How do you manage staycation bookings?

[Stephanie]

Hi everyone,

Here in England, we are seeing the lessening of lockdown measures - today’s protocol means hospitality is restarting and many Hosts are celebrating booked summer calendars. 

However, leaving the country is still on the no-go, and that’s true for many countries the world over. I, for one, am itching to take a little break within the British isles which is what is being called a “Staycation” - holidaying in your own country.

As someone who’s living on the search platform as a guest at the moment for Dorset, Devon and Wales, it would be great to see how Hosts are changing (if anything) for a summer of staycations.

What’s different about Hosting staycation guests? What other considerations do you have?

Cheers!

Stephanie

[Alison219]

Our first guests have arrived today (it's a self contained one bedroomed cottage).   The only difference is that I'm asking guests to strip their own beds (I've bought some nice embroidered laundry bags for guests to put their laundry in) and I'm asking them to leave the windows open when they leave.  I then leave the place empty for a few hours to reduce my risk when I go in to clean and I'm also keeping it empty for a night between guests to be on the safe side too.

[Debra300]

@Stephanie,

We just had an extended weekend getaway at the south of the island.  That area is so different from where we live that it almost felt like we'd traveled to another island.  Since we are on an island, staycations are quite common.  Historically, many people could not afford to go abroad (costs for passports, visas, travel insurance and transportation are prohibitive) so locals will book stays in guesthouses, hotels and villas.  For them, the space is destination and they typically spend much of their time on premise.  Given that these guests generally use more utilities and amenities than island visitors, we try to balance the amount of discount we can offer locals (who usually earn less money than an international traveler) and the additional costs of hosting them.  

[Julie685]

I’ve been hosting throughout this second lockdown as have had people here who are key workers, people between houses and people here to be near the hospital as having chemo.  So really feels very normal. What I have done is booked  a big place myself for a huge family get together at the end of August. It’s hot to be ok to all be together by then surely?

[Stephanie]

@Julie685 

Ah well done on hosting those Key workers! There are several hosts I know that really wished they could be couldn't due to not hosting self contained listings, which is a shame. I'm with you there - I've rented a hall in the last week of July for my family to finally meet my son, born last July. Fingers crossed for both of us, and everyone else, that we have that level of normality back by then!

Thanks

[Helen427]

Good on you @Julie685 !
That's the spirit looking after the well being of those who have equally important health care needs.

All the best for your upcoming holiday.

From across the distant seas and lands in Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand

[Ray-and-Catriona0]

As the others said, this is for England only, we in Scotland it isn't till 26 April.

I won't be changing anything for UK people coming to stay, what is there to change as they have been stayed here in the past. Covid cleaning will remain for the foreseeable future.

Normally i would have had several bookings already, but so far I have zero bookings from the UK, in fact all I have is one booking made last year from Germany!

Even my viewings of my place last time I looked was 58. Normally I would have hundreds.

I have set my bookings to be flexible, I think it's only fair to do that, I wouldn't book anywhere this year without needing able to cancel due to changes. 

[Linda-And-Allan0]

Holidays are NOT back in Britain! They may be back in England, but here in Scotland we will not be able to holiday until 26th April (subject to confirmation by the First Minister). Travel between Scotland and other parts of the U.K. are not allowed until at least 17th May. (Again, subject to data/confirmation.)  Please stop posting headlines that are incorrect as it makes things difficult for us hosts in Scotland and is encouraging some rule breaking. Sorry!

[Sarah1393]

We are not going to host again until probably August - we have one booking early Sept. This is only if the UK law doesn’t change by August to prohibit us hosting. It will all depend on what the virus does over the next few months. We have really missed having our interesting guests stay with us and will look foreword to future hosting.

[Michelle1709]

Oh my! I’m a bit taken aback by some of the harsh comments on this thread.

I do empathise to a degree, but wow! That’s a human being some of you are directing your comments at you know!  It probably won’t help you feel better for more than a couple of minutes really will it?  We aren’t perfect of course, but remember you’re human too.

That’s not an invite to redirect towards me btw 🙂

Anyhoo.  Nice to be encouraged as I don’t post very often and a timely prompt to check the rules and amend my calendars, so thank you Stephanie.

I’m in 2 minds as to how to progress forwards with this project. Though I’m in a good tourist spot surrounded by parks and attractions, lots of backing and forthing over numerous months makes me unsure whether I’m psychologically prepared actually.  I think I’ll need a while to re-integrate on a social level generally to feel prepared. 

A lots happened (to us all) and I’m feeling like ‘regular’ might be a bit of a culture shock for me at this stage. 

One day at a time this end.  At least till I feel my feet are on solid ground.   I suppose once I start to ponder this question with a bit of enthusiasm it’ll be an indication..... If that makes sense.

I see that someone mentioned a slow re- introduction. That would be roughly my idea of prep at the moment on top of practical considerations of course.  Who knows?
Maybe I’ll update in May.....

[Kerry78]

I agree Michelle-no need for people to be quite so aggressive! I think people are 'not quite themselves' after the year we've all just experienced!

[Aidan65]

@michelle1709 @Kerry78

I think one problem is Airbnb's communication has deteriorated a lot since last summer. There are a lot of community threads where people are complaining that Airbnb global management aren't listening to hosts  - so a message like Stephanie's may have hit a raw nerve with some people. We are indeed all human - being an Airbnb host we have to be :-).

I hope @Stephanie will use this experience to better filter her distribution lists next time.

[Alison148]

Hi, I’m unsure if I will host again.  I worked really hard to attain super host status but on having received one 5 and one 4 star rating just before the first lockdown, Airbnb took the Superhost status away.  The 4 star rating was 5 stars for everything except location, but gave me a 4 overall stating ‘location great for us but might not suit all’.  Go figure?    Felt it unfair, illogical and arithmetically incorrect at the time but didn’t expect it to have the impact it did and was really disappointing when (after much very frustrating interaction with Airbnb), I was told this was why my previous years of hard work were being discounted and I was no longer a Superhost and would effectively have to start again.  
This has put me off big time from dealing with Airbnb who, previous to this, had appeared to be fair. 

@Alison148

[Aidan65]

Hi Alison,

I've been a superhost for some years now and had two occasions a few years back, one as a host, one as a guest where misunderstandings/a late cancellation due to illness meant one or both parties would have lost out significantly. In both cases Airbnb support responded extremely well, sorting the issue and communicating well. But I wasn't surprised to read your post - I believe Airbnb are now too big - heading the way of Facebook, Google etc. and are unable to listen to individuals now that 'to Airbnb' has become a verb in the same way that 'to Google' has.

[Helen427]

Hello @Alison771 
Have a search here in CC using Related Keywords about star ratings and Lockdowns as you may find that you should have been exempt from losing your Superhost status.

Meanwhile see my other reply in this topic about Location..it may help you to so you don't get so easily dinged or miss out on Guests.

All the best

[Michelle1709]

@Alison148 Yes I’ve had this happen on a couple of occasions now. All 5 but that. And the reasons are always unrelated. One recently and it has really put me off.  I understand the question logically but it seems that guests don’t.

One 3 because the tube (subway) was crammed (during rush hour lol). Recently apparently the streets were too complex????  From someone who arrived late because he got lost on the motorway for 3 hours. Lovely chap though, but that just means it stings all the more.

I won’t even bother to challenge it with the company, as the last time I did which was regarding the tube incident, the button just was not wired to the logic bell of whoever I spoke to. I have nicer things to do than pursue frustration really...... 

To be fair though, generally I get very good customer service on average, but yes there are a small cohort of seemingly not so bright Dwights and few dim Tim’s. I suspect the reality of that is tiered training of operatives as opposed to them genuinely being incapable or un-cooperative.

I think  the location thing is a unique kind of lunacy. It clearly has never worked well has it? Ever? Stats please!

If I were looking for an in-between solution I would trial separating that rating from the users feedback and apply it to a map so that the area itself could be rated. There are a variety of ways that could be filtered. Property websites use national stats for that in the U.K. this could be a nice personalised alternative..... Maybe????