New to the Community Center? Introduce yourself here ‌👇

[Elisa]

Hello everyone! 😊

Welcome to the Community Center! 👋  I'm @Elisa , one of the Community Managers for our English Community Center along with my lovely team members @Quincy @Paula @Rebecca @Bhumika @Emilie 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 7+ 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! 🙌 

@Emilie : I was born in France 🇫🇷, raised in French Polynesia 🌺 and Morocco 🇲🇦, and have settled in the UK for 14 years now! On evenings and weekends, you will find me spending time with my dog, working on a jigsaw, or trying my hand at some new cuisine. 🍲

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🌻,

Elisa

[Ashot7]

Hi everyone! I'm Ashot Asoyan from Yerevan, Armenia 🇦🇲

With over 10 years in the short-term rental industry, my journey began independently — listing and managing apartments on Airbnb on my own. Then came a turning point: a group of ambitious entrepreneurs approached me with a vision to build something far bigger. That vision became KEYGO Innovative Hospitality — a PropTech startup redefining what hospitality means in Armenia. I joined from day one, left everything behind, and together we built what is now a portfolio of 200+ apartments across Yerevan. The original goal was 100 units. We doubled it.

What makes KEYGO truly innovative is not just the scale — it is the approach. We analyze markets deeply, optimize every listing, automate operations, and create a system where property owners earn more with minimal involvement, and guests experience something genuinely exceptional. This is not traditional property management.

This is innovative hospitality — where technology, data, and human care work together.

But what I personally value most is trust. I have lost count of how many property owners have told me: "I do not fully understand your business model — but I trust you, and that is why I am signing." That trust is built on honesty, transparency, and a simple promise: I will always find a solution.

Armenia is an ancient country with extraordinary warmth — and it is only beginning to emerge on the global travel map. I am here to share that story and connect with hosts who share the same passion for excellence.

Would love to hear from anyone building hospitality businesses in emerging or underrepresented markets — let's connect! 🙌

[Elisa]

Hi @Ashot7 😊, 

Welcome to the Community Center and thank you for sharing such a beautiful introduction.

What an incredible journey, going from solo hosting to 200+ apartments is remarkable!

Do you like Charles Aznavour? I didn't know he was from your amazing country.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

[Ashot7]

Hi Dear @Elisa Thank you sooooooo much for your warm welcome, it truly means a lot to me! 😊

Yes, Charles Aznavour is one of our greatest prides — born to Armenian parents, he carried our culture and soul to the entire world through his music. In Armenia we are very proud of him. If you ever visit Yerevan, you will feel that same warmth and emotion in every corner of the city.

And yes — the journey from solo hosting to 200+ apartments was not easy, but every step taught me something valuable. I am happy to be here and share what I have learned.

I have decided to make this community part of my daily routine — sharing insights, answering questions, and learning from all of you. If you are interested in topics like portfolio management, automation, guest experience, or hosting in emerging markets like Armenia — feel free to follow me here. I will do my best to bring real value every day.

Looking forward to connecting with you! 🇦🇲

[Elisa]

Hi @Ashot7 😊, 

thank you for your kind reply!

I recently saw the movie. Did you watch? 

I'm happy to read this about your journey, it's so inspiring. What would you say is the single biggest challenge of managing 200+ apartments? 

[Ashot7]

Hi @Elisa ! 😊
Honestly, I don't even have time to watch movies — managing 200+ apartments leaves very little time for personal life! But maybe that's a sign I need to fix my work-life balance. For example i want to show you todays my calendar 😁



About the biggest challenge — it's actually three things combined.

First, finding the right people for my team. Scaling apartments is easier than scaling trust. Every person in my team needs to care about quality as much as I do.

Second, maintaining the same high quality across all 200+ units. When you have 5 apartments it is easy to control everything personally. At our scale, one small mistake can affect a guest's experience and a host's reputation.

Third — the balance between automation and personal touch. Guests expect to feel special and individual. But when you manage hundreds of apartments, you have to automate many things to survive. Finding that balance — where guests still feel cared for even inside an automated system — that is probably our biggest challenge every single day. It is not easy, but it is what makes this work so interesting! 😊

And what about you — what is the biggest challenge you see hosts facing most often in the Community Center?

[Elisa]

Hi @Ashot7 😊, 

Thank you for sharing this, it's so impressive!

I see some free time from 7 to 7.30, what did you do to unwind?

I would recommend asking the question in the Community Center, other hosts will be more than happy to share their experience with you. 😍

[Shintaro-Sano0]

Hello, my name is Shintaro, and I’m originally from Osaka, Japan 🇯🇵.

I spent about 8 years living in Toronto, Canada 🇨🇦, where I ran a Japanese onigiri pop-up business and enjoyed sharing Japanese comfort food with people from many different backgrounds.

Now I’m back in Osaka and hosting a traditional-modern Japanese house. My accommodation is located in a local residential area, close to Namba and Shinsekai, but far enough from the busy tourist spots for guests to relax and experience everyday Osaka life.

One special thing about the area is that it is my hometown, so I love introducing guests not only to famous sightseeing spots, but also to local restaurants, supermarkets, public bathhouses, and small neighborhood places that travelers might not find on their own.

My goal as a host is to help guests feel comfortable, safe, and at home while enjoying the real local side of Osaka.

I’m happy to be here and excited to learn from hosts around the world! 

[Elisa]

Hi @Shintaro-Sano0 😊,

Welcome to the community center!

I'm in Toronto as well. Your experience running a Japanese onigiri pop-up in Toronto is fantastic!

Do you ever incorporate Japanese food culture into your hosting experience, like recommending local markets or even sharing onigiri recipes with guests? 

[Felicity117]

Hi all! I am Felicity; I'm offering co-hosting support for hosts managing everything solo. Here's what I help with, but not limited to:

Guest Communication

• Fast responses to inquiries (protects your response rate/time)
• Guest screening & vetting
• Handling questions, concerns, and complaints, before, during, and after check-in

Listing Support

• Rewriting/optimizing your listing description for better visibility and bookings

Multi-Platform Setup

• Expanding to Vrbo, Booking.com, etc. I can set it up and manage it from start to finish

I'm not looking to take over your pricing or decision-making, just the parts that eat up your time. If you're a host without a co-host, feel free to reach out.

Happy to answer questions here too!

Felicity

[Paula]

Hello @Felicity117,  I hope you are doing well.

As mentioned in 👉this post, please be aware that advertising isn’t allowed in this forum, in line with the Community Center guidelines.

Regards,

[Shola24]

My name is Shola, a first-time host on Airbnb. I have been a host for about a month now. I am from Dallas, Texas, and my property is located in Little Elm, Texas, which is a 15-minute drive from the Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas. 

[Paula]

Hello @Shola24, a very warm welcome to Airbnb and its community! How are things going for you? How has your first month of hosting on Airbnb been?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

[Shola24]

Thank you, Paula, for the warm welcome. My first month has been good; I have had some bookings and  5-star reviews already from my guests. I am looking forward to my calendar being fully booked. 

[Hellen92]

Im from Nairobi Kenya. My first time here. Hope to connect and learn from all of you

[Paula]

Hello @Hellen92,

A very warm welcome to the Community Center, we’re really glad to have you here. I’m sure you’ll find plenty of helpful insights and support from experienced hosts in the community.

How long have you been hosting, and how has your experience been so far?

Please keep us posted.