@Delvin3
It's good that you've added a profile photo and intro and verified your ID etc. and send an introductory message to hosts. Many, many guests (even experienced users) don't do all or any of that, which I personally find much more off putting that having no reviews.
I firmly believe that everyone has to start somewhere. I myself was a new Airbnb guest at some point and actually don't have many reviews as a guest! I have no problem accepting first time guests and most of them have been great.
However, I know a lot of hosts are really reluctant to do so. I think @Debra300 's advice is very good. Your introductory message needs a bit of tweaking.
You write:
"Hi ___, this is my first time using Airbnb and my first time traveling in 11+ years for vacation, I will be traveling with 1 guest and will be check-in on ____ and out on _____. The area I was looking for place was in West Hollywood in LA for 3 nights."
I wouldn't necessarily start with it being your first time using Airbnb nor your first time travelling in 11+ years. That might put some hosts off, i.e. they might feel you're a bit too much of a gamble.
Also, rather than just mention the area you want to stay in, say something nice about the listing and why you would like to book that, e.g.
"Hi X, I am was looking for somewhere to stay in West Hollywood for three nights and came across your listing, which looks perfect for me. You have such great reviews and I really like X, Y Z about the listing...."
Explain the purpose of your visit and who you will be travelling with, your intended check in time etc. These sorts of things give a host more confidence, e.g.
"Hi X, I am was looking for somewhere to stay in West Hollywood for three nights while sightseeing with my partner/friend Z, and came across your listing, which looks perfect for the two of us. You have such great reviews and I really like X, Y Z about the listing... We are hoping to check in between 3 and 4pm if that's good for you."
In terms of you being a new user, you could phrase it something like"
"This is the first time we will be visiting LA and we are really excited to see the city and stay in your lovely listing. Although new to Airbnb, I can assure you that we are responsible and respectful people and will take good care of your listing. I am happy to provide references if required."
Other hosts might disagree with me, but I feel that a warm, friendly and open (but always polite and respectful) tone works better than a very generic message. To me, the communication with the guest and how they come across is often more important than the reviews (because many hosts leave very generic, meaningless reviews or often don't leave a review at all when there has been a problem).
Rather than write something generic, really look at the listings you want to stay in, read them in full (including any extended house rules) and acknowledge this in your message, e.g.
"I've read through your listing and house rules and they all look very reasonable to me. Of course we will happily respect X, Y, Z."
Maybe that all seems too OTT, but hosts can be nervous about renting out their spaces to newbies, perhaps due to previous bad experiences. I am particularly picky about accepting anyone until I feel like they have understood the listing and that it's a good fit for them (and for me).
