New to the Community Center? Introduce yourself here ‌👇

[Bhumika]

Hello everyone! 😊

Welcome to the Community Center! 👋  I'm @Bhumika , one of the Community Managers for our English Community Center along with my lovely team members @Quincy @Paula @Rebecca  and @Elisa  and we are thrilled to have you join us.

Let's kickstart this thread with a little about us Community Managers:

@Quincy : I'm from the Netherlands 🇳🇱 I have been on the Community Center for 6+ years, and have been an Airbnb Host myself. I love cycling🚲, playing football⚽, and travelling🌏 . I love how dynamic and diverse the Community Center is as we meet Hosts from all around the globe. 

@Bhumika :  🌍 I was born in Gujarat, India 🇮🇳 , and shifted to Toronto, Canada 🇨🇦 last year! 📷 I recently realized my love for photography and aesthetics. I love to capture mundane life and candid pictures. 🌆 When I'm not working, you'll find me binge-watching thriller movies or exploring history.

@Paula : I am from Colombia 🇨🇴 and currently living in British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦. I have a passion for Latin American culture (I love to dance 💃) . I've had the opportunity to visit around 20 countries 🌎 and plan to visit many more. In my free time, I enjoy outdoor activities, especially mountain biking 🚲 and hiking 🏔.

@Rebecca : I'm from Cardiff in Wales originally but being a military child and a veterans spouse, I've travelled and lived in a lot of different places in the UK and Europe. I'm an environmentalist 🌿 and like to minimise my impact on the planet 🌎 as well as volunteering in my local community.  I love sea swimming 🌊 yoga on the beach 🧘‍ and I'm a children's yoga instructor too! 🙌 

@Elisa : I was born in Italy 🇮🇹 and as a lover of unique experiences—from exploring the streets of Rome🇮🇹 , Paris 🇫🇷, and Toronto 🇨🇦 to appreciating timeless art and cuisine—I'm here to blend the old with the new. 

Now it's your turn! Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from? And is there something special about the location of your accommodation that you'd like to share?

Looking forward to getting to know you all!

Warm regards,

Bhumika

[Monika]

Hello @Saly82,

Welcome to our Host Community! 😊

How has your experience been so far? How is this season shaping up for you?
Is there something special about the location of your accommodation that you'd like to share with us? 

Warm regards,
Monika 🌼

[Saly82]

Thank you for the warm welcome! 😊

My experience has been great so far! Hosting has been a rewarding journey, and I’ve enjoyed meeting guests from all over. August was a good month but September is slow so far.  I’m excited for the bookings ahead.

One of the special things about my accommodation is its location. It’s just 30 minutes from Washington, DC, and 15 minutes from Dulles International Airport. We’re also close to several universities, golf clubs, country clubs, and national parks. The neighborhood is part of a very diverse and welcoming community, making it a perfect spot for guests who want a peaceful retreat while still being close to major attractions.

Looking forward to connecting with more hosts and sharing experiences!

[Monika]

@Saly82 I am glad that you have a great experience as an Airbnb Host! 😊

I have been to D.C. and Alexandria, VA... Your Airbnb has a superb location! 

Do you information your guests about the leisure activities, restaurants, parks, attractions near your location?

[Islam40]

Hello Everyone,

Islam, here I`m Egyptian, I live and work at Sharjah, UAE

I`m new at Airbnb today only I activated my furnished studio, and I hope it will be a good step for a better future and nice to meet you all. thanks  

[Monika]

Hi @Islam40,

Welcome to the Community Center! Do you have any questions related to hosting as a first time Host? 😉 
If you have any questions or or need advise from other hosts, so please feel free to start a 

⭐ New conversation here ⭐! 

Warm regards,

Monika

[Lashawn12]

Hello my name is Lashawn . I was born and raised in Chicago Illinois. I am currently live in Kentucky.. on my spare time I love traveling and meet new people… find was make extra income and volunteering … 

this my first time been a host also having a  westgate timeshare … I’m always open minded have people to help lead me in right direction 

[Elisa]

Hi @Lashawn12 

Welcome to the community! 😊

Chicago is a beautiful city. I visited in February, and the cold didn’t stop me. 😁

How is your experience going so far? Have you made any reservations?

[Lashawn12]

I haven’t received any reservations yet..I am first time host 

[Karlis3]

Hey @Lashawn12 ,
No worries, we all have been there.
Be sure to double-check and fill your listing and "don't get in the way of the algorithm" so you stay on top pages of search results. And you will see bookings rolling in soon. 🙂
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Happy Hosting,
Karlis

[Karlis3]

@Lashawn12 For example, the photos are perfect professional photos but you can see that they are print-screens and that is not good from a guest's POW.
Also, you might consider changing the Hero photo to something that is more special and specific about your place. Even if it is a hotel, you might want to set the Hero photo to something more attractive.
Remember, people come on airbnb to look for something special. If they would want a hotel, they would go to other booking sites. So your job is to show that your place is special. And you have to put it in the first photo.
Another thing that is contradicting to getting bookings is your cleaning fee. It feels way too large. Now, I am not saying it is inappropriate and that it should not be so big. No.
What I mean with it is that it is very big comparatively to your nightly rate. I want to stay for 1 night (around 150 bucks) and the cleaning fee is close to 200% than the nightly rate... For a guest that is too much - the guest wants to pay for the place but not for the cleaning.  And if the cleaning is so large, then he/she most probably will bounce and find another place to stay. 

This is what I mean by "don't get in your own way" or "in the way of the algorithm".

Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Karlis

[Elisa]

Hi @Lashawn12 

Welcome to the community! 😊

I'm happy you found this Host @Karlis3, he really gave you good advice! 😍

I wanted to share that you can also discuss it privately in a chat by sending a direct message through "Send message" button in each other's profile.

I hope this tip helps you both to communicate further easily.

Warm regards🌻,

[Monika]

Hi @Lashawn12 ,

If you have any questions or or need advise from other hosts, so please feel free to start a ⭐ New conversation here ⭐!

[Michael9255]

Hello Elisa and the CC Team,

Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I’m excited to be part of the Community Center and to connect with others on their Airbnb journeys.

My name is Michael Atnafu, and I’m from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I joined Airbnb because of my passion for meeting new people from around the world and also as a small business.

I’m looking forward to learning from others, sharing my own experiences, and being part of this vibrant community.

Looking forward to engaging with everyone!

Best regards,
Michael A.

[Elisa]

Hi @Michael9255 

Welcome to the community! 😊

We’re happy to have people from Africa.

Would you like to share some experiences with other Hosts?

I recommend creating a post by clicking here:  Start a new conversation. 

Warm regards🌻,

[Percy48]

Good day, I am Percy that live in South Africa and travel to Europe and the UK each year since 2014 (except for the Covid period). My wife is French, and we have a house with direct beach access in Southbroom, KwaZulu- Natal hosted by Elize.

The past 10 years the house always attracted responses, but strangely this year, there seems to be no interest. It is as if the South African Air BnB market has disappeared.

We are hopeful that next year will return to the usual occupancy.