Airbnb Answers: Pricing tools that drive host success

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Airbnb Answers: Pricing tools that drive host success

You asked: Can Airbnb offer hosts more flexibility and options to set our pricing?

 

Leading up to the last Host Q&A, you asked for more flexibility with your pricing options. We went straight to the team that plans and builds these tools to see what’s on the horizon. What we learned was surprising. It turns out we’ve built solutions for much of what you’re asking for, but lots of hosts don’t know about or use the pricing settings available. We also found out that sometimes offering certain types of discounts harms rather than helps your business. Intrigued? We were too.

 

To make sure you have the latest insights on pricing, let’s take a look at what your options are and how your feedback influences what we build.

 

Current pricing options

 

You specifically asked for the ability to set different prices according to a guest’s length of stay, or based on the days of the week (for example, charging a different price for middle of the week vs. weekend stays). We actually have tools that help you do both! You can offer a discount for stays longer than a week or a month, and you can set up custom weekend pricing.

 

You also asked about charging guests based on the number of beds they use, rather than the number of guests staying in the listing. While we understand that more beds used means more linens to clean, it’s sometimes difficult for guests to anticipate how many beds they’ll use at the time of booking. For example, not every listing describes if beds are queen sized or double, how many sleeper sofas there are, or how the beds are arranged in a room. Some guests may want to see the place before deciding if they’ll share a double bed with a friend or sleep on the pull-out couch. However, guests can accurately and confidently say how many people will be staying, and you can charge an extra guest fee to account for that. If the cost of cleaning and check-in for shorter stays is a concern, you can add cleaning fees to offset those costs.

 

How host feedback is shaping our work

 

Your feedback shows us where things aren’t working for you, and where we can do better. Based on what you’ve told us, we’re focusing our efforts on making every tool more accessible and intuitive. And we’re helping hosts understand how pricing tools work together, which rules take priority when multiple rules overlap, and how to use the tools you have for maximum benefit to you.

 

When it comes to building new pricing tools, we try to account for a multitude of host preferences while keeping things simple enough for guests to still want to book your space with Airbnb. To do this, we solicit host feedback, test new ideas, and notice what happens to bookings when we add new options.

 

Here’s a little insight into how we test and pass along our learnings to you: Sometimes we can anticipate reliable opportunities to boost your earnings. For example, you may have seen insight messages on your calendar and emails highlighting discount opportunities for specific dates that would otherwise go unbooked. When you apply these discounts, we highlight to travelers the value you’re offering and that attracts bookings.

 

Alternatively, sometimes we find that less is more—like in a recent test in which hosts added discounts for 3-6 night stays in areas we noticed travelers were searching for accommodation, and it turned out the guests who booked those discounted spaces would likely have booked the listing at the regular price for the same duration. It’s these types of insights that we pass along to you in how we build and what we recommend.

 

You always have control over the price you set for your space. And we’re committed to sharing what we learn about pricing best practices. We’re excited that Airbnb offers competitive pricing flexibility for you, a simple booking experience for your guests, and the promise that we’ll continue to listen to your ideas about how to make pricing even better.


In the latest Host Q&A, CEO and Head of Community Brian Chesky answered top-voted questions during a livestream event. For questions he didn’t have time to address, we’ve introduced Airbnb Answers. Want to ask more? We’ll let you know in Airbnb Updates when the question platform will open for the upcoming June 27th Host Q&A.

291 Replies 291
Tanya184
Level 7
Woy Woy, AU

Yes flexible pricing is good. I would also like you to add a tool that notifies hosts when guests have seen your message in the app (just like facebook messenger does) this would let us know if guests are ignoring us. 

Floral0
Level 2
Batu Feringghi, Malaysia

I would like to be able to set promotion/discount rate for a particular month. I understand that is a fixed amount that I could set for certain months of weeks. However, it will not show % of discount when guest trying to book.

Mehdi54
Level 4
New South Wales, Australia

One of the pricing options that would be handy in my area is early check in fee. Most of the international guest arrive to Sydney early in the morning and require early checkin.

Sytze0
Level 3
Ito, Japan

In Japan many professional establishments offer meals (Dinner, breakfast) as an integrate part of the experience.  Often the dinner is the main part of the experience.  It might be good to have a search option/filter to indicate "with or without" meals.  This will make it easier for the customers to understand the pricing level.

 

Our price includes the meals so we keep on getting annoying computer generated mails from airbnb advising us to lower our pricing to be competitive.  This could also be prevented by having such filters.

Vaddi-GM0
Level 3
Hyderabad, India

There shall be a flexibility option to charge the extra guest fee differently for week days and the weekend. 

Alison267
Level 3
Busselton, Australia

I like the idea of smart pricing but I would like the technology to be able to apply it correctly to my  area and what significant events are going on in the region.  My bnb is in Busselton, not even a 2 minute walk to Geographe Bay. We have many Iron Man events, Triathlons around our famous Jetty,World Class Surf Comps half hour away in Margs,School Leavers week ect.I offer a private entrance,2 bedroom,bathroom, hall , semi kitchen/ lounge,courtyard and more for 4 guests. Its frustrating that when I do smart pricing and these events are on I'm either given the light bulb to say" this many guests looked at your booking but booked somewhere 6$/ 13$ cheaper! Or this price reflects nights are less than so many days away. The Caravan Park further away from Beach than me , Charges 120$ a night for a UN powered tent  site for two guests! This was their tariff 3 years ago. My average price is 130/120$ in off season and that includes my 50$ cleaning fee! Smart pricing has suggested I drop my rate to as low as 67 or 57$ a night,( can't recall) Really? I allow guests to book for one night so its a lot of work.

Vee-Gee0
Level 3
Mumbai, India

I have put my guest house on Airbnb and have provided an option to use the Aircon or not to use. The pricings are different for both. At present I have created 2 listings and linked their calendars. I would hope Airbnb creates a drop down menu for selecting my guest house with or without Aircon. Once this is done I can remove one of my listings from the site.

Kasturi1
Level 4
Kolkata, India

Hi! I'd like to have the option of variable cleaning fees depending on the no. of days & no. of guests.

Book 2 nights andget the 3rd night free option?

Matthew432
Level 4
Bristol, United Kingdom

Smart pricing does not work, it based its results on what’s being rented local to your listing, there are a lot of ‘rooms’ available near my 1 bed apartment which are being let for a lot less than my apartment but smart pricing does not take this in to consideration so I don’t use it. I just wish you would stop telling me that listings are being let £15 a night cheaper when I’m letting mine at £50 a night, 

Jennifer1015
Level 4
Enfield, IE

I would like to know where perople are booking? In the calendar you tell me people have lookedd at my listing but have booked somewhere E25 less, well i would like to know Where have they booked??? The reason is because I live in a rural place where there is limited accommdation so I cannot phantom where someone has booked instead. 

The main reason I want to know is because you use this data to prompt me to lower my price but I cannot make an educated informed decision as someone deciding to book a cheap hostel style room or book somewhere at the other end of the country was never going to book with me anyway, yet you use that information against me and my price point.

 

Secondly, on a search of my locality, my listing is quite far down, below people who have been inactive for years and below some of my own rooms which have not been active for a while and have no availability showing for the foreseeable future. WHY

 

3 when someone is searching a specific date with as specific number of people why cant the site display the full price in the search page? It is so annoying to see a price and then when you look at the listing it is a completely different price. The site is able to automatically adjust the price when you click the listing so why not display the actual full price on the seat h page?

I would like to be able to set a discount for a certain periods in the calendar, like if I have 3 free days in between two bokings. So far, this was possible only following a mail sent by airbnb. Thanks.

Jacqui79
Level 1
Plettenberg Bay, South Africa

Is there a way to charge per person in an apartment. So instead of charging a full apartment rate, i could charge for only two or four people for example. 

Louise-Vinther0
Level 3
Brøndby Strand, Denmark

I am annoyed that ammenities cover all from toiletpaper to sheets and towels.

i can easily offer toiletpaper, shampoo, coffee and soap At no additional price, but towels and sheets and bed covers is a full day of extra washing/drying/folding afterwards after each visit.

Louise302
Level 3
Uwchmynydd, United Kingdom

I would be happy to accept single night stays but only at a premium price or a cleaning fee could be addd for single nighrstays, otherwise it doesn't make economic sense.