How do you provide guests information prior to the arrival without posting a link?

[Kim-and-Robert0]

I understand why Airbnb doesn't allow you to put links in your listing, but it's difficult for us to provide information about things to do and places to go to our guests.  There is no cell phone or internet service where our rental is located, so we tell all guests to research and look things up BEFORE they come.  Hiking is a very popular activity, and we provide paper hiking maps for people to use during their stay, but it's great if guests can plan a hike before they get here and they often ask us what our favorite or best hikes are.  It would be great if we could send them a link, but all links get stripped from any communiction with them.  We have our own web site with this information, but no matter how we phrase it in the message (e.g., web site dot com), it gets stripped.  

I did do a guide book for our listing, but there is no category for 'recreation' and none of the hiking trails come up in the guidebook search.  Also, many of our favorite shopping or eating places are not listed either.  We also have detailed listings in our house manual, but again, no links, so people don't find it useful.

I'm NOT interested in getting people to come to our site and book through there.  I want them to book through Airbnb.  But it would be really helpful if we could use links to get people detailed information, or at least send them to our site to get information.

Anyone else have a solution for this problem?

Thanks,

Kim

[Maria-Lurdes0 · Accepted solution]

In your "DIRECTIONS" section of the listing, you can add a link.  I have my entire house manual /guidebook on line, so I just put it on copy d ot co/m website and use the specific url to put in my Directions.  I tell people "copy and paste the link below to access and download my house manual".

So there is a workaround but not a perfect one.

[Nancy2]

In the area where you make changes to your listing under Basics you'll see the House Manual section.  I included a web address to Google Docs that my guests can cut and paste to their browser.

They get this information via Airbnb once they book so no one just looking at your listing will see it.  I include detailed directions, parking, things to do, places to eat, general info about my home like how things work and where things are and about my neighborhood.

Once a reservation goes through I direct them to this link via Airbnb message.

Hope that helps,

Nancy

[Petar2]

What are the airbnb penalties if I upload photo of my apartments with a link of my website?

[Nancy2]

@Petar2  I imagine delisting you would be probable if you have it on a picture or anywhere in your general listing. 

[Nuno-Y-Daniel0]

Hi @Kim-and-Robert0, 

After booking the Airbnb makes available an email for contacting guests. Although you can't do through the message system you can do it using the email. For cautions you should only share links stay-related and not to promote your listing outside the site.

Hope this helps!

[Kristin50]

I had this exact same problem. 

I created a guidebook in google docs. Once a guest books I copy their e-mail address that airbnb gives me into my yahoo and send them a link to my google docs and they are able to view it. I hope this is helpful.

[Emma381]

I had my first experience with an external house manual/check in instructions link emailed to me for a booking in March. Here's some stuff to avoid for good hosting....

First, the link gave additional house rules that instructed me to 'not dwell in the apartment lobby and pretend I am a friend if asked by anyone, do not mention Airbnb'. I would not happily book a place where the neighbours are unhappy and likely watching your every move.

I would probably have looked for another option if that had been in the Airbnb visible listing.

However, in a bid to be a bit brave, I decided not to 'freak out' so kept the reservation.

I arrived to find that the keycode was wrong. The host, who I rather think was one of these management companies or something,  provided phone numbers that were dead and I had no internet access. All the while lingering in the 'danger zone of discovery' lobby at night, I was in a bad situation.

Luckily I had throughly checked the listing before departure, including saving offline another external link to check in instructions (not stripped from the listing - probably due to lots of extra characters?), which had a different code to get the key for the flat.

I fed all this back to the 'host' and indicated my issue in my public review - I notice that another visitor has had the same problem after me, so did they get updated info? Looks like not.

I'm sure genuine hosts wouldn't be this careless, but honestly, how do I tell who's genuine? Some reviews I checked before booking said they'd met the host - I'm dubious.

In summary - I'll be wary of external links that add extra rules that might be contrary to AirBnB policies, or are potentially not up to date for entry info.

If I don't get comms that reassure, I'd most likely cancel and report the listing.