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?

[Bruce313]

Seems there has been a roll back, at least when I pull up a search in Dubai, where I'm based. It shows up with a box to key in dates like before the 11-May change. But similar to what everyone else has been saying I went from solid bookings--a good 26/30 days per month on  each of two listings--to zero bookings on both and views way down. I began listing in Sept 2021 and have had earnings progress continually from month to month, but now I'm completely back to zero as though starting from scratch.

[Suzanne302]

And, my listing views are now averaging below 10 per day.

Historically Airbnb does not care what hosts "think" or "feel." The only way anything is going to change is if bookings across the platform are being affected, which I have to believe they must be. But if not, us "average" hosts should just get used to fewer bookings.

I can't even find listings of friends I KNOW are out there when I search as a guest.

[Mark116]

Ha.  So I finally tried a search.  Oh boy.  I guess the 'old' location search is burried in the guest search?  What the h**?  That was the only way I could find a way to search for a specific location.  But, I could tell it wasn't even worth spending any time on the filters, it's just a mess.  

Also, I would guess that at least 60% of the anywhere listings shown on the home page are more than $500, many are more than $1K a night.  The very first listing was $8K a night.

It's fine to use the home page to showcase unique and expensive listings.  But, to take away the location search and replace it with dude bro 'anytime' 'anywhere' is STUPID.  People do not travel this way.

[Andre11907]

@Sybe @Airbnb @Stephanie This new update has been terrible.  I have a listing that’s been constantly booked since I went live with even gas prices being up, flights being up, etc… I’ve maintained a 86%-100% occupancy each month. I’m a super host and one of the few in my area with 20+ plus reviews and still a 5.0 star rating.

Before the update, I used to get trip requests every 2-3 days like clock work. I’m constantly updating my listing, moving pictures, changing prices, have rule sets in place and offer discounts for certain lengths of stay. Since the update went live, I literally have received zero requests and not even an inquiry. I’m at zero bookings for June . Upon doing some research, here’s what I found. Airbnb is now pushing and telling guests about how awesome the new category search is and how everyone should use it. So I went to verify in what category was my listing and to my surprise, I’m not in a single category. I have a pool and to be honest is one of the nicest one in the area but I’m not in the “amazing pool” category. I’m also just minutes from the beach but I don’t come out on the “beach” or “surfing” category but other listings that are more far away from are showing up in those categories. So how does that make sense? One of the main reasons guests book my place is because of my pool and/or how close I am to the beach.

Now with this new category search, guests are going to use those categories when searching for a place because that’s what they are looking for like “beach” or “amazing pool” and they would think that all the properties that show up in those categories are all the properties that have those things they are looking for right? But no, because my listing has all those things but I’m not in any of those categories, just in the “all homes” categories. Obviously this will affect my listing because why will guests go through the “all homes” categories when there is a category that has what they are looking for. This has affect my views tremendously which have slowed down my bookings. I called and not even the agent could understand why I wasn’t showing ip in any of those categories when my listing matches everything to be in them. On top of this, add the fact that they removed the title which helped you stand out from other listings a little bit.

[Asli2]

Just like all these other hosts here (https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Summer-2022-release-Airbnb-category-issues/td-p/1620157) I have a problem with this big summer update, my 'boats' filter category doesn't recognize and include my boat listing in its results. It's a boat, lol, says 'boat' in the title, has many photos of the boat and uses this keyword in the description, but not coming up for the 'boats' search results! My competition comes up, they've gotten all the bookings, so upsetting for me that things are not fair any more. 

In 'Listing Details' --> 'Property and rooms' --> 'Property Type,' I have marked my listing as a 'unique space,' then selected 'boat.' So the algorithm ought to recognize it's a boat. But it's not recognizing.   

HAS ANY OF YOU REALLY BEEN CURATED INTO THE RIGHT CATEGORY AFTER HAVING WAITED FOR 2 WEEKS as one moderator in the forum in the above link says should occur?  Is this really happening, is Airbnb's new algorithm really requiring all new listings to lose 2 weeks of business to all of the older listings in that category? If so, what could be the point in such an algorithm? Why starve new unique space listings of bookings for 2 weeks? Unreasonable and illogical if it is the case, thanks for letting me know if you did get curated into the right category in 2 weeks.  

[Tony-And-Una0]

It's just beyond belief that you've done all the right things and selected the correct category for your listing.

But still it's not showing in the search.

I'm guessing, maybe, that Airbnb will sort this out eventually.

But I'm not so sure we'll get our listing titles back and the number of reviews displayed.

That's what is hitting my bookings as I have just plain old standard city centre apartments.

Who wants them anymore!!!

[Gillian166]

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@Asli2 wrote:

HAS ANY OF YOU REALLY BEEN CURATED INTO THE RIGHT CATEGORY AFTER HAVING WAITED FOR 2 WEEKS as one moderator in the forum in the above link says should occur?  

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no, i still don't show up under Farm Stays. 

honestly, i don't really care about the categories. I think we'd all fare better if the search and dates were fixed, make anytime=anytime, not 5 days. I doubt people will use the categories heavily. Time will tell. 

[Samantha454]

I also have the same question/issue.  

I thought I’d check out the new categories and tried searching for our cottage. Searched under ‘beachfront’ tiny homes’ castles’ ‘golfing’ and didn’t show up in any of those categories, despite having relevant photos.

Not great really, and the guidance is a bit vague, so unsure what I can do. 

Wouldn’t it be simpler if we we’re actually able to add these categories to our listings?

[Natasha-and-John0]

I have been booked for 9 years straight now it’s crickets. Nothing. What the heck happened? Awful

[Mark116]

I tried again to search for a place in a specific town in Mexico.  It was literally impossible.  If the new search function is so complex that someone who has hosted for years and used Airbnb as a guest more than once cannot even make the basics appear, I don't see how new users will make reservations unless they want that $11K a night place in Italy that appears as the first listing on the home page.

[Jeremy785]

Absolutely amazing to me that there are 29 pages of host complaints about problems with the new system... and the closest we get to any kind of response from Airbnb is the page admin saying they pass along the info? Just pathetic! The one thing that this whole thing has shown me is just how bad Airbnb's customer service is! 

[Natasha-and-John0]

I just called, the employee asked me to share what the complaints on here were about, yet sounded surprised to hear about it from me. As a mother of two young children to support, i need them to fix this now!

[Jeremy785]

I first contacted them the day after the update. They closed the case twice without doing anything other than some hollow apologies. I have been persistent in my contact with them, although it seems as though they have me on ignore now...

[Gillian166]

@Brian 

Look at the views, look at the likes on your post (still only 19), look at the comments. You've been ratioed mate. Please, re-consider this. the Categories are fine, but you must say they are a curated list so people know it's not the full list available.  Or, let us choose our category. You can quietly fix the search so that people can search "anytime" and that means anytime. 

The only thing I've seen an increase in is hosts coming back to the forum. 

[Sam-And-Katie1]

I have always been exclusively on Airbnb as we've had good bookings from it, but the new release is killing my business. We typically have 3 night stays but you cant search for 3 night stays - it's either a weekend or a week! What about a long weekend?! 
Nobody can find my listing because of this if they want to stay for 3 nights. 

This is devastating.