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?

[Lisa34]

I would be happy to. Thank you

[Natasha-and-John0]

Hello everyone, has anyone else received an email from Airbnb about the changes, then an additional one asking if they want to be a host volunteer leader? The host leader would be required to host mixers for the company on a volunteer basis. 
I also could swear I received an email explaining the data they have received from forums, but when I search my email it has disappeared before I had a chance to read the details. Very puzzling.

[Lisa34]

I think those messages must be automated because of our participation here. I received one too.

[Peggy137]

Yes, the reps I've talked to say write Airbnb with feedback. 

In my very popular town, Airbnb's also supported a BIG number of managers, cleaners and gardeners who are now also out of work. It's not just the hosts. My suggestion is to go to Vrbo and start building a presence there, as by now it's getting obvious Airbnb isn't going to do anything about our (pffft) non-billionaire problems. 

On another note, CBS contacted me wanting to interview me about this rollout, meaning hopefully this will be much more major news very shortly. Fingers crossed.

Educate your friends, put it out on social media, get the word out. In Airbnb's world, it seems the only thing that talks is money, and as their income goes down due to lost reputation, hosts and clients, maybe they'll take notice. 

[Nancy1633]

@Peggy137 

CBS? Did they find you on these boards?  Very interesting.  A company like AirBnb doesn't self-destruct without notice. I'm guessing AirBnb employees aren't happy about the changes, which have been driven from the top.  Let us know how it goes!

[John5097]

As host I don't think we will learn why our views and bookings have dropped off. 

On my Facebook feed this is the Airbnb ad for the past week or so. They use Aircover, the name for their insurance, to recruit new host. Just reading the comments leaves one less than confident with the integrity.  

So with so many reports of host not getting any bookings, why actively recruit new host? Is that were all the searches have been directed? 

The last quarterly earnings for Airbnb shattered estimates and was a record, however Airbnb is still running a deficit of several hundred million. Lower than pre covid, and during 2020 were running a billion dollar deficit.

So my guess is that they were on track to beat their earning estimates for Q2 and this was a good time to innovate the search for guest to extract more profit out of each guest: namely longer stay at more expensive listing. (I'm just extrapolating based on face value of the new features)

These are ABB earning estimates and reported earning. 

 So they have been beating their estimates for the past year. We are now in Q2 of 2022. (Next corporate earnings report is in August.) 

I'm not expect, so not giving out financial advice, as you would lose money, but the deal is that all publicly traded companies have to keep growing. Take Netflix for example, when they stopped adding new subscribers for the first time, and only maintained their earnings, the stock dropped simnifically. You would think it would just stay the same, as they made the same amount of profit, but it was like a 20% drop. 

For host they are expected to instant book, no real ID verification (without losing views and reservations), flexible cancelation, (let guest cancel last minute), longer stays, (more difficulty to rebook). 

So I think this is reason for radical changes to the search process. 

They may also be trying to shed host who are directing guest to book off platform. 

Its also widely reported that host are likely to remain loyal to a booking platform after earning years of reviews. This is widely reported in the evaluation of the companies value, their ability to retain host. But that may be changing. On Facebook and everywhere host are now listing on multiple sites. This may also be the reason for some drop-off in views, as well at the economy and inflation. 

Or maybe I'm overthinking this? Its been very disruptive as I have to plan into 2023 and if views and bookings drop have to be ready to fill the unbooked nights. 

[Lisa34]

I largely agree with your assessment. Thank you for your post.

I have been wondering about their next quarterly earnings statement. Last I checked their stock was not trading for much more than we were offered it for purchase when they were going public. I think this is what will move the needle outside of obvious signs earlier than that that they’re heading in the wrong direction.

I do think they are hoping to professionalize their hosts and I can understand why. Frivolous claims and last-minute cancellations by hosts are detrimental to their brand.

I have confidence that with enough feedback they will change or adjust some of these features so they are more friendly and hopefully be more inclusive to properties that are not in major markets.

After all if they’re only booking major markets they’re going to lose revenue because there’s only so many properties there. I would venture to say they were already getting most of those bookings anyway. 

What I see happening is that they’re rerouting a lot of business away from smaller markets to these large markets just by the sheer fact that the categories are mostly populated in those major markets. because the categories are not populated in smaller markets it automatically zooms out to the bigger one because that’s where the bulk of properties in that category are located. If smaller markets also had a fair number it wouldn’t zoom out quite so much. I’ve already tested this theory with our properties in the Nashville area.

It seems to me if they could help hosts get in the appropriate categories and get rid of the default to a weeklong stay that would cure a lot of ills and increase bookings.

I am not against categories at all but I am against them being so elusive. We qualify for several of them but so far, even with new photos and descriptions that clearly state we have a designer building, amazing mountain views, and chefs kitchens along with many reviews that say the same we are still not in any categories in our mountain of Midwest properties.

This is extra frustrating because two of our properties are Airbnb Plus and have been inspected by Airbnb themselves to prove that we have such amenities. I don’t know why they are depending solely on AI to make this determination. 

We are waiting this out and giving loads of feedback. It is a major change and roll out for them. They have a lot of money and resources invested in it so it will take time to work the kinks out.

[John5097]

The sock market has been down 20% this year so all stocks are down. Expedia is same place. 

There is likely a wave of new listings and host. With the very low interest rates people purchased investment properties, namely STRs. So with new flood of listings and economy on the brink of recession, and last weeks new record inflation, fuel cost, it may have gone from boom to bust cycle again which has played out the past two years with covid waves, pent up demand suddenly comes to screeching halt. 

Its hard to know if its less guests searching the for places or if they are being rerouted, or both? 

If a listing wants to increase their search placing they need to be getting bookings on the Airbnb website. If guest are being directed to book to host own website it would make sense that Airbnb would catch on. 

Maybe guest just don't like host or Airbnb? Maybe they are using different platforms? Hard to know exactly. Although Airbnb has always promoted newer listings, as they tend to be recently renovated, host don't try and direct them to book off site, manipulate them, or be too frugal.

My views have dropped by more than half. But before now, views always ramped way up if there was a sudden opening or canceleation, which doesn't seem to be the case now. I would still be in the exact same place on searches but somehow Airbnb could increase views without any other changes I could notice. So its really hard to know what's going on in each case, or just really botched the algo with this update.

Moving forward it may just be the new normal.

Or may be like first covid wave. I had just started, booked out months in advance, was at the top of search results, then they all canceled and I dropped off the map. The algo hadn't seen anything like that, where it thought something must be wrong for more guest to cancel than book in the first year. But slowly worked my way back up. 

I don't think there are any guarantees in short term rentals. Any number of things could happen to disrupt a host or listing. Or it could just be the abrupt start of a recession and bad timing to tamper with search this much, and guest have not adjusted to it. 

[John5097]

Hotels are seeing record demand all through the summer and for the rest of year expect demand to be hight and room for rate increases. 

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/11/why-marriott-hilton-and-hyatt-say-hotel-prices-are-only-going-up.htm...

"Despite high inflation, a softening economy, and fears of a recession, the hotel industry is not seeing any slowdown.

It’s the exact opposite, with Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta predicting that the hotel chain will “have the biggest summer we’ve ever seen in our 103-year history this summer.”"

Keith Barr, the CEO of IHG Hotels & Resorts which owns brands like the InterContinental and Holiday Inn, said that he expects demand to continue to grow for the rest of the year as travel is more normalized post-pandemic.

That will likely come with further price increases as inflation and other costs are further factored in.

“The demand is so strong … we’re having the ability to price, but in fact, we haven’t even been keeping pace with inflation,” Barr said on “Closing Bell” on Tuesday. “There’s still some pricing power in this business moving forward, and demand will continue to come through the summer.”

[Mark-and-Gabriela0]

I’m not surprised!! Nobody can rent in Airbnb thank you to the genius engineer and management 

[Lisa34]

I heard/read those pieces too. What brutal timing this all is. It would be great to have more in the coffers heading into a possible (likely) recession. I don’t know what more to say or keep saying, please stop routing business to other markets when people search categories. Please get rid of the week long stay default if guests do not enter dates. A lot of us are just starting into peak season. Dates are rolling by empty. That is money out of everyone’s pockets! Please make these adjustments. Please.

[Patricia1945]

That is so true Lisa34 and when I contacted airbnb ambassador he went over and over the same crap again and again and did not get what I was saying (I actually got fired up and angry, which is out of character 😞 I too believe this category pfweek long stays needs to be removed, guest search without putting in the date and the when they see weekly prices they go elsewhere 😞 

I cant understand why airbnb are not listening, I have been faithful to airbnb, I am a small operator, but they have given me no choice but to try their opposition, which I have placed an enquiry with today, due to no response from them, I have no forward booking , only one that booked back in March 😞 

[Kathleen543]

Hey  @Sybe  @Stephanie - my Vermont listings in the US are still showing as in London after asking for help for five weeks now.

Please please please escalate this.

Zero bookings after three years of 90% occupancy and a steady 4.99 rating.

This is literally an emergency for our family and our farm.

Please help!!!!!

[Emilie]

---

@Kathleen543 wrote:

my Vermont listings in the US are still showing as in London after asking for help for five weeks now. Please please please escalate this.

---

@Kathleen543 I'm sorry to see this is ongoing! We've flagged this to the tech team for you and will let you know here if we get more info. 

Thanks, 

Emilie

[Mark116]

It will be interesting if Airbnb's bookings go up this quarter, and if so, by how much.  Travelers could simply keep booking whatever they can find, even if it's just a 4.6 listing with 12 reviews, because all of the  4.9 super host listings fell off the map or didn't populate the AI categories.    Or, they could get frustrated and book elsewhere, which is probably the only thing that will motivate Airbnb to fix this atrocious Summer Release.

Our views have dramatically dropped as of about 2 weeks into the new regime, and if that doesn't change we won't have a choice but to leave the platform one way or the other. Thankfully we benefited from a random algo boost in Jan and Feb and so are mostly booked through the end of August.