Critique My listing - The Mammoth Meiner 2bd, Mammoth Lakes, CA

[Timothy693]

Hi all-

Hoping for some constructive criticism here. 🙂 Don't pull any punches. This is our second listing. 

airbnb.com/h/themammothmeiner

Entering our second winter up in beautiful Mammoth Lakes, CA. Condo is a fully remodeled 2 bed, 2 bath, sleeps 6, 69 reviews with 4.96 rating. We had a great first year (placed it on market in December 2023). November has been our slowest month ever and the first time we've been lower occupancy than the market. 

Not sure what is going on! Plz do your best (or worst!)

Thanks in advance- 

Tim

Our latest cover image. Changed to stand out from all the other listings.

[Andrea6232]

Ciao @Timothy693 ,

fantastic house! As indicated by other hosts, I would not put the photo of the kitchen as the cover photo, I would rather put the photo of the living room or the swimming pool 😉

good luck!

Andrea

[Christy305]

@Timothy693 

Hi Tim!   Writing to you from the FREEZING east coast

I've been super slow with reservations lately, if that makes you feel any better. lol  Reservations definitely come in waves for me.  Nothing... then 3 x within 2 x days!? 

I would never criticize anything about your listing unless you asked ;).  Some of the other repliers might have suggested these things (I have not read all the responses)...

~I think your title could be a bit more unique to your beautiful listing.  You don't have to waste characters by saying it's a "guest favorite" since your listing should be marked as such when potential guests are scrolling through...I think that using something like  "Mountain Escape" or "relaxing, cozy Mammoth retreat", etc   might make more people view your listing rather than "guest fav, fast wifi and the word GR8"  :).   Also, "end unit" might be good so people know they are not in-between 2 x other condos?  

~And if I'm going to get SUPER critical here,  😉 I am not a fan of the images  of the grill, the floor plan, and the photo of the outside of the building, since the outside is the least attractive part of your condo.  :).  I also think you have way better photos that could be used for the listing photo than the one you're using.   

I think right now people get busy and distracted with the holidays but I'm sure it will pick up soon for skiing!    Good luck!  

[Carla1645]

HI @Timothy693,

Congrats on everything you have done so far.  A couple of tweeks i would do are below 

1.  Have the Aerial view of the living room as the first photo
2. The wide agle view of the kitchen next 
3. and then the bathroom

I also list a newly renovated home so you want to grab your audience with the new news I think. 

[Anne971]

Hi Timothy,

At this time of year many people are anticipating big expenses over the holidays, and it is quieter everywhere.  It is also possible that in the past year, Airbnb has welcomed dozens, maybe hundreds, of new listings in and around your area, so there is more competition for the same dollars. 

Don't panic...be patient and wait a couple of weeks to see if it picks up.  You could try offering a special discount to the next guest who books. 

Warmly,

Anne

[Miriam402]

Hi Timothy,

I am in a similar situation with a listing that went live late 2023.  I am seeing a slower rate of bookings compared to this time last year, and based on what I have heard from other PMs as well as webinar that I participated in mast week, there seems to be a little bit of a slow down with bookings across the board. 

Your listing looks great. Home is beautifully styled and looks highly functional.   And it looks like you have a 2-night minimum so you are able to capture those seeking both short and long stays. I’d say, stay the course. No

[Miriam402]

Oops! My message was cut off. 

I love the artwork! The only suggestion I have would be to show the living room photo first. 

[Timothy693]

Thanks Miriam, I think I might change back to that, even though EVERYONE seems to have the same cover photo of the living room. 🙂

[Miguel1423]

Hi @Timothy693!  Beautiful place.  You did a great job. 

I do have one suggestion.  Mammoth Lakes is a get-away, people are looking for the outdoors.  Your main photo is the beautiful kitchen, but when guests are browsing for a place, that's not what they are looking for.   There are 15 thumbnails per page when guests are searching.  You need to capture their imagination at that point. 

I would suggest getting a couple of pictures from the balcony of the beautiful surroundings and making that the main photo.    That should catch more attention for your place, and hopefully more reservations.   

Good luck!  

[Timothy693]

Thank you! Much appreciated. Re: the cover photo, I had previously used one of the fireplace / interior, but that's what EVERY place does. Hard to stand out, even with my photography above the mantle. :-). 

I wish I had better surroundings / scenic views from the balcony - it looks into the parking lot. 😬

Given those, what do you see as the best cover photo?

[Miguel1423]

Of the pictures you have, the one of the full pool with the trees and the  house in the background.   Followed by the one of the house with the trees.  Either of those I think would be good, especially if everyone else shows a fireplace.  😁

What about a picture of the place maybe up the road?   Something showing the outdoors/trees/nature.    I really think that will get more views for you.  

[Bill-And-Ela0]

Hello Tim, Your place is beautiful inside, however I don't feel like the exterior photo you posted complements the interior. Maybe try taking a photo from a different angle and add one of the balcony space? I also compared the nightly rate of your property to surrounding listings and felt that yours was a bit higher. Unfortunately, guests often prioritize cost over aesthetics for various reasons. Try to reduce cost or offer a greater discount for longer stays. Good luck on the continued success of your AirBnb and congrats on maintaining such a high review rating!

[Timothy693]

Thanks Bill and Ela0! 

Re: Nightly rate, I had just added a 30% discount to bring things down to market level. I'm using pricelabs, and it keeps suggesting a much higher nightly rate than other listings. Last year we had much more local activity and pricelabs was right on. This year, I'm at minimum 30% higher than other places if I trust the algorythm. Very strange. 

Good call on the balcony space, ill get one next time I'm up. 

Thanks again!

[Patti120]

Hi .@Timothy693,

I took a look at your listing and read the reviews. It's hard to say specifically why your bookings are down, however Mammoth just opened for ski season  so reservations should pick up. 

I did notice the guests provided more details about your listing in their reviews than you did in the information section of the listing. My suggestion would be to rework it so guests can understand the space, the area, and proximity to skiing, hiking, biking (all types), etc. If you have a place for guests to store their skis, snowboards, bikes it  would be important to mention, plus parking availability.

I would also add some amenities such as coffee, tea, sweeteners, olive oil and mention your home is stocked because people look to see what is included. 

A photo that includes the kitchen with the bar seating area and 6 chairs would support the representation it sleeps 6. It looks like the dining only has 3 chairs in the photo. The overhead photo shows the living area and although you were successful in getting all the furniture in the photo it looks cramped and shows seating for 5. Different angles for the living room space incorporated with the kitchen and dining may serve you better. Lastly, I would add some complimentary colorful pillows and throws to the living room space to warm it up and make it look for inviting. 

 I agree with the other hosts that you may wish to compare pricing ( I did not do it), however your reviews mentioned there was not a pricing issue. 

Hope you have a successful holiday season and all my best in 2025,

Patti

[Omar17]

Hi Timothy,

Congratulations on your second listing—that’s amazing! Your excellent rating clearly shows how much you care about your hosting and creating a great experience for your guests. 

I can completely relate to the challenges you’re facing; many of us in the STR community have experienced similar situations. In my area, we created a network for hosts to share ideas and strategies, and this has been a common topic of discussion.

One approach that worked for us was giving our listing a complete refresh. We rearranged photos, updated verbiage, highlighted key amenities, and adjusted our pricing—especially by lowering rates for midweek stays (Monday-Thursday). These changes had an immediate impact, and we noticed an increase in bookings. When we shared this strategy with others in our network, they saw positive results too.

The way the business evolves—especially with the internet—means we all have to stay flexible and adapt quickly. I’m confident you’ll find the right adjustments to keep thriving!

Wishing you all the best and continued success.

Cheers

[Rena3386]

Hi Tim -

Beautiful condo!! I would like to see a view off the balcony. Also the cover image I got was the overlook into the living room?

One other suggestion - I’m an artist and have pieces all over my home including the Airbnb side. I don’t state that they’re my pieces or creations on the listing. Some people might be worried about damaging non-replaceable artwork.

Other than that, I’ve experienced a slow down also. I’m pretty remote so it’s understandable, but I’m thinking that bookings might be affected because it’s a side-effect of a presidential election?

Anywho, hope I’m not being redundant to other comments.

Take care!

Rena