Is your listing up to date to take advantage of the new guest Arrival Guide?

[Airbnb]

Have you ever had nervous guests at check-in? Do you find yourself answering the same questions over and over? 

Airbnb’s new guest Arrival Guide can help your guests have a more confident and seamless start to their stay, and help save you time.

Starting this month, guests will find a new check-in guide at the top of their Trips tab 48 hours before check-in, giving them important details like directions to your space, check-in instructions, and wifi info. 

In order for this to work, you’ll need to check that you’ve filled out all the fields under the Info for guests section of your Listings tab. 

Check out the RC article for more details, and to see how your guests will experience the Arrival guide.  

The Arrival Guide will be available to guests on all three platforms (IOS, Android, and mobile web) by the end of May 24, 2021. Guests won't receive an Arrival Guide if their Host doesn't have check-in information filled out on the listing, so we recommend double checking just to be safe.

What do you think of the new arrival guide? What are your tips for making the best use of the Arrival guide for your hosting routine?

[Greer7]

Is there a way that hosts can preview what guests will see?

[Stephanie]

Hiya @Greer7 ,

In the article linked in the topic there's a short video that shows the guest view of the Arrival Guide. I've embedded it below for you to check out! 

Thanks,

Stephanie

[Michelle53]

@Stephanie   Thanks for posting the video. 

My reaction to the first look is actually irritation, as a host. 

Things like "directions from your host" and "some helpful details from your host". 

I consider myself, as a host, to be in the hospitality business (not technical support).  This third-party, off-hand, arm's length approach to communication seems all wrong. If I was a guest booking a stay in a person's home, I would be asking myself why the host is too busy just to talk to me directly.

And during my stay, if I have a question, is my host going to talk to me, or is a bot going to talk to me ?

A bot doesn't replace the personal communication essential to making a hospitality business successful.  One has to build a personal relationship, even if one isn't going to meet the guest in person. 

I'm sure this is the main reason why people are so irritated with what passes for customer support, these days, too.   I feel this approach is probably best suited to hotels. 

Now that I've seen it, I want to be able to turn it off. 

[Andrew216]

AGREED
Stop treating guests like Babies. Many of the guests are already overloaded with TOO much information. they do not need more stuff to (not) read. Whilst working as a trainer manager for Whitbread for 9 1/2 years the best thing we did was remove all the "do not do this" signs from all round the Brewers Fayre restaurants and fun factories.
Many of my guests just walk straight on in....house is never locked, they can use my bikes, the car and I will talk to them every time ....even if i am repeating myself 500 times. Which i have...check my reviews. 25 years in hospitality management, and I have to see you making the same mistakes so called CEO's made 30 years ago.
Let people be people. (rant over)

[Michelle53]

@Stephanie   I just noticed something else that could end up being super confusing for guests.

I just had an international guest request slightly earlier check-in due to a flight change. I'm accommodating her since I don't have a guest checking out the prior day. 

I really don't want her to get an automatic message telling her that my place will be ready for her at my usual check-in time. 

@Nicky168  posted here that we don't have to complete all the information and the arrival guide won't be sent.  Could you kindly confirm that this is accurate ?

I had that all already completed, since it's not new information. I just went to delete the wifi info. I hope that will turn this off. 

[Penelope0]

Will guests still be able to read what I have written? The GPS directions take people a few blocks away and leave them stranded, which is why I have written such detail. I haven't had complaints about it. I do thenk the new 48 hour reminder will be handy for guests. Thank you!

[Linda1615]

I am able to create and update my Arrival Guide for my second room, but there is no "Info for Guests" tab on my Airbnb listing. Should I be looking for that in a different place?

[Emilia42]

@Linda1615 Here is a snapshot of where I see it on my laptop. Hope this helps.

[Linda1615]

Nope,  @Emilia42 not on my Airbnb Plus listing. This is all I see: 

Other ideas? 🙂

IT's exactly as you show it on my non-AirbnbPlus listing, but the above is what I see on my Airbnb Plus....with no "Info for Guests" tab on this one.

[Michelle53]

I think the arrival guide is fine for general information, but I have entry codes and passwords which change all the time, so I still need to send guest-specific check-in instructions to every single guest, every time. 

I want guests to be looking for all the information for their stay in one place. Right now, for me, that is the messaging system. The last thing I want is for people to be reading a general guide and then texting me for entry codes. 

[Chad-and-Sasha0]

well said!!!!

[Hudson-Riverfront-Preservation0]

I agree. Seems it will make their arrival less personal. In my case the orientation to the home and the property is essential to appreciating the place. I don't want to be giving out codes before they arrive. I'm in charge of when they get the codes- not the robot.

[Andrew216]

100 % this >"Seems it will make their arrival less personal"
Stop treating guests like Babies. Many of the guests are already overloaded with TOO much information. they do not need more stuff to (not) read. Whilst working as a trainer manager for Whitbread for 9 1/2 years the best thing we did was remove all the "do not do this" signs from all round the Brewers Fayre restaurants and fun factories.
Many of my guests just walk straight on in....house is never locked, they can use my bikes, the car and I will talk to them every time ....even if i am repeating myself 500 times. Which i have...check my reviews. 25 years in hospitality management, and I have to see you making the same mistakes so called CEO's made 30 years ago.
Let people be people. (rant over)

[Chad-and-Sasha0]

I feel this is overreaching and duplicates the check in instructions that I send to guests before they check in, per reminders sent to me by Airbnb. I would like to reduce the number of times that the keypad and wifi passwords are transmitted anywhere. this information is already widely available. I think this is unneeded and potentially confusing for guests.

Further, it takes away an opportunity for valuable guest feedback on information that they want hosts to provide. Airbnb shouldn't dumb it down this much for hosts who don't get the basics. Hosts actually work hard to earn reviews from guests, and one of the main methods is by being responsive to questions.