Anyone else not really feeling “Categories?”

[Richard531]

I've always felt that Brian Chesky was a little out of touch.  But I gotta say: I’m starting to feel that way more now than ever. It’s the same self-righteous attitude on his latest video, but his time he went a little too far and is taking the direction of the company with him.    

That is, the continued pounding of the war drum: "People can work from wherever they want now."  And it’s been discussed 100 times, but let’s remind everyone that this line of thinking forgets ~80% of the workforce/would-be travelers! 

Teachers, plumbers, garbage men, electricians, doctors, gardeners, therapists, restaurant workers, retail workers, delivery drivers, general contractors, mothers/fathers, THE STAFF WE DEPEND ON, like house cleaners, handymen, and our very selves as property managers and project directors of new listings.  None of them/us can, "Work from wherever they (we) want."  And never will we be able to work from wherever we want.  So the whole entry point is flawed from the start.  I get it, a billionaire CEO can load up his pooch and get on a ferry to an awesome 3 BR/ 2 Bath listing.  He can hole up there for a week and “work” while he does a couple virtual yoga class, gets food delivered, and has a masseuse to come to the home.  But everyone else? Not so much. 

It makes me cringe when he deduces that just because a portion of a portion of the workforce can kinda/sorta work from home now on a more consistent basis that the entire market would say out loud "Hummm, where should I go?" when contemplating travel plans.  That’s just not how it goes in the real world.

99% of us have a TIME in which to vacation and a DESTINATION in mind that we'd like to go to.  THEN, we book flights, and THEN we find our accommodations based on those parameters.    

The more conspicuous problem for "Categories" and thinking that, "People can work from wherever they want," is that the WFH mantra is slowly eroding as Covid-19 gets deeper and deeper into the rearview (THANK GOD).  It's all going to get back to normal.  And sooner than we think. 

Meanwhile, we’ll be stuck with these "Categories" as our guests are being peddled treehouses in Brazil and castles in Ireland when all they really want is a decent/cost effective beach condo in Miami or a house to enjoy with their family in the California Hi-Desert. 

I'm not one to just resist change!  But I think Airbnb really missed the ball on this.  

[Katja202]

@Gillian166 Sorry it is in dutch but datums kiezen = choice of date, exacte datums = precise  date

[Gillian166]

@Katja202 
yes it's the same, but "choice of date" means you must put in an exact date. before you could search without any dates. anytime meant anytime. 
"flexible" means weekend, week (5 days) or month, and it defaults to a "week" stay. 

if you choose "skip" you might think you are searching without any particular dates. 

oh no, that's defaulted to a week stay for search. 

I've had 2 bookings coming through today, both for July. It's very unusual for me to get bookings so far ahead. I suspect they've been pushed that far ahead due to the search only offering them that option. 

[Katja202]

@Gillian166  So sorry. I just tried it again and I m not having that problem. ☺️

[Gillian166]

@Katja202  i wrote a long response and it got lost in a refresh, so all i can say is that I did searches and your property isn't showing up. when you click on a category the map zooms out to include germany and belgium too. 

this is weird too, if you click "i'm flexible" on the dates it shows June onwards, is may over already? there's still a weekend left in May, why has this happened?

anyway, if you can't see how this will effect you, (I think your 3night minimum will mean you never get any "weekend" views) and you don't care that it seems to be seriously hurting others, then what more is there to discuss. 

[Katja202]

@Gillian166  It is funny how people think you don’t care if you have a positive response while everybody else is a bit on the negative side. A view years a go I made a dissision that when I start to feel negative, that I m going to research the positive side of the situation. Ande the funny thing is most situations have as much positive effects as negative effects. So for me it is how I want to life. And I just hope I can effect other people with a bit of positivity. So I do care a lot about other hosts. Quick conclusions I hope. Have a nice day. In europe it is summer so I go do some gardening. Hope you have a sunny day as well👋🏻

[Alexandra199]

I think the reason you are liking it so much is that your property sits comfortably in two of the quirky categories. If you have a basic cottage/house in a rural village without a pool or any specific view there are none of these stupid categories that you fit in to so you just sit there in limbo. Booking.com/VRBO must be rubbing their hands in glee at this fiasco!

[Katja202]

@Alexandra199 thank you for the compliment … I guess 😉. But I think it is a good thing not to be a booking . com

[Susan1188]

@Katja202your property is fantastic, your photos are phenomenal, I hearted you and I'm planning my trip sometime soon!

But I agree with others that you are one of the just lucky properties - two quirky categories, outside of main tourist areas, eco-vibe and out-of-the-beaten-track countryside,  just random things that yes made you the winner of this new overhaul.

It's good for you that it's working out, your photos show the love and attention you put into your property I'm sure you deserve it!  And you can be sure we will come to your Airbnb soon if you will accept me and my husband!

You joined in march 2021, many of us are hosts for many years before that with investments in major city  or popular resort area properties, and we have had the carpet removed from under us with the new algorithm.  

[Susan1188]

Looks like not many people ar

[Anonymous]

@Richard531  You make some great points here. As you noted, the overwhelming majority of the workforce does not have the freedom to work remotely, even though it might seem different from inside the Silicon Valley bubble. Moreover, most people who are at liberty to work remotely don't have the option of being "digital nomads" - their kids can't just go to a new school every month, and they still have to pay for the homes where they actually reside.

 In 2020, it made sense to plan a trip around an Airbnb home, because your destination was probably under some kind of lockdown and most of your trip was going to be spent inside that property. But as the pandemic restrictions get phased out, accommodation is not going to be the focal point of the planning process. The update already feels a bit outdated. Whatever reasons a traveler might have to plan a trip to Hollywood, none of them will be satisfied by the algorithm showing them a yurt in Fresno or some stupid treehouse. Most of the stuff that turns up on the screen amounts to pretty clutter.

What usually happens when they try to launch a bold redesign is that it gradually creeps back toward something more like the previous model. But what I find most irksome to hosts is that the overall Airbnb product is becoming something more and more like a real estate catalog rather than a hospitality platform. When you're letting short-term, the guests you want are the ones who are mostly there for the destination, doing fun things outside of the house during the day, and making light use of the home.  Your costs, risks, and wear-n-tear go up substantially when the rental becomes someone's full-time workspace or primary gathering place. 

[Maggie-and-Norm0]

Very well said and on target!

[Susan1188]

@Anonymous 

This is an excellent point : Airbnb is marketing the "home" experience, focus on "being home".
In your tree house, submarine or bubble in the garden.

I don't identify with that. Like you say, my place is in a vibrant, sought after high-end resort and people are not there to sit and drink tea in a bubble in the garden.  They enjoy the surroundings and a great sleep in my quiet apartment with hotel quality bedding and powerful airco.  I guess that doesn't cut it anymore for Airbnb!  Setting up my new channel manager as we speak.

[Huma0]

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@Anonymous wrote:

When you're letting short-term, the guests you want are the ones who are mostly there for the destination, doing fun things outside of the house during the day, and making light use of the home.  Your costs, risks, and wear-n-tear go up substantially when the rental becomes someone's full-time workspace or primary gathering place. 

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This is also true of longer term stays. Although most of my guests are coming here for work or study or relocating, the majority would be out much of the time because they would go into a workplace or to a university. 

The past couple of years, during the periods where it was possible to host, many (if not most) guests were working from home, with the exception of doctors and nurses. At first, this was not much of an issue. The guests who were working from home had a different attitude. They were easy to host (in their rooms getting on with their work and only taking a short break for lunch) and, while it might have increased bills somewhat, the income was much appreciated. 

Lately, I've noticed a change. I am getting contacted by a lot of people choosing to work from home/digital nomads and even people who are just drifting through life, with no steady job and no clear plans. These guests come with different expectations. They are often picky, entitled, expect me to provide numerous things not offered on the listing and leave low ratings. Frequently, they completely take over communal spaces and leave them a mess. I'm really becoming very wary of this category of guest, but they seem to target me!

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

I'm once again searching the platform for Mendocino County, where we  are located. I don't appear in Off grid, Shared Homes or Design, and again my general search shows listings hours away, nowhere near us, and even out of the County. Still waiting for this to sort itself out...

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

I find the same sort of strange listing situation when searching categories in my nearby town of Willits, CA -  nowhere near, and hours away.