Why do guests come to stay in your listing?

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

I hope you are having a super week.

I’m sure many of you often ask yourself why a guest might choose to stay in your home and there could be many great reasons for this. The location of your house, the great nearby areas, the price, the design, your skills as a host, the good reviews, interesting events nearby your place...the list could be endless.

What do you think attracts guests to your listing and do you like to highlight this in your listing description?

I'm looking forward to speaking with you soon.

Thanks so much,

Lizzie

[Lizzie]

Awww @Huma0, I know you have shared this very cute photo before in the CC, but I just love it and I can see why it encourages guests to book! 🙂  I am intrigued, is this Pinot, Grigio or Merlot? 

Do you highlight these key things in your listing (description/photos) or do you find they read this in your reviews?

[Huma0]

Thanks @Lizzie. This is Pinot, who is a princess. She can be very aloof, but when she wants attention, she really ramps up the cuteness and guests instantly fall for her!

I guess I do highlight those key things in my listing, except perhaps price. Of course a lot of guests don't read the listing, but many do read some of the reviews I believe. Those often say the house is beautiful and many, many guests mention the cats. My kitties are definitely not shy, but you never know which guests they will take a fancy too and you never know which cat will become the guest's favourite.

Sorry I know I've gone a bit off topic (yes I am turning into that crazy cat lady), but when I very occasionally have guests who are a bit weird, the cats seem to sense it too and keep well away!

[J-Renato0]

Many a guest say that 3 factors are very important to book.

1- Location (Near beach, lively area with shops and attractions nearby and close to means of transport to get to the attractions that are a bit more distant)
2- Reviews
3- The space (Interior pictures and description)

Certainly value for money is very important for the guests as well.

[Lizzie]

Great points @J-Renato0. So you think it is a balance of all three really? 

[J-Renato0]

Lizzie

Yes! In my case, certainly it is.

[Clara116]

@Lizzie This is a terrific idea thread for us to be part of. I'm pretty sure the folks coming to Pensacola- 85% are coming for our fabulous beaches and all that fun and sun and play can offer. (Most don't know the amazing history here) Although our cottage is 20-30 mins drive to those beaches they want a cozy, private cottage get away and also the location is central to everything, airport, restaurants, shopping, downtown happenings and we sit in the middle of where the colleges are, not really far from the military base and the prices are ideal since we are not beach property. Since my family are in the history books as some of the first settlers in Pensacola I am proud of that and make sure guest don't miss out on what makes our city so very special - if they are so inclined to know.  The photos show our sweet place and what all it offers - folks seem delighted as they return and stay when they can book here. Miles and miles of sand and beaches and amazing salty waters!another fantastic sunset!thanks Michael D for this photo

[Lizzie]

These photos are incredible @Clara116. I would pack my suitcase and pop on a plane as soon as I saw these too! 🙂 

Your area sounds very interesting. Do you find you guests want to know more about the history of the area?

[Clara116]

@Lizzie so glad you too like the photos - some guests are interested in the history but most probably NOT. And our Pensacola was actually the oldest established city in America except a hurricane wiped everything out and St. Augustine gets that title now. They are here to enjoy the beaches, and having a great time - there are colleges and one of the worlds largest naval bases and home of the Blue Angels.  This is really the place to vacation if you love the beach, water, fishing and fun in the sun. We have it all. Come visit Lizzie anytime! Best to you, Clara

[Lizzie]

Aww thanks @Clara116 🙂 It sounds like a really interesting area. 

I love the sea, I'm a big fan of kayaking and do a bit of sailing when I can. I would really like to live nearer, but here in London we do have the River Thames, which I spend as much time as I can walking by, but it's not quite the same! hehe

[Cor3]

Hi @Lizzie,

From the first moment, we started hosting. We’ve been asking our guests this very question – upon booking: Why did you choose to book with us? And the vast majority did answer this question too. Typically guests will give 2 or 3 reasons.

So, we’ve tried to summarize their answers – in order to build up a Top-5 of reasons

Result: You really can’t (My answer list now consists of 66 different main words). Guests have been giving so many different reasons and are using that many different wordings. It’s almost impossible to work out the real strong points.

They do use words as: Appearance, Stylish, Looks, Modern, Beautiful, Photos.

So, is it either the presentation/quality of the listing or the accommodation itself?

Some may use the word: Location, but does this mean: the complex, the street, the part of town, the town itself, the province or the country? Or do they mean close to, or preferably not too close to?

Another example: Wi-Fi (Only 2 of all our guest did actually mention this).

The same with: Air-conditioning (Only another 2 of all our guest did actually mention this).

What if we wouldn’t have these?

Only 3 of them used the word: Beach.

Maybe I should have given them a list with predefined answers + a clear definition of each answer 😞

[Paul154]

Good question.

While I love my safe and spacious suburban neighborhood. I am definitely aware that I am 2nd choice to Downtown, uptown and beach neighborhoods.

Although I wish to get sophisticated travelers who purposely choose my quiet wooded neighborhood, I know that that is not the case. Nor is it my house or me personally.

I tend to  get value conscious guests who want the convenience of using my corner bus to access desired downtown life, without paying for downtown living.

I'm happy to fulfill their needs.

[Emily352]

Because my house was in a central area of ​​a tourism-business oriented city.

Because it was nice to feel welcome at my place, you did not feel like you’re sitting in a hotel.

Because my house was much more beautiful and comfortable than any hotel (Emily you’ve become real cheeky!), with the added benefit of having someone to talk to.

Because among the most beautiful "souvenirs" that travelers could take home from their trip, there were those conversations they had in the morning while they were washing their breakfast cups or during their visits, even in the middle of the night, in those places with no immediate tourist appeal, but that tell a city and its people as much as its most celebrated monuments, if not more... (Emily, you won’t get far with a mouth on you!)

Because the landlady respected the spaces and times of others.

Because even if AIRBNB is not a site dedicated to cooking, at my place it always ended in the kitchen cooking together.

Because only in my house a traveler could taste a real "eggplant parmigiana" (again today Emily puts on airs!).

[Rachel0]

@Lizzie Interesting topic.  I have often wondered why people stay with me as I am not in the centre of London and like Huma said, there are thousands of listings in this city.  I am in a useful location, midway between Heathrow and the centre of town and am very fortunate in that our neighbourhood is lovely, with lots of independent shops, coffee shops and a couple of great pubs all within a few minutes' walk .  Pitshanger Lane, where I live, actually won Great British High Street Of The Year in 2015 and we have a plaque around the corner to prove it!  People also like the fact that I provide breakfast in my kitchen diner, a simple continental style one with fresh croissants from the bakery at the end of the road.  Guests also mention my reviews - currently on 245 - and I've been a SH since July 2015.  Many guests also like that they get the whole top floor of a 3 storey house to themselves, with a good sized bedroom, a private shower room and a sitting room.  That all helps to attract people.  But, I am cutting back on hosting now a bit.  I never aimed for 100% occupancy - too much like hard work - and now I aim for 50/60%, and have set a minimum of 3 nights stay with a maximum of 15 nights and I have found as a result that I get a lot of couples who have come from places like Australia, NZ and USA who want to explore London but come home to a quiet house in the evening and after a week in London move on to Scotland or somewhere else in the UK.  Suits me just fine.

[Dale7]

For us it is location and positive reviews, in that order.  We're near the convention center, fairly priced, and are experienced hosts.  

[Linda108]

Good thought provoking question and one any new host should ask so they can market their listing appropriately.

I live in the southern California desert which means while most of the rest of the US is knee deep in snow or slugging through floods, it is warm and sunny here.  Because of that, there are many mega events here that swell the population by 100,000 and not enough places to stay.

That being said, the actual feedback I get both during the booking process and during the stay, is that after looking at the pictures, the guests are pleased with my positive reviews.  It gives them comfort that their needs will be attended.