consecutive days, as mine usually books up 6 months in advance. Not sure really what to do. I always book over 90% occupancy rate, as most guest are in town for short visit. I'm sure nothing will change except I'll have to make adjustments.   


PS.. this means if there are weekdays available say June 20th - 23rd. And people want to visit the area in next month or so, and see what's available for a quick get away, they won't even see the listing at all unless they enter the exact dates. This could mean someone cancels the week before and it probably won't get booked as there is no way for guest to find it unless it happens to be on a weekend. Time to scramble. I really should have already had my listing on other platforms, as I'll be starting over.