New categories are a disaster for hosts AND Airbnb

Will-And-Mona0
Level 3
Powassan, Canada

New categories are a disaster for hosts AND Airbnb

I have a lakefront property in an area that is pretty much all Lakefront rentals. When you click the lake front tab no property within 50 miles shows up. So tech support says this is just for outstanding property. But when a renter clicks that Tab and thinks they will see all lakefront properties, and they don’t see any, of course they will think there are none available. They don’t know that it is only a select few properties. So they will decide they can’t rent or move to another platform to search for a lakefront property. Airbnb is forcing me to move to those other platforms so renters will see my lakefront property. The algorithm is a failure. My own property has amazing views and a 4.9 rating with a superhost. But it and dozens more disappear from the search when you do the obvious thing and select lakefront. I’m now searching for other platforms and classifieds to put my lakefront property in so that renters will actually see it

25 Replies 25

@Will-And-Mona0  Looks like the "upgrade" is a step backwards.  Here's what I've seen so far:

1. Listing title is no longer displayed to guests on the search screen.  Listings are generic, "condo in Napa, apartment in Napa, house in Napa, etc."  Guest needs to click through to learn more.  Step backwards!

2. *Had a booking blocked by airbnb for no apparent reason. Guest didn't understand either so they sent me an inquiry.  This listing is instant book.  This booking is same as hundreds of other bookings I've accepted through the years and this hasn't happened before.  Contacted CS and they said the algorithm blocked it "pattern of factors", but none of those factors applied to this booking.  They had no further information.  Apparently the algorithm is in charge. Again, same as hundreds of other bookings that went through.  Sounds like a an upgrade bug.

First impression:  Upgrade FAIL!

John2406
Level 10
Swansea, United Kingdom

Hi @Will-And-Mona0 and all I can say at this moment - although I appreciate it's not that helpful - is that it would appear that you, and me, and probably the majority of Airbnb Hosts are all in the same boat (although hardly any if is are listed under that category!)

 

Have you actually looked for your listing under the first tab (for "All" properties)? as to be perfectly honest, as a last resort, that's where I looked, and found my property - yet under all of the other topics, my place was nowhere to be found!

 

Having said that, I have specifically looked under the heading "Surfing", where many properties' shown turned out to be nowhere near any water, what several beachside properties are up a mountain (ok for tsunamis, but not much use of one wants to run out if the front door, over some sand, then paddle along the water's edge, or have an early morning swim, etc).

 

What I feel Airbnb coders need to let all Hosts' know, is what AI is being used, and how each of us, by slightly tweaking either our header, or description of our properties, might be able to better be found by would-be Guests.

 

I had wondered whether the AI was identifying the heading by looking at Hosts' photos, but for the "Surfing" tab, none of the properties I saw had any images of surfing, and ditto for the "Beachside" tab, who it would appear that the AI is dependant upon what is written about each property - except that of the properties I looked at, no wording/SEO was included to direct AI, Google, or anything else towards a particular category/tab, so I am left wondering (and scratching my head) as to how any Guest is going to be able to find what or where it is s/he/they want to stay!

 

Thankfully, at least the ability to provide the area in which Guests' desire to stay, is still in place, and yet, although places exist, and although if one knows the correct way to input a placename, the required information will still be revealed, it is most unfortunate (aka annoying/frustrating) that the Airbnb website - as it currently stands - appears to be working against all Hosts, rather than for Hosts' benefit!

 

Your own circumstance is even more magnified when searching for a property in Wales, UK, as it would appear that a search for any type of property in Wales for 3 adults and 2 dogs staying in September 2022, highlights that instead of thousands of properties from North to South and West to East, there's only about 20 properties!

 

Having spent more than an hour to find my own property on Airbnb, I - like yourself - am very much tempted to walk away from this OTA, but at the same time feel that Airbnb need to pull out all the stops to ensure that ALL Hosts' properties will be as easily found by would-be Guests as they were the pre-Summer2022 debacle!

 

At the moment it would appear that Brian Chesky has said what WILL BE happening, but that Airbnb's programmers' only heard about his intentions the same day as us, so that the whole website is in complete disarray!

 

That the situation as it currently is cannot be allowed to continue, is a major fact, whilst for the situation to continue without a major overhaul/correction, may well lead to a major correction to Airbnb's share price; something I'd imagine Mr Chesky wouldn't want, let alone his backers?! 

The DumbBots should not be selecting the categories; the hosts should. That's the first mistake.

Will-And-Mona0
Level 3
Powassan, Canada

Yes, my property (and dozens of others) show up in all properties tab search.

Then, if you go into filters and select waterfront, they still show up. But if you hit the Lakefront tab they disappear and you see properties far away.

I am also a renter and if I know that MANY folks looking for lakefront would click that button and make their next move based on those results..... Like choosing a different destination or deciding there are no cottages available in our area. 

Not many would suspect that Lakefront actually means something very different than

"here are the lakefront hosts with availability" 

 

Why would they??????????

@Will-And-Mona0   Categories are determined by The Algorithm.   The Algorithm does not read community center.

But other hosts do! Most hosts are not aware of this disaster.

Only by raising it with support, the media, other hosts will the buzz get to the people with the power to change this.

 

 

@Dave52 hit the nail on the head there Dave. It does not do a lot of things which people would actually expect it to , its a dud. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day Ha ha. H

Sherry346
Level 5
Dania Beach, FL

IT IS TIME - for ALL of us, post / repost everywhere.

 

NEW CATEGORIES STRUCTURE ARE A DISASTER

 

YOUR LISTINGS ARE NOT SHOWING TO CUSTOMERS ANYMORE

 

This science fiction futuristic drama, Brian (owner of SCI-FI BNB)  of one month stays only at the most gorgeous properties designed by rich architechts is the PLOT LINE OF EX MACHINA not the REAL WORLD. 

 

It is TIME TO DO WHAT WE DO NOW. We make A PLAN, some secret groups on Facebook, telegram, or anywhere (not here my friends) and DO THE SAME THING so THEY LISTEN

 

THIS IS CRAZY

 

Personally? I have been so shaken since having been assaulted by a guest, while an agent recorded it during the call - and then left out to dry and suspended myself for that incident. . . . I have been listing on other platforms for over two years GRADUALLY because you don't dive in head first into the other platforms when you suddenly have an emergency.

 

I am willing to help, participate in a movement, or an action, that I can do while being home-bound, there is a lot I am sure. 

 

Me and my staff? Phase 4 of our plan was to be 50/50 between Airbnb and = ALL OTHER platforms. It is NOT EASY

 

ACTIVISM. Get THEIR ATTENTION

 

 

@Sherry346 

 

I agree with you about activism- a few well-placed Op Eds about the CEO's forced platform changes triggering Host and Guest flight from Airbnb *might* shake stock prices. We can assume that is happening, would be nice to back that up with data. 

Jenny
Community Manager
Community Manager
Galashiels, United Kingdom

Hi @Will-And-Mona0 (and everyone else who has replied here)

Thanks for taking the time to start a discussion with some feedback about the recent changes.

I just wanted to make sure you knew we'd seen it, and have passed along your feedback to the relevant people, as I know this is an important subject for so many of you.

 

Thanks again for your input,

Jenny

-----

 

Please follow the Community Guidelines

Richard531
Level 10
California, United States

@Jenny 


It really means a lot to me (us) that these comments get passed along.  I want to assure you, I love technological change/advancement!  I know it can be painful!  But I just don't really see what he's going for here.  I want so badly for this idea to work.  And we'll hang on for a few months while we iron out the kinks. 

 

But the whole "Category" thing just doesn't speak to such a massive amount of inventory so we're left in "zero" category while treehouses/yurts/tiny homes/castles kick our butts.  

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Richard531 

 


@Richard531 wrote:

so we're left in "zero" category while treehouses/yurts/tiny homes/castles kick our butts.  


Or 'grand pianos' for that matter. Why is it that guests can now search for homes with a grand piano, but if they search for shared homes in my particular part of London, my previously very popular listings do not show up? That's the only category I seem to fit into but the way, but it doesn't matter because even if you have a treehouse, it seems you won't necessarily show up in that category. The algorithm just tells guests there are no tree houses in California, for example, and they should stay in France instead...

@Huma0  I've said before, but the last few searches I did on Airbnb, I gave up, everything was $400 or more a night or a shared room.  I expect that when we do a short trip this summer we will stay in a B&B found on Expedia, which so far has not 'improved' it's search function into futility.

 

Airbnb has always been arrogant, but preferencing a glitchy AI over allowing hosts to select the category their own property fits in has to really take the cake.  Although I suppose it is equally arrogant that Airbnb now also thinks that it's algo knows better than the guest where the guest should stay, and just because they're looking for a condo in London doesn't mean they don't really wish to see villas in the French countryside.

 

You literally could not make this up.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Mark116 

 

I actually did a 'real' search earlier today because I wanted to use my Superhost bonus before it expires, but I gave up. The choices I was being shown in the area I was looking in were not that great. They were either affordable but didn't look very nice nor had the facilities required for the number of guests I was searching for, or they looked okay but were too expensive.

 

Now, I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure there must be other options in that locality and Airbnb is simply not showing them to me. If I wasn't trying to use my voucher, for sure I would be going to other sites to see what else I could find...