New programs to help hosts

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

We have exciting news about what’s next for hosts on Airbnb. Earlier today we announced some new programs to help you stand out, get recognized, and attract the guests who’ll love your home.

Get discovered

Now you can select additional predefined features and amenities, such as a private attached bathroom or self check-in, to more easily attract guests who are looking for a home like yours. To take advantage of these new features, update your listing details.

Get featured

By providing the right essentials and maintaining high reviews, you can get featured in a collection—a set of homes perfect for a specific trip or occasion. To find out more about collections, click here.

Stand out and earn more

Introducing Airbnb Plus, a new selection of high-quality homes with hosts known for great reviews and attention to detail. All Airbnb Plus homes are verified in-person for quality and comfort.

Get recognized

We’re updating the Superhost program to help hosts who go above and beyond get the promotion they deserve.

We’re also renewing our commitment to community standards to help ensure guests treat your home as if it’s their own, and providing clearer expectations so that hosts can more easily provide a great stay for their guests.

Watch the replay of CEO Brian Chesky’s livestream to learn more about these announcements (translated subtitles will be available soon).

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Marit-Anne0]

@Dan2

What airbnb really aim for at this point would only be guesswork. They claimed in the latest question/answer session that they would promote superhosts further, but how I do not know how. Time will show.

[Ακριβη0]

Thank you very much for your support. Regarding the PLUS program, what shall i do in order to be eligible? Is it available in Athens-Greece?

[Melinda65]

Quote...

We’re also renewing our commitment to community standards to help ensure guests treat your home as if it’s their own...

Unquote

Since I have no idea how guests treat their own home, might be better to ask guests to treat hosts' homes with the utmost care and respect.

[Helga0]

@Melinda65, The problem with this quote are the consequences. I just had a guest, who did just that, treating my home like his very different place.  My home did not withstand it. The guest was found right and I pay the bills. Very expensive ones. 

[Daniel969]

Airbnb states "All Airbnb Plus homes are verified in-person for quality and comfort" which is a complete joke! 

Last week I stayed in a PLUS space where the stove/oven wasn't working and there wasn't even a microwave for backup,  there was no hot water for two days,  the Wifi was less than 4Mbps so I couldn't use it if she was using it in her house, and the bed was a standard RV bench bed with egg crate foam which was hardly plush or memory foam. The shower had a cracked base and the TV was simply a monitor for DVDs which weren't provided, so it was useless.

If a human is actually walking into all of these PLUS spaces, they're not checking things as they should.  The system needs to be improved.

[Peter831]

Hi

My family is new to airbnb, we have a hostel that offers a private room and a loft area which has 3 x double bunk beds, we are currently building out another area that will have 6 x double bunks.

Now our problem is the protracted method airbnb use to book the bunks in our situation.(Each bed has to have it's own listing)

I see from previous threads many more people woulkd like to see a more simplified method of booking.

In todays electronic age consumers don't have the patience for this style of time consuming booking, they demand a single page, simple booking.

When will airbnb offer a simplified solution for listings that have multiple shared accomodations

[Larry108]

I am a frequent and very happy airbnb guest who has had 6 wonderful long-term rentals go extremely well with several great and thoughtful hosts in recent years.  So this is not a complaint ... I just wanted to post one recommendation and am hoping this is the appropriate forum to do so ...

While everyone’s needs are different, there are a few basic items I believe should always be provided by all airbnb hosts to all guests upon arrival:

1.  Drinking water (preferably chilled tap water in the fridge or a bottle or two of spring water in areas where tap water is bad or non-potable for foreigners, like Indonesia, Mexico, etc.)

2.  Ice cubes frozen in trays ready to use, made from safe or bottled water.

3.  Ample hangers of various types for shirts, blouses, trousers, suits, jackets, dresses, overcoats, etc.

4.  A tea kettle or electric kettle to boil water for tea/coffee.

5.  A shelf or shower caddy to place soap, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, etc. in the shower/tub.

6.  A rubber mat to stand on while showering or bathing to avoid slips and falls.

7.  If a sunny terrace or balcony is provided, 2 or more chaises longues to sunbathe on.

If this is the wrong place to post this suggestion, my apologies ... I’d appreciate being directed to the right place.  Many thanks to the great airbnb hosts I have had the pleasure of working with!

[Susan17]

@Huma0 It would be a crying shame if your gorgeous listings (along with your excellent track record as a host) don't make the cut for the London Airbnb Plus collection, when this is an example of what made the grade for the globally-publicised Launch Program. Check the reviews... 

https://abnb.me/shikPc4PPL

[Huma0]

@Susan17

Thanks for your kind words. No, I don't think I will make the cut, firstly because I don't have private bathrooms for each guest room (secondly because of the 95% commitment rate required).

On the surface, the requirement for a private bathroom makes sense. However, it is a bit of a broad brush approach. For example, the listing you have given as an example has a private bathroom, BUT it also sleeps up to six, so potentially six people would be sharing one bedroom and one bathroom! I wouldn't call that very 'Plus'.

This would never happen at my place! I have a maximum of two guests per bedroom, even though I could fit in more. There are 3.5 bathrooms in the house, with a maximum of six people (although often less) staying at any given time.

RE the reviews, I'm guessing that the assessment for Plus is based on the host's total reviews, rather than on their reviews for that particular listing, as this host has more reviews for other properties. I might be getting confused though, as I'm sure someone else said it was the other way round! In any case, it doesn't look like you have to be a Superhost to have a Plus property, which makes me question the claims that Plus hosts have achieved the highest standards.

[An15]

Good insights.

How often does the Global Host Q&A takes place. 

All the best 

[Mike340]

" 73% of travellers said they’d pay more for a verified home "

Personally I would not pay to join the Plus Program myself...even if I had such a property. Surely your reviews gives a detailed and acceptable verification or even the current Superhost status. Competition in your location/city determines prices, not some Plus program..in my opinion.

[Lisa4]

I am reliant on Airbnb bookings to pay my rent of my home that I share with guests.  I live in a very normal, non-special, built up area, in a mid terrace, so much less space, countryside or lovely special features that I see on so many hosts' listings.  I am really concerned at the new features that Airbnb are selecting to make properties stand out.  They are just not possible in my home, and never could be. 

I loved Airbnb's original concept, and the boys' own starting point - helping ordinary people with financial struggles to earn a little extra money to keep their own homes going.  Now it seems every update is moving further and further away from this - encouraging whole house lets (where the owner does not live - these hosts already have more money); bonuses for extra special features, beauty spots, space (that those of us struggling to maintain our smaller city homes can never offer); pushing instant booking where there can be no vetting of people, standards or expectations of those coming to share our private homes with us (which affects our daily life).

Airbnb, please don't overstep yourselves.  Please remember your humble beginnings, and those with tight budgets - both guests and hosts 😞

[Chris-And-Sally0]

Airbnb The only reason Airbnb want to communicate by Direct Message is so they can keep your issue out of the public arena. The DM they do send sounds all warm and fuzzy and helpful ............”We’re so sorry you have had this experience, we will do our best to support you, we’re here for you”....blah blah blah. It’s just to shut you up as you will never ever get to speak with anybody. All you get is the run around, emails requesting info you have already supplied three times, and in our case, Airbnb want us to measure each and every scratch on our 18 month old floor boards before considering our claim, despite us providing two official independent quotes by qualified professionals as was originally requested! Airbnb make it so difficult and never ever seem satisfied- the more they ask, the more they come up with something new (and put time limits on when you can supply this info - in our case 24 hours) so they can say you didn’t respond in time and close your case all to get out of having them pay for repairs If you think you’ll have better luck phoning them don’t waste your time. Airbnb have a neat little truck where they put you on hold for 1 1/2 hours then disconnect you call. Our case Manager is pathetic and maybe I’m a bit naive, I can’t believe the management of Airbnb have these incompetent Case Managers” making a hostss life hell when they simply want property repaired which was damaged by the “guests”. $1,000,000 Host Cover - what an absolute joke!

[Francoise108]

I was invited to join Airbnb plus , had a professional photographer take internal photos ONLY, when  my studio has a fabulous view of the Pittwater ( in Palm Beach Sydney). When my listing was updated by Airbnb , all my previous photos had been deleted and none of the view appeared ???the attraction of my listing apart from the confort of it IS THE VIEW........does not make sense to me as I can no longer add or change photos on my listing. One of my girlfriends has been having the same problem and her bookings have dropped ; she has a Sydney harbour front one bedroom appartment with breath taking views...

[Matthew285]

@Francoise108

so wait... when your listing becomes a Plus listing you no longer have any ability to add or change photos?

Can you edit your (very short) descriptive text?

Also, to be clear, the girlfriend with the same problem (and lower bookings) had her listing changed to a Plus listing?