Smartlock integration
All Hosts with listings in the US and ...
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Smartlock integration
All Hosts with listings in the US and Canada can now connect compatible smart locks to those listings. ...
Latest reply
What brings you to the area? Who are you coming with? When do you think you’ll arrive? Airbnb hosts have a number of questions swirling through their minds when they receive a booking. And many hosts take the opportunity to get to know their potential guests by asking these questions before guests book instantly. It’s not required, of course; but, adding questions to a pre-booking message can help drum up more information about potential guests, simplify the booking process, and ensure a great relationship with guests from the start.
Next month, Airbnb is launching an improved feature: pre-booking message. It’s a better way for hosts to add a greeting and ask all of the questions you want before guests book instantly. (You’ll have plenty of room, too, because we’ve increased the character count. And if you currently use welcome message, there’s no need to change anything.) Your potential guests will read your message while they’re booking, and be able to respond to your questions before confirming their reservation.
Here are some ways to make the most of Airbnb’s pre-booking message feature.
5 pre-booking message tips from fellow hosts
1. Start by thanking your potential guest
“I think it's a good way to build trust and a way to encourage a good stay,” said host Juan, of Colombia.
2. Ask about what’s most important
Think about the one thing that would make a great (or not-so-great) stay for you and your guests, and ask them about it in your pre-booking message, like these hosts do:
3. Invite guests to re-read the listing and House Rules
When writing your pre-booking message, take the opportunity to remind guests of any crucial listing details they may have missed. “I put myself in the guest’s shoes,” French host Marie Line said. “Sometimes we are so happy to have found the apartment of our dreams that we hurry to reserve it—I once booked an apartment without realizing sheets weren’t provided! So, I think if the hosts had invited me to read their listing again, I wouldn't have made that kind of mistake." Other hosts offer these suggestions:
4. Get to know your guests
To customize your hospitality and let guests know you care, hosts recommend asking questions like these:
5. Showcase your hosting style
Some hosts ask a lot of pre-booking questions while others ask none. Hosts recommend reflecting your hosting style—whether it be laid back or strict—when you’re asking questions in your pre-booking message. This will also help guests determine if it’s the right fit:
Once you’ve saved your pre-booking message, potential guests will automatically receive it when they use book instantly. Creating a pre-booking message once will help simplify the booking process, give you more peace of mind, and let guests know they have a wonderful stay ahead.
I do not use the instant book option. I want to be able to accept or decline if I need to. This also helps me with my calendar so I don't get double bookings. I really wish airbnb would take note and stop asking me to try instant book. I don't want to give guests that much control over my home.
My first guest was the worse one, I never slept in peace, for superhosts as guests, I have always trusted them, I had belief that a superhost was the best guests, hosts are ideally supposed to emulate what they expect from guests by being supergests. All hosts that I have hosted turned out great!
I actually don't use instant book for this very reason. I do want to know the purpose of their trip etc before the come as our accommodation and area may not be suitable depending upon the reason. Not everyone understands how big our city is and I have had people going to a college across a bridge and lots of traffic and suggested they would be more comfortable staying in that area... I do welcome them but I want them to be aware before they book. Also some are wanting to be near grandkids etc and it is farther than they think-- so I always want them to know this so they have a good experience.
This new feature seems good, however still reluctant to have instant book active. I wonder how detrimental it is to not have instant book active? Anyone know?
I changed my listing to instant book but have now reverted back to guests needing to request. It didn't work. Guests did not answer my questions and even messaged me after having instant booked saying they were bringing another person not included in their instant book. This is important because i need to know how many beds to be made up and how many people I am providing snacks and breakfast for. I requested they add the extra guest on their booking. They didn't want to do this. Then they wanted to cancel. There was much to and fro communication with them and airbnb. This cannot be a good situation as they were not happy having to pay for an extra person even though it is a minimal charge and potentially affected my rating and super host status. I have also listed that instant book cannot be within 24 hours of check in and next thing I receive an instant book within that time frame. It states guests can only request a booking rather than book instantly if I do not have 1 day notice ( sometimes I am able to accomodateblate bookings) but no guests have been able to instant book. Controls that monitor hosts prerequisites must be in place for instant book to work.
I changed to instant booking early on because I felt if a person was looking for a place they wanted to secure it NOW and not want to wait for a reply. We wait for too many things in life. I'm not glued to my phone so without instant booking I would feel compelled to keep checking my messages, I don't want to do that. I understand some host want to know more about their guest before hosting them but some of my worst guest are ones you would never think to be it. No matter how careful we are we get a bad one from time to time. I have three spaces and I try to keep them ready for late bookings. Just last night I got a booking at 8:30 pm and they didn't arrive until after midnight. I never saw or heard them and they were gone when I got up. They left my studio in excellent condition and followed all the rules. I think they just took a quick nap. Earnings I may have lost if not for instant booking.
Where can this “pre-booking message” be found to edit? Maybe it’s not accessible on the app but only on a computer? Any direction would be helpful.
@Victoria550 If you are using the mobile app, click on "Listings", then click on the listing you want to edit. Click "booking settings", then "Guest requirements". The last item on this list is called "Guest trip information". Click "edit" to create your own pre-trip screening questions. Hope that helps!
I
I Think it's best to just keep it simple and not overcomplicate the process by tooo many questions.
Hi all!
I am happy for guests to book instantly, but they can only do this if they have government ID listed.
If they make a request, it is usually because their ID is no in place, and then I spend a lot of time explaining what this is, which I don't mind, but they sometimes take offence at being asked for it.
I ask for it for their safety as well as my security. If something happened such as illness or an accident, I would want to be able to identify them. I live in a remote region and it seems only sensible to have identified guests.
I really wish all guests had to have ID listed.
I don't like being too nosey otherwise - as a guest I wouldn't like a lot of questions. Besides, most of my guests are here for one or two nights to visit the local tourist attraction, so I don't need loads of info.
Arrival time is the only thing I like to have really, (other than ID) - so I know if I have time to go to the beach before I clean!
Summer on the way. Can't wait!
cheers
Kathy
Kathy,
I'm in California but we have a lot in common.
Mona
For us older folks who are less computer savvy, I would prefer everything gets left the way it is. Always making something new to learn and no time to do it.
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@Airbnb@Lizzie
I received an email notification about this feature just today.
It did not appear to be any different to me when I went to edit it. I was expecting to have more space to write in.
Has this feature been instituted or not?
I received an email yesterday talking about this change to the pre-booking question area (actually called "Guest trip information" in my account). When clicking the link in that email that said "Update Welcome Message" it took me to the Guest Requirements page where my questions are, but the number of characters allowed in the "Guest trip information" has NOT yet been expanded like the email or this post reads. So, when is this change going to happen, and exactly how and where do I go to edit this "Welcome Message" you are changing?