Do you host any repeat guests?

[Quincy]

Hello everyone,

As we continue hosting, we get a lot of guests from different places (wherever the regulations allow). Every guest that visits you probably has a certain plan on what they want to do when booking your place. 

Having said the above made me wonder if you host a lot of repeat guests? Is there a specific reason that they book your place, or is there anything you do to drive repeat bookings? 

In the past, I've only had one repeat host from Glasgow who booked my place about 4 times. He gives regular lectures at a university nearby, which was his reason for booking my place.

It would be great to hear your thoughts and experiences on this!

Quincy

[Debra48]

Before Covid I got repeat guests. They come back because they like the property and house. Most of them are coming into town to work (this is Los Angeles so anything goes), to visit relatives, or even to celebrate a birthday. Since I know and trust these people, I would save them fees by accepting them as guests off platform. But now Covid has changed everything and I no longer greet and meet my guests unfortunately. So I can’t establish personal relationships with my new guests. And people who used to travel into town from other places are no longer doing so. 

[Laura2592]

Yep we have several.  Mostly this is a great thing.  Some guests get a little too familiar with us and the space and really start using it like their home.  It can be tricky to reinforce boundaries with folks who have stayed multiple times and want special exemption from certain house rules.  For the most part our repeat guests are fantastic. 

We get a lot of compliments on the uniqueness of our cottage. Its an old stone school house on a partially wooded lot with really nice plant and animal life around.  Very picturesque but not super remote from lots of more touristed places.  People tell us they like the quiet and the storybook vibe. We do too! That's why we bought it.  

[Anthony608]

@Laura2592- I am experiencing that right now.  A repeat guest who has been in the home several times, coming to the local area every few weeks for business.  The back of the house, which contains the family living room (as well as my de facto office) is clearly spelled out in the house rulers as off limits to guests.  Over the last two stays, the guest began frequently walking into this area, one time sitting down in a chair, and just this past stay (I think to test our limits) tried to the use our TV (a big no-no, as house rules clearly state that the family room TV is not for guest use).

I finally had to say something, but did it diplomatically.  I explained that due to the Enhanced Cleaning rules, every area the guests live in was immaculately cleaned prior to each arrival.  I further explained the family room was for us, the family, and (while it was clean) it wasn't properly vetted for guests to enter and use.  Also, per the name, its the family room and for the family.  I think the guest got the message.

[Quincy]

Hi @Laura2592, I've noticed that with my one and only repeat guest as well. It's great to hear that you have such lovely repeat guests! 😃

Your home looks beautiful! It looks so peaceful over there and I agree with it having some sort of storybook vibe to it!

[Emilia42]

I've had a bunch of repeat guests. But I will be honest, the high Airbnb service fee has caused many of these guests to reach out to me directly. I can only do so much to direct them back to the platform. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Emilia42 I am right to understand that it is entirely legitimate for repeat guests to book off-platform?

@Anonymous Can you educate me please?

[Anonymous]

@Mike-And-Jane0  Airbnb wants its cut for bookings initiated through the platform. But just as you're allowed to list on other platforms, you're also perfectly entitled to make independent arrangements with prior Airbnb guests who can contact you directly. There's nothing in the terms of service that I'd interpret to mean that Airbnb is contractually entitled to handle all future business from your past guests.

But of course, one wouldn't call on Airbnb to handle a damage claim or other service issue related to a subsequent stay or extension booked off-site. 

[Sarah977]

@Mike-And-Jane0  Airbnb doesn't own the relationship between you and your guests. You aren't a Airbnb employee. Once their original booking has come to an end, whatever arrangements you want to make with guests who came to you through Airbnb is your business.

[Emilia42]

@Mike-And-Jane0 When a guest books through Airbnb, they book through Airbnb. I will never interrupt that process (and it is in the TOS that I cannot advertise on Airbnb to book off-platform.)But if a guest chooses to return and they then book through VRBO, they book through VRBO. If they book through me, they book through me. 

[Emiel1]

I just checked-in a repeated guest, staying on working days for the 4th time (within 2 months).

But there are 2 issues i like to mention:

- You can not sent a guest an offer for next time period during the current reservation

Nor the guest can book his next trip.

See also @Robin4  at : https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Simple-has-become-difficult/m-p/1348394#M321285

- The review system: what to say on every review....copy/paste from previous one or skip it ?

[Quincy]

Hi @Emiel1, you've shared some good feedback here—thank you for that. I will check this out and see if I can perhaps raise your points with the relevant team. 

To be honest, I just wrote very simple reviews for my repeat guest 😃. 

[Rajan2]

I have had a few repeat guests who like the idea of returning to a familiar location and process. They stay and usually do the same things so the experience si predictable for the guests and hosts. This translates into lower stress from the inquiry, stay and review. 😎

[Quincy]

I totally agree with you here @Rajan2! You sort of know each other already which makes things go quite smooth 😃

[Debra300]

@Quincy,

Is the question specific to Airbnb guests?  My listings are on multiple platforms.  I have repeat guests, but they may not have used Airbnb for their initial booking.

I sure hope this question is not meant to be another of Airbnb's unscientific attempts of gathering information.  I can imagine an edict from on-high come down in preparation for the IPO valuation, "Let's see how many hosts have repeat customers that book off platform.", and Airbnb make a unsubstantiated claim that XX% of hosts have repeat guests.