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

[Nidhi---Sam0]

So here's the thing. We're in London, England. We lost our Superhost Status because we didn't have 100 days booked in the last 365. I phoned up and spoke at length with airbnb team and they said sorry - them's the rules. Our last guest left on March 16th 2020 and then we had a plethora of cancellations (naturally) as we went into full lockdown on 23rd March 2020. With the UK opening up on May 17th and, if the truth be told, probably no one is really operating fully until June 21st, I imagine that the whole of England has lost their Superhost status. Because who was able to host 100 days in the last 365? Tell me how? Anybody else suffer the same inglorious, illogical fate?

[Sarah977]

@Nidhi---Sam0  There is something glitchy going on with those Superhost stats. They were supposedly waiving the number of stays requirement, but it seems that wasn't waived for some hosts. I haven't hosted since March 2020 either, and I still have Superhost. Maybe they've only waived it for home share hosts like me, but that certainly wasn't mentioned anywhere.

[Nidhi---Sam0]

well, there's an anomaly right there - how would the algorithm, the all-powerful algorithm know that you were home share and I wasn't? If enough people comment on this thread and have the same results, maybe, just maybe airbnb will take notice. Because frankly losing Superhost status coming out of covid is a real kick in the teeth!

[Sarah977]

@Nidhi---Sam0  Well, they can create algorithms to do whatever. But I tend to think it was a glitch the last assessment period. Also some hosts met all the stats, including number of stays, and still lost their status, with no reasonable explanation from CS.

Looks like typical Airbnb tech glitches to me.

[Nidhi---Sam0]

So nothing can be done? airbnb tech glitch rules OK?!! That sucks!!!

[Sarah977]

@Nidhi---Sam0  We could all go torch their tech dept 🙂

Yeah, I think they are trying to win "Most glitch-riddled website  on the planet and we don't care" award.

A few years ago, they suddenly stopped sending me my text alerts. So I missed responding to a request within the 24 hr. window. Even though I answered the guest in 25 hrs. and she booked, they dinged my up to then 100% response rate, even though it was their tech glitch that caused me to miss knowing I had a request sitting there.