Booking: What does the greyed out dates mean?

[Louis-Marck0]

I recently requested to book a 2 night stay from the 27th to the 29th but the calendar is showing that 27 and 28 were black colour but the 29 is coloured grey.

The host replied back and said that unfortunately, the studio will not be available on the night of 27th. I am a bit confused since I was able to request to book that specific day and it was not crossed out on the calendar. Did the host made a mistake and was referring to the 29th since its greyed out?

Also, I feel like my request was politely declined because the dates are still now available to booked. What are the chances that she waiting for someone to book that place?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

@Louis-Marck0 If the host had made a mistake and actually wanted your booking, she would have contacted you to say so. I don't know whether she failed to update her calendar or just wanted a different booking or different guest, but no means no. Best to move on and book elsewhere. 

[Louis-Marck0]

Good point. Not trying to force the issue. Just trying to figure out how booking works. It’s just my second time booking. I’m still not sure what the grey dates mean. 

[Amanda1775]

@Louis-Marck0 

It means you cannot check-in or check-out on that day because there is a minimum stay requirement (e.g. 3 nights) and/or bookings on either side of your selected dates, but you can stay the grey night. Below, the 17th and 18th are grey. Hope this helps!

[Louis-Marck0]

Thanks Amanda! Your explanation was very helpful. 

The calendar basically looks like this:

If I understand you correctly, you cant checkout/checkin on a greyed date which I will be checking out. I tried to book 2 nights starting from 27 - 29 which is not the minimum length of stay. I assume 3 nights is the standard but I just find it odd that her reason was the night of the 27th would not be available and why not say the 29th.

Also, the dates are still available to be booked by someone else which makes me question if my profile has enough merit to be able to book since I only have 1 review on my profile. 

Thanks again!

[Sarah977]

@Louis-Marck0  You really can't try to second guess why a host might decline, but in this case, as explained, there must be designated days when check in or out is available.

And hey, there are plenty of guests who are new to the platform and have no reviews at all. So don't worry about that- at least you have one and it says you were a good guest. One thing you might do, though, is fill out the profile bio- say a bit about yourself, your work, your interests. It can be quite brief.  As a host, I always like to see that a guest has done that, and it gives me a better sense of them. 

3 night minimum isn't "standard"- plenty of hosts take 1 or two night bookings. I do have a 3 night minimum myself, as I don't want to have to spend the time to clean and prepare the space for guests for less than 3 nights. 

[Louis-Marck0]

Thank you for replying. that is a very good point. Hosts would want to know a little bit about the guest. Thanks again. Ill start filling up my profile. 

[Sarah977]

@Louis-Marck0  Also when you send a booking request, try to be informative and personable to the host. While there are many Airbnbs that are just investment properties owned by absentee hosts and run by property managers, listings run by small-time, hands-on hosts are usually properties the host has a very personal interest in.  

Some guests will just write something like, "Hi XX, looking forward to coming." or worse, just ask a question - "Hi, do you have a barbeque?"

I tend to get seasoned Airbnbers with quite a few good reviews as guests, and here's the type of initial messages I usually get.

"Hi Sarah, Just found your listing and it sounds perfect for me. I've been to your town before and am coming back for a couple weeks to surf. I'm not into the bar scene, so after a day of surfing, I'll be happy to come back to what sounds like a nice quiet place, to relax, read my book and catch up on emails. Hope you can accept and thanks." 

I have zero qualms about accepting a guest who communicates like that. 

It's also good to let the host know that you have read their house rules and agree to reespect them. Many guests don't scroll down or click through to read that part, which can lead to all sorts of problems, so hosts like to be reassured about that.

[Louis-Marck0]

Once again, thank you for a well detailed response. I really appreciate the help. 

Thank you for giving an example of a message. It sure does sound very personable. Thank you again!