How can Hosts benefit from Airbnb’s redesign?

[Quincy]

As people start to feel comfortable traveling again, they’re not always sure where to go first—or when. So we just introduced a whole new way for guests to explore listings and discover great places like yours.

The new features can help you reach more guests in the earliest stages of trip planning. For example, we’ve added 21 Airbnb Categories, from Camping to Iconic Cities, to highlight great stays that guests can browse. Your listing could pop up in someone’s feed as soon as they open the app.

As a Host, you can improve your chances of getting noticed by making sure your listing details are as current and complete as possible—and complemented by attractive photos of your space. You can find out more on the Resource Center. 

What’s one thing you’ve done recently to make your listing really shine?

[Lorna170]

@Quincy   please thank your ceo, your research development team and programmers for hiding my business from Airbnb guests.  I own a cabin.  I gave it a name using the word cabin.   I have a picture that clearly shows that it is a cabin.  For twenty years it has been rented as a cabin.  However, it no longer appears in the list if my guest searches for a cabin.  Why?  Because my primary picture is of the waterfall on my property that sets my cabin apart from the rest of all the cabins in my neck of the woods.   Way to drive owners to other OTAs and developing their personal websites.  Guess where my guests are coming from now … VRBO!  I wondered why their ratio of bookings had increased … now I know why.  

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Lorna170  Interesting, a few days ago I got a VRBO booking as well. , The first one after 2 years, I forgot I even have a listing there 😄

[George0]

Where is there any mention or inclusion of Airbnb Plus rated Listings?

[Anonymous]

@George0  My understanding is that the Plus program has been quietly put to death.

[Kristina46]

LOL, Andrew. That made me spit my coffee over my keyboard. 

[Seth80]

"ANY WEEKEND" leaves my property with a hot tub, which couples love for a getaway completely off of the list. Why? Because I have 3 day stays for Thursday through Sunday. "Any weekend" should be 1, 2, 3, or 4 days available Thursday through Monday as a "weekend getaway" isn't always just 2 days and you're handicapping a lot of properties by making it two days.

My other property, which I aim towards long term guests, doesn't show if you select "any month". Why? Because I set it to 30 days and a "month" is 28 days in the algorithm. Again, any month should have a wider scope of days available. 

This new update from every metric I have access to, as a host and as a guest, is a failure and has very critical aspects such as the ones mentioned, and more, addressed ASAP. Guests are leaving. Hosts are frustrated. And the VRBO interface is cumbersome or else everyone would be there already. But this update is making VRBO annoyances manageable in comparison.

[Ken1852]

Hurry up and admit this was a terrible idea. Bookings have ceased for everyone I know, including myself. End this now.

[Nancy1633]

Dear Mr. Chesky,

Your "new" AirBnb sucks. Hosts are noticing bookings plummet, guests are leaving the site because the platform is forcing ARBITRARY "weeks", misdirecting them on the locations they want to book, confusing them.  My sister, for example; gave up after trying to book specific dates in a particular NC location. Quote, "It was confusing (to book), so I left."

Your cockamamie "nomad" theory may apply to 1% of travelers-- if that much-- oh, but a billionaire genius knows better!  You've stripped away our unique and descriptive listing titles, forced arbitrary "weeks"  on our guests,  made our properties unfindable, hijacked our booking calendars. 

Imagine the hubris, to be so callous about the livelihoods of the people whose investment and labor (Hosts) built your company. You've shown contempt for the ordinary traveler who knows when he/she wants to book, what location he/she wants to book-- and not in a treehouse or igloo or architectural anomaly.  

People, it's time to find alternatives. Mr. Chesky has bit the hand that feeds him. An ego that bloated will not admit a mistake.  What a shame, this  platform used to be great for Hosts and travelers alike.  

[Kia272]

@Quincy  I'm pretty sure that hosts can't benefit in any way from AirBnB's "redesign." It obviously wasn't beta tested, and has caused more problems than any benefit will mitigate. 

The categories, quite frankly, suck, in addition to the fact that they are not correctly applied, and furthermore, they usurp the host's own property title. 

The new "search" is entirely jacked up, and the mess just goes on and on. If anyone at AirBnB is patting themselves on the back right now, they should stop immediately. 

This is purely bad, bad, bad and absolutely doesn't benefit hosts. 

It's unfathomable to me that something like this would be introduced with no input from hosts, and also without any kind of testing. 

Great way for AirBnB to lose market share. Just sayin'....

[George0]

I have just spoken with Angelo at Airbnb Customer Service and my concerns with the recent changes. He sent me a link on my phone and all it has done is take me back to my Listing? I had agreed to summarise the issues that have arisen since the new platform was launched, as follows:

1. I have not had one single enquiry nor booking since the changes i.e. the week before I was booked and had been full since Nov last year, with enquiries and bookings in on a weekly basis. Then nothing.

2. I cannot find either of my listings under any of the obvious Categories e.g. Beachfront and Pools. If I can't find them, how can potential Guests see them?

3. I have been Airbnb Plus as one of the first on the Gold Coast in that Category since 2018. I note a great deal of Host Feedback on last years "Winter 2021" release stating no mention nor reference to Airbnb Plus on that release. None of that feeback was responded to and still sits there. I note that this "2022 Summer Release" also has no mention to Airbnb Plus. What is the story please?

4. I appreciate the intent to always improve and move forward however, why was the new release not Beta tested and experienced Superhosts (like me) consulted or advised of what was proposed. Once again why are Hosts not being paid the respect and acknowledgment of the role they play and input we provide to make Airbnb a better business. If it wasnt broken, why change it? George

[Gillian166]

@George0  dont you Plus hosts have your own board? what's everyone saying there?

[Susan1188]

@George0

Dear George welcome to the club of Airbnb superhosts who are reeling from the new rollout, I invite you to shop around the forum to see the multiple other threads on this already heavily discussed topic!
Please reach out to any fellow superhosts and let them know if bookings are drying up, this could be the reason!

[Janice503]

Trying to understand this major change which apparently is not benefiting hosts, guests and would assume Airbnb since we aren't getting any booking since your updates.

This sounds good in concept on your video but not working at all! Why did Airbnb feel the need to make such a massive change on something that wasn't broken. 

As a superhost I am dying!!! Please but this back they way they were till Airbnb can make the vision work as intended. 

[Deborah1201]

How do we get a National Park on the map?  Can't believe Redwood National Park doesn't show up on California map.  

[Susan1188]

New Observation @Quincy @Sybe @Emilie 
Every time I log on, I get the same, irrelevant 8,000$ a night 10 bedroom houses that I will never click on displayed on my screen (see photo).
I just checked logging on with other profiles on other browsers: SAME 8 PROPERTIES appear.
Everyone: is this what you are seeing too?
Same 8 all the time up front before you even search for something?  Things wildly out of the range of anything you would ever consider booking?

Surely that front screen would be the best real estate for the "algorithm" to propose relevant properties based on the person's latest activities?  Or at least, a random selection each time to capture what the person clicks on?  What could be the purpose of showing the same 8 properties the person will never click on to everyone?
And not even changing or cycling through other properties over time?