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?

[Kai844]

0 bookings now after having more than 90% bookings for 6 months. This was a wakeup call for us to be on multiple platforms. I was tolerating the ridiculous fees before, but it seems like this has ruined the platform completely.

[Patricia1945]

I too have looked at using multiple platforms as they currently have their head in the sand 

[Mark-and-Gabriela0]

All reservations stopped only some luxury ones stay, every guest now  needs to look for a category, but it doesn’t mean your place will be under the proper one.

Beware ALL HOMES category ONLY appears in a computer, not in the APP

please write, complain, tell your worries, we’re all in this boat

renting are blooming, hotels are packed, best season in 10 years!!!

ONLY AIRBNB HOSTS ARE SINKING WITH US ABOARD

[Eddie-And-Sandi0]

I have to agree it seems the properties are not showing up 

it's impossible to go from 90% booking to nothing 0% 

It's either something they are doing and we don't know 

or else I can't explain not even an inquiry and again

I hate to repeat myself but it seems like some properties

have just vanished or wiped out we see them but guests don't

unless what it's promoted like now when you 

open the app ISLANDS thats the new one. RIDICULOUS

[Lisa34]

I agree. If I am being shown improbable properties like one in South Africa when I was searching for a place in Indiana, I can bet that people who searched for a place in South Africa could be shown my NC cabin for next week when they searched for a place in their  neighboring town. 

[Amanda660]

The only bookings I’ve had since the roll out are repeat guests who were working in the area.  This month has been absolutely dire as was the 2nd half of May.  I had several chunky cancellations for June which I’ve been unable to fill. 

Calls  to CS, although friendly and sympathetic, all state the same - nothing they can do and please fill in the feedback form.  They did confirm that many hosts had told them they were struggling but they’re not in a position to help. 

[Lisa34]

Please give feedback directly to Airbnb. Here is a link to make it easy. https://www.airbnb.com/help/feedback

[Mark-and-Gabriela0]

Every time I search in Airbnb I look for location, which street, such building, etc!

i’ve been trying to find buildings in Tulum…. It shows totally blank

please take categories out! It should be showing hundreds and hundreds of apartments , look at .. almost nothing 

 

[Mark-and-Gabriela0]

Of course, mine are not shown

HELP!

[Lisa34]

Please give that feedback. https://www.airbnb.com/help/feedback

[Lisa34]

Please give that feedback directly to Airbnb at their feedback link. I am not sure they take feedback, necessarily, from these threads. https://www.airbnb.com/help/feedback

[Mark116]

I tried to search by location last night and I honestly could not figure out how to do it.  I wanted to see listings on Mackinak Island in Michigan and I didn't find any way or place to type in the location I wanted.  All I could do was zoom in on the US map and then state of Michigan but that didn't help me, because I could not find the island and I had no idea which of the stupid categories might be relevant.  

[Tony-And-Una0]

From these posts and my own experience  of trying to book, I don't think there is any doubt that this release is a shambles.

How could a company  with the resources of Airbnb, roll out such a badly thought  out release  at the height of the peak booking  season .

Within minutes, we were able to identify  so many problems  with it. How could they not identify these before launch?

They have serious  operational questions to answer. It's not a private company  anymore.

[Till-and-Jutta0]

Yesterday I searched and booked the first time after the M11 announcement by Airbnb:

I saw the new categories, but I knew exactly my dates and the region I wanted to stay. As soon as I entered these data, the well-known map-search was back. I used my usual filter settings (e.g. Wi-Fi) to refine the search. After some deeper looking at the listings I made my decision and booked. I completely forgot about the categories. But I can see if the place is a professional or a private host (love it).

map search

The only change seems to be the unique listing names. But yesterday I even didn’t notice that, only later when writing this comment. Anyway I'm glad about Airbnb’s announcement that the individual listing names will be back in some way.

I think Airbnb’s intention was to attract NEW guests to the platform, by displaying extraordinary places to them like in an old-school travel catalogue. REPEATING guests like me who know the system and already made their basic decision about using the Airbnb platform get the familiar search. I’d like to hear from others, if this has changed the last days, due to our feedback?

After a long pause due to a LTR I’ve opened our own booking calendar for our “regular” (no-Wow) listing recently. I will be curious if I will see a changed booking behavior this summer, as I’m following this thread with great interest.

[Nancy1633]

@Till-and-Jutta0 

Your response here is very concerning-- that's because you are on the Host Advisory Board, and are completely dismissive of the plethora of problems other Hosts (and Guests) are  experiencing with the Summer Release. These include whole cities of properties missing from the map, arbitrary future weeks to "reserve", Categories not populated correctly. 

Do you think Hosts are imagining their precipitous drop in bookings timed with the Summer Release?  Am I?

Firstly, you report that when booking your trip you "saw new Categories but knew exactly your travel dates and region"-- that may be how YOU travel, but many others do NOT know exact dates and do NOT book a "region", they book a City or location at a specific place in order to view ALL options, THEN check dates and go from there . 

Since YOUR search skipped over "Categories" you avoided the chaos others are experiencing:  the map Zooming you hundreds (or thousands) of miles off your search destination, a 'curated' list of properties not accurately populated; providing exact dates you missed the odd, arbitrary WEEK assigned by AirBnb to "reserve", rather than being allowed to pick your own travel dates directly on the listing of your choice. 

When you say "the only change seems to be the unique listing titles" I have to ask (1) what you're smoking, and (2) should you really be on the Host Advisory Board?  Because you are so dismissive of what is a very serious financial matter for Hosts, and because you appear to be an advocate for what is clearly not working for so many Hosts. 

So when you say you "think AirBnb's intention was to attract NEW guests" by messing with the platform, as the old saying goes: " The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."  It appears the platform is NOT user-friendly to OLD or NEW guests, and the results are NO bookings. 

There's a saying in politics: "when you're explaining, you're losing." That also applies to the short term rental business. The new platform is far too complicated, counterintuitive, confusing, and dare I say pretentious (how many people can afford to stay in the luxury digs on your landing page). The AI is error-ridden.  

I believe AirBnb's intentions were good, but the execution was horrible, the proof is in our bookings' abrupt crash.  So rather than finger-pointing, or trying to convince Hosts that the "only changes were in titles"- we want AirBnb to fix it.