@Sarah977 @Fred13 @Helen2404
I'd sort of half agree with both views.
Price is just one factor. If it's too cheap, it's inevitable that you'll be attracting a type of guest that's seeking cheapness over quality. And generally speaking, these guests tend to be more problematic.
But there's other factors, such as making it clear what you're offering, so that if it's not what they're really looking for, they won't be disappointed. And of course, making sure they understand the "rules of engagement", so to speak.
Still, price is an important factor. Airbnb, for all it's faults, is an extremely productive booking machine. In our case, it's a foregone conclusion that Airbnb will book up almost any available dates. It's actually a problem in some ways, as we've been trying to reduce or eliminate our dependence on Airbnb because of the inherent risks of using the platform, but they keep us booked, so other platforms don't stand a chance. It's challenging to successfully spin up a listing on another platform for that reason alone.
So, you can keep your prices up, it certainly slows down the inquiries, but if your prices are still attractive, even if a bit high, and you keep your ratings up, the bookings will come, eventually.
Also, people tend to book the cheaper competition first, but as soon as they're all booked up, you become more and more attractive. At any reasonable price. Just try to stay a bit higher priced than others in your class of accommodation. The bookings will come.
Yes, nowadays, you have to be really careful of who's booking, regardless of how much they pay, but in our experience, the ones who pay the least tend to be the most problematic. We have far fewer problems (or the need to decline) those who pay top rates.
Again, price is just one factor, and it's to a large degree, dependent on other factors. So you have to pay close attention to your ratings, and what's going on around you.
