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?

[Mark116]

I just don't think this is going to work the way they envisioned.  I would imagine in about a month they will start tweaking things and probably/maybe/hopefully put back something akin to the original search by location and date function [so you can see it not stumble on it accidentally].

I might stay in a tree house, but not for $600.  I'd love to stay in an $11K a night villa, but alas, that is out of my price range.  I'm all for finding a way to showcase unique and unusual properties, as well as broadening the search to show a few things that may be outside the strict parameters.

But this is not what Airbnb did.  Not even close.  What they did is take away host's control of their own listing, and let a computer program decide who is lakefront, designer, and so on, to disastrous results.  They also took away guests ability to search for what they want, when they want.  

Thousands, probably tens of thousands of previously successful listings are now invisible....which is doing actual, serious harm to real people who have real bills to pay and real commitments.

The arrogance here is breathtaking, and when combined with Airbnb's very typical IT incompetence--which is on full display--it is wildly destructive of it's business.  Truly bizarre.

@Airbnb 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@ Mark116  i agree but please don't blame programmers, they just do what they are told and paid to do. They must be very good bc with so many changes in coding, I am very surprised this platform didn't already completely fall apart a long time ago

[SteveandLisa1]

I am  a Super Host who has had 0 bookings now since you all have changed your website!!!!!! I am 1 of 1000's of hosts who are taking this massive hit. Please we are all begging you AIRBNB please discontinue this formate and go back to how it was. 

[RoniSue0]

I'm really concerned about my Superhost status since bookings halted after the change and my stats are nose-diving.

I don't have amazing views, or a million $ property, but I haven't needed it to stay 99% booked, and maintain 5-star ratings. When I look for an Airbnb, I'm looking for a more-affordable, clean, comfortable place to sleep, then drink a cup of coffee before I head out to explore. That's what my place is in spades! It's just a very nice room and bathroom with private entrance and keypad locks for self-check-in, in the middle of a neighborhood. Nothing to see on the outside, but it's really nice inside. Because it's next to our country's largest university, and central to attractions, the hotels in this area are expensive. 

Where is Airbnb's "GET MORE FOR A LOWER PRICE  than any quality hotel" category? 

[Molly396]

Is anyone suddenly having pricing issues? I was hosting a guests last week. They requested a second trip. I suggested they alter the dates instead— when the alteration went through the rates were halved (I offer no such discount and submitted a ticket w Airbnb). 

Today I got a new request. The guest asked to bring a dog (we don’t allow) but I did not yet deny the inquiry. I noticed it was for this upcoming weekend so I lowered the price to hopefully get booked. The price of the existing request changed. So I changed my rate back and forth and the request keeps changing price!  This doesn’t seem right. Isn’t the price locked in when an inquiry is made? Maybe I’m missing something and someone can help! We never had these pricing problems before the summer refresh. 

[Natasha-and-John0]

It’s weird. Airbnb denies everything and went so far to say they were insulted I said it was run by AI.

[Annie1372]

@Molly396 

the prices are locked only once the booking is done. But not lock for the inquiry.

[Molly396]

@Annie1372 

thanks this is the info I needed! Appreciate it. 

[Molly396]

@Annie1372 

any idea why they’d change the nightly rate though? I had two requests (not inquiry) for the exact same days. One is $220 per night and one is $130 per night! My rate is set at 220! On the phone with support, looks like they’re going to make up the difference. 

this is the second time this week and now I feel like I need to triple check all the bookings. Any clue why? 

[Jonathan1787]

@Brian This isn’t working my friend. I understand your highlighting grand designs but you are completely pissing on the people

who got Airbnb to be what it is!

My business has fallen through its backside on your platform and people are already switching to your competition. Hosts and guests alike. Sadly most people don’t want to take their dog to Antarctica in a Tesla. Covid didn’t go that far!

You need to leave California mentally as well as physically. A month ago I wished everyone booked my property via Airbnb, not any more. Not that hardly anyone even contacts us anymore, lol. I understand in pursuit of progress you had to be seen to do something, but this really was a school boy error around a big corporate table!

Man up, speak to your best hosts, the ones with the best personal reviews (not the ones with multi million dollar listings) and accept that this new system isn’t working. You have sent your core income into the delta quadrant. Hosts and guests are extremely dissatisfied.

It’s not the end of the world to accept it didn’t work. In fact the host community would

probably be over joyed to simply see you reach out and acknowledge it simply isn’t working for many.

The Airbnb community are resilient. We used to be resilient with you! The superhosts that built this business will move on but I believe it’s unlikely to be with Airbnb unless this community receive the heartfelt responses they deserve. Stat.

J

[Michelle53]

Want to know how we got to this "Summer Release" ? 

Brian's little road trip apparently had him stay at the Palmer House in Ann Arbor at $750 a night, 

"There are millions of listings on Airbnb’s website, ranging from treehouses in Brazil to castles in France — but of all the Airbnbs Brian Chesky, the company’s CEO, has stayed in, one home stands apart from the rest. 

It’s the Palmer House in Ann Arbor, Michigan designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. “I’m a designer, but growing up, I always thought I wanted to be an architect,” Chesky tells CNBC Make It. “If there’s one listing I had to pick, I’d say the Palmer House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, who is my favorite architect.”

The Palmer House, which costs $750 per night, includes three bedrooms and two baths, enough room to comfortably fit six guests. 

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/28/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-shares-his-favorite-rental-on-the-site.html

Since he was travelling alone, it's lovely to know he could afford to pay $750 a night for just himself.

[Kathleen543]

Help urgently needed.

In addition to many of the issues others are describing (my 90% booking rate has come to a screeching halt), Airbnb has put my two listings in the wrong country.

They are showing up as "Putney London" in the search results - we are in Putney Vermont. This is true for every listing in my town. There is NO London in Vermont, but there IS a Putney outside of London. Somehow, Airbnb has conflated the two and essentially erased our town from the platform. See screenshot below for search results for "Putney Vermont". Every listing is indeed in Putney Vermont, but they all show as "House in London", "Cabin in London" etc.

I have called CS, tweeted, messaged on FB and they are "working on it". It has been weeks, and I have no new bookings, because no one wants to travel to a town that doesn't exist. Please please help. We count on this income to support our farm and family and this is a disaster for us.  

[Helen744]

@Kathleen 543 Good Luck H. It sounds like a royal screw up 

[Natasha-and-John0]

hi kathleen, we feel your pain. You got further with airbnb than I have. the response i got from them is that i didnt know what i was talking about and that I was offensive for suggesting the human i was speaking with was AI.  They used to be attentive and generous in the early years. Ive been with them 10 years and have fallen out of graces with them. some suggest snoozing then unsnoozing the listings, but i dont see that that has done anything for me. hang in there. dont sell. perhaps take a paypal loan to cover bills if you dont have savings. but this could very well be the end of the ride.

[Kristina46]

Calling CS does nothing, they are a call center. Add it to the feedback thread or tag one of the mods.  We had the same bad mapping here on Hawaii Island but not as egregious.