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?

[Louise1097]

I rather fancy a transatlantic trip to the Catskills... though not found via the new ABB search or categories or anything obvs. Laugh? Cry? Laugh while crying?

[Nancy1633]

@Louise1097 

Well, I'd love to have you. Since it's virtually unfindable now, here's the link:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/631194295542601426

(It's under new management, so listed as "new" but prior reviews are posted in photos)

[Gordon0]

While the majority of us are mourning the views/enquiries/bookings we once enjoyed, we can however console ourselves with the unresponsive, painfully slow and irrelevant page of listings we see when we log on. Great job, Airbnb.

  

[Louise1097]

This is what happens when you ask a C-level person (or their partner) to design navigation. Have seen it before, with my professional hat on.

[Louise1097]

If they farmed out category system to a separate area of site, a sub-brand or whatever, and left the rest as is.... But instead they have just screwed up everything.

[Janelle-and-AJ0]

after 3 weeks of junk we finally started getting last minute bookings and some future ones. I tried snoozing the listing, changing picture, descriptions ect and that didn't do much but once I stared using their suggested price to a tee, it helped.

Could be a coincidence not to sure and I did both ways. If my price was lower then the suggested, I raised it. If it was higher, I lowered it. Thankfully, it was in the ball park of what I was expecting to rent the unit for so that was good.

[Kathleen543]

Hey @Janelle-and-AJO so glad for you! Are you talking about turning Smart Pricing on?

[Janelle-and-AJ0]

No, I didn't turn it on - I just did it manually for two weeks out.

[Peggy137]

I am also wondering... I turned on smart pricing, I've never used it before... but seeing as I'm at half my normal price with no bookings I'll try anything. 
Or should I go through and change each price manually according to their suggestions?

[Lisa34]

I do think price is a factor. However, I think watching your number of views is more helpful. Are you getting views and not converting them to bookings or are views down?

[Janelle-and-AJ0]

Views are down, bookings are down. To give you some context, we've been doing this for 5 years with 4 units. We typically would average roughly 3800 views per month and a 96% occupancy, never canceled on a guest, never lost Superhost status. The day after the update, we started falling and went to 2100 views. Never happened before. A lot of people say the economy/inflation and what not but I think it's to coincidental that they release something and then it starts to plummet. 

[Peggy137]

Especially as its happening to superhosts across the board in exactly the same way. 

[Julie-and-Brad2]

You’re not alone!  Same is happening to us.

[Gigi169]

There are still just as many tourists if not more than ever. It’s not that people aren’t traveling. They just shot us all in the foot unless we are a unique specialized featured rental. 

[Martine883]

Price is never the problem.

if you offered a lower price, you’ll get other kind of trouble… I say it by experience:  

If you offer a really good service and a confortable place, you want People who give you an adequate exchange for it, otherwise they’ll become critical of what they received just because they didn’t pay for it.