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?

[Sybe]

@Martin4241 That's amazing, I had a look at your listing and it doesn't surprise me you've been featured.😉

What do you mean when you say you want to add the "Featured in" to your listing? Do you want it to show on your listing (e.g. in the description) or do you mean you want your listing added to the category?

[Martin4241]

Thanks for getting back to me. 

I would love to have the listing added to a category but I might not fit. I mean just like this listing https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/604726298950758799

I have worked hard to be candidate for superhost in July and really think the house is unique in Copenhagen. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Martin4241  as far as I understood you can't add categories by yourself, it is auto-generated and depends on your amenities, photos, and God knows what else

[Stephanie]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

Also from keywords mentioned by guests in a listings reviews such as "we really loved xx amenity"

Thanks

[Martin4241]

I am mainly puzzled that new "homes" come in and rank top, when I have worked hard for for months to get positioned for superhost status. My listing is unique and  have been features en several magazines and used by high end brand to promote product and even a series in Danish national television. 

Why on earth didn't you ask current airbnb hosts for info about which category they thought the listing should have?

[Huma0]

@Martin4241 

New listings get a boost in the search results for around a month. That has been the case for a long time and is not to do with the recent changes. 

Meanwhile, Superhosts do not seem to get a push in the search results. There is a filter whereby guests can specifically search only for properties hosted by Superhosts, but how many will actually do this, especially as it's pretty hidden. You have to click on the 'filters' button, which is not that prominent, and then scroll down past a bunch of other stuff before you get to that particular filter.

I looked just now and when I do a search for one month in London in either September or October (I host have a minimum 28 day stay), my available listings are not prominent. When I apply the Superhost filter, they come right near the top, i.e. in 2nd and 3rd position. Imagine how much that would help Superhosts like me if Airbnb had bothered to include Superhost in their new categories, rather than grand pianos...

[Susan1188]

@Stephanie 
Many of my guests mention the amazing views and proximity to the beach in my 200 reviews.

Yet I am removed from these categories.

The problem is, the host has no way to ask for a correction, introduce a complaint, or even see if his property is reflected in the right category!!

Complete black box!

And the only advice is: improve your photos, service, price and description.  But you still won't be guaranteed that you will be shown in the correct category.

[Huma0]

@Susan1188 

The advice to improve the photos is absolute nonsense in my opinion. Most of my photos are taken by professional photographers hired by Airbnb and are therefore verified.

Meanwhile, when I search the 'shared homes' category in South London, most of the very few results that show up have really poor photos.

I did question one of the moderators about this on another thread, posting examples, but never got a response, which I take to mean that they know it is not working but don't have an answer from airbnb regarding that.

[Mark-and-Gabriela0]

My pictures were taken by AirbnbPlus professional … and still no rents

[Susan1188]

@Martin4241  That's the whole problem, the host has no control over what category the algorithm is assigning to you.
Like me you worked hard to make your place above average and be a superhost, now the rug is pulled out from under you because the algorithm might just hide or bury your place based on whatever criteria it's using that day.
The only advice you will get from support is "improve your photos, description, amenities, service, price" and humans no longer control what properties will show up when a guest searches for a certain category.

[Lisa34]

I completely sympathize. We have a property called The Barn, it is listed as a converted barn as a filter, it clearly has a picture of the property that shows it is a traditional barn that has been converted into a house and yet we still are not in the barn category for a property in the Midwest. Go figure!

[Huma0]

@Sybe 

There is a 'design' category. Brian Chesky gave the examples of designed by a notable architect or featured in particular magazines (I can't remember now which type of magazines he mentioned) as being criteria for being included. I don't know if that is what @Martin4241 was referring to or if he was suggesting a separate category for that or if he just wanted this somehow highlighted on his listing.

My home has also been in several magazines, but doesn't appear in the design category. I wouldn't expect it to, to be honest, as it's not in that league, but I would expect my listings to show up in 'shared homes', which they don't unless you enter specific dates and then zoom in on my actual house, which obviously no one is going to do.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

I still remember the first sentence our teacher has said in the first class of web design school

A great website has to be :

1. SIMPLE and USER-FRIENDLY - so your grandma can use it

Yesterday I had to exchange 30 (THIRTY !) messages with my guest to get her to find and actually read our additional house rules. She still didn't read our listing's description hidden behind the "show more>" link.

2. FAST LOADING

since today it is SLOW and loads forever. Only zooming the map from the wider town area to the city center lasts at least a minute (with the town selected)

3. GOOD LOOKING

Achieved, bravo!

[Susan1188]

56 irrelevant categories = not user friendly!

my market = retired European couples wanting sea view and beachfront in Marbella.

Now they will be sent to neighbouring city where they will confront another level of tourist with tattoos; lip piercing and drunk, because that was cheaper and relatively nearby so Airbnb propose it to them.

[Gillian166]

---

@Branka-and-Silvia0 wrote:

I still remember the first sentence our teacher has said in the first class of web design school

A great website has to be :

1. SIMPLE and USER-FRIENDLY - so your grandma can use it

Yesterday I had to exchange 30 (THIRTY !) messages with my guest to get her to find and actually read our additional house rules. She still didn't read our listing's description hidden behind the "show more>" link.

---

So now I have a screenshot of where to find this, and it's in my listing photos.