Airbnb Plus

[Angela608]

Just listened to the new updates for Airbnb on their FB Live and feel discouraged as a Host.

I don't have an emaculately designed modern home with features that "WOW" guests. I have a humble space for budget seeking travelers in a very expensive city (San Francisco).

Is Airbnb weeding people out instead of including everyone?

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

 This is actually a smart move for Airbnb to introduce Airbnb plus, they have now turn their enemies into allies.The hotel industry will be silent and they will start using Airbnb.

[Fred13]

I am not bothering with 'Airbnb Plus', nor 'Beyond', that is for lower forms; I am holding out for 'Beyond the Beyond'! 😄

[Matthew285]

@Fred13 "To Infinity, and Beyond"?

[Fred13]

Wait, there is yet another level? I sold myself short.

[Rebecca181]

"To Boldly Go Where No Airbnb Has Gone Before...."

[Rebecca181]

duplicate post - again..."Explain, Spock!"

[Juliana62]

If you’re not holding out for platinum white gold plutonium perfection...than you aren’t really trying. 

[Fred13]

Hahahaha. Too funny!

[Rebecca181]

 @Angela608 - I understand from a business perspective the moves on the corporate chessboard that Airbnb is making currently as they head aggressively toward their long-planned IPO. However, I would argue that the typical guest is seeking a more typical Airbnb stay. So why is the Super Host option listed so far down on the new home page? It doesn't seem to be a good business decision to do it this way.

Specifically: I had to scroll down quite a ways to get to the Super Host category on the new home page that was rolled out today - It really needs to be much higher up, in my opinion. And, although there are many things I like about this latest planned categories (I like the idea that I can specifically say my place is great for Honeymoons or Social Stays, for example), I suspect a new user / prospective guest would feel very overwhelmed by everything that is on the Home Page. If I were just looking for a reasonably priced place to stay with a host or super host I now have to scroll past Airbnb 'Plus', 'Homes Around The World', 'Homes For Your Kind Of Trip', 'Experiences Travelers Love', 'Experiences In The Spotlight', 'Airbnb Plus Homes Around The World', and then, finally, 'Homes Hosted By Super Hosts'. Only 'Unique Homes For Your Trip' ranks lower. Just doesn't seem like a smart or wise thing to do, and I believe Airbnb will lose revenue because of it. 

Hopefully less experienced users of the Airbnb platform would figure out they just need to enter their dates and destination and the listings for that area will pop up. But some may just retreat to more familiar booking sites, one without so many choices. It's a bit like throwing a lot of something at the wall to see what will stick. Maybe Airbnb is actually just testing the market for awhile by doing it this way, who knows? But it doesn't make much sense, given that the entire business was built on the backs of traditional hosts.

[Fred13]

Perhaps they can also provide the visitor to choose by ~price range~ via a horizontal bar, that will zoom them to what they can afford vs. a vertical approach of scrolling down past endless advertising for types of lodgings they may not be interested in.

[Marzena4]

I read Brian's message as: "the higher the reservation price, the more revenue our shareholders get."

Maybe I'm wrong...

[Ivo3]

Hosting all my life, been on Airbnb since 2012, superhost since beginning of program, but many things are unlogic in this Plus program:

1. "Salt, pepper, and cooking oil" - this is unhygienic. Travelers always brings this things along.

2. "Bathrooms including medicine cabinet, counters, shower curtain, and shower or bath are clean, not mildewed, and free of hosts’ personal items" - shower curtain??? Unhygienic and really low level. Glass door are thing what should be Plus standard.
3. "Filtered water, and a supply of either coffee or tea" - Why filtered water where tap water is of excellent quality? Coffee or tea people drink depending on personal taste - why provide Barcaffe when my guests maybe like Lavazza. There is great diversity in taste between Italians, Germans, English or Frech guests... I have up to 50 different nations in my apartments yearly - should I provide coffee and tea according usual taste of next guest which is coming?

4."Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are installed" - why? in Europe this is not requirement anywhere.

[Marit-Anne0]

@Ivo3

1. Why would salt be unhygienic - it is an efficient preservative. Or a peppermill or a bottle of cooking oil ? They usually go into food that is cooked - heat destroys bacteria. No dishwasher would be more of a concern.

2. It is fully possible to have washable spare shower curtains and change them between guests. 

3. A filtering jug is cheap and easy to include in the rental.  Most are ok with a Nespresso machine and the capsules have a long shelf life. You can add equipment for other types of coffee making like a manual Bialetti for the French and Italian, a pourover to make filter coffee, a French Press, Instant.

4. I have properties in Norway and France - in both countries smoke dectectors are compulsory; in Norway we have to have a fire estinguisher too !

Carbon monxide detectors are really irrelevant in many cases - often there is nothing to dectect....

[Ivo3]

@Marit-Anne0
1. Everything what an guest touches must be cleaned. Cleaning salt and pepper containers is a problem - salt and pepper do not like to be wet. Oil is another story - there are many kinds of oil and here is still bottle cleaning problem. In many years of rentnig there are seldom guests who need salt & pepper because most of people who come on vacation with cooking in mind bring all their spices along. Me too - when I am on vacation, I never use salt & pepper provided - prefer my own type. And all guests who really want to have salt & pepper provided - they can have it from my kitchen on demand.

2. I know it is possible, but how to check if it actually washed? Second - first thing when you fire the shower the curtain is going inwards and gueing on your body. I hate shower curtains deeply - have reason to believe that my guests will hate them too.

3. Filter machine, Bialetti and džezva are always in the kitchen of all my apartments. That is not the point - the point is in having coffee - I do not know if the guest prefer filter, mokka or turkish coffee - having 3 different kinds of coffee in the apartment is pointless. I personally would never use Nespresso. My guest are very happy with coffee machines I provide, but every guest has different taste. If somebody really needs, for first aid there is always Franck Jubilarna coffee in my own kitchen.

4. Smoke detectors are not compulsory in Croatia - smoking is still allowed by law in the apartments and I've never heard for a single case of fire in the apartment (this thing usually ends up in the news). But, ok, that could be demanded for something with "Plus" sign". Other things are ridiculous to be demanded - they should be part of owner policy. There are lots of other things which should be demanded for "Plus", but they are not...

[Marit-Anne0]

@Ivo3

What they now require and more has been my standard from day 1 and during the last 12 years and has never caused a problem.

I am not a huge fan of shower curtains, but I cannot really see a reason to ban them either. 

Coffee was a bit of a headache until I purchased the capsule machine, but judging by the contributions from Branka & Silvia below, they are not so common in Croatia yet. But you know the nationality of the guests and that would be a big hint. You can also ask your guests what they prefer.

Smoke detectors are inexpensive and easy to install, so should not be a problem.

The Plus-programme is not offered globally, so why worry ? We have plenty of time to think out solutions till it comes to your or my area - if it ever does.