Lack of New Reservations

[Kathy1086]

Hello all! 
Since Airbnb  has added categories and other recent “improvements” my reservations have dried up. Maybe it’s just the holiday season slow down but I haven’t even had an inquiry in three weeks. Anyone else? 

[Lenore22]

Yup. 95% of my bookings used to come from Airbnb. My next booking from Airbnb isn't until February. Family members specifically looking for my listing can't even find it because they think selecting "flexible" "week" would show all listings (it doesn't). The only "category" our listing qualifies for is "views" (which are great)... because it's "just" a vacation house: not a potato, not a farm stay, not even a train car restored into a tiny home. Just a 4-br, 2-ba pet & family-friendly house 10 minutes from the ski park. Who could possibly want that this time of year?!? (/Irony)

Thankfully other platforms have filled up my calendar. My best advice as a fellow host is to diversify by listing in other platforms, working with your local community, possibly advertising and direct marketing.

Hope this helps,

Lenore

[Kathy1086]

Thanks for ideas and commiseration!  I do not use any other platform because it is a new, part time way to make extra money for sky high property taxes. I may have to look into a new platform, but since the space is in my home I will only use one that allows vetting of guests. 
thanks again! 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Kathy1086 I am afraid only Airbnb allows vetting of guests so I fear you are stuck with them.

[Sudsrung0]

@Kathy1086 

Have you looked at Trip Advisor? 

[Emily1345]

Hi Lenore - I have completely dried up as well after being completed booked for years.  What other platforms have you had success on? I am currently only on Airbnb.  

Thank you!!

[Sudsrung0]

@Kathy1086 

I wish people would stop blaming airbnb for your lack of bookings how about taking a look at yourself, "What can I do Better" Airbnb give you all the tools you need to run a good business,

How about you start with what am I doing wrong? what can I do to improve my listing?

Im coming to the conclusion many host are lazy,

There is plenty of options out there but people dont look just sit there whining and moaning and blaming airbnb.

We see this same question all to often here on forum, It's getting boring now,

[Huma0]

@Sudsrung0 

It may be getting boring to you because you have not experienced it, but it's not a boring question to the many hosts that have.

And why do people keep blaming Airbnb? Well, it's because, as reported here by hundreds of hosts (so there are no doubt many, many more out there who are not using the CC), views and bookings crashed after the Summer Release.

Sure, they are all lazy and should buck up and do a better job! How exactly though do you explain how hosts who had very healthy bookings and very happy customers suddenly had none? Did they turn lazy and sub-par overnight and somehow prospective guests psychically knew this and decided not to book despite those hosts' hundreds of 5* reviews?

Can you explain how my listings were fully booked since I put them on Airbnb and then suddenly requests and enquiries dried up right after the Summer Release? It was like the flick of a switch. In the month directly before the Summer Release, one of my rooms had around 2,300 views. In the month directly after, it had around 230. Yes, that's right, 10% compared to the month before. It then went on to dwindle down to 0, despite travel to London booming during the same period.

But sure, it must have nothing to do with Airbnb. I must have suddenly become lazy and the standards of my listings deteriorated precisely in early May.

As for Airbnb supplying hosts with all the tools that they need to be successful, that is doubtful when the most important tool, the search, suddenly doesn't work for so many of us and we drop off the map.

If you find it boring to read posts about hosts who are not getting bookings, you don't need to read them, but making comments that put down those who are struggling just because you aren't isn't very helpful.

[Suzanne302]

Well said @Huma0 !

[Wende2]

@Huma0...I also left her a similar comment.  Quite frankly I'm getting bore of her same suggestions...use abnb tools, I do more than what they suggest anyway.  Since we last had a chat about it, I counted my bookings since June, 20.  I did have some booked for autumn before June, a big 20 since. 

Hope we all see more over 2023.  I did get one for the second week of Jan.  Hope I didn't jinx myself with that comment.

[Kathy1086]

I have done nothing but add improvements. My rate is lower than all surrounding properties as well. It is an extreme drop off that can not be explained away as something I’m doing wrong. 

[Shukriya1]

Hello my fellow host. May I humbly ask you for any advise you can share please ? I am desperately looking for options. New to this and don’t have a clue what else to do On top of Vrbo and bookings.com. Being in CANADA we don’t have some options like US has. 
Thanking  you in advance. 

[Sudsrung0]

@Shukriya1 

I looked at your calendar is that normal for this time of the year in your area?

Also if you dont like to use IB and you like to interrogate the guest then most of the other platforms will not suit you.

I also learn recently from another host that Booking.com will not collect payment for you in Canada, Payment on Arrival is a nightmare your cancellation and no show rate will go through the roof, 

I do have an option for you if you are interested to lean more then please message me, 

[Wende2]

@Sudsrung0...if we go from always booked to hardly booked, I find it hard to believe any of us are doing anything wrong, not to mention having great reviews.  Not every single one of us wouldn't be down on bookings all at the same time.  I've looked at what you could do better, I'm already doing more than what they suggest.

[Susan990]

@Kathy1086  Yes it is happening all over the country since the new platform was launched. My own business of 2 small guesthouses designed to serve the solo traveler remote worker market with monthly stays exclusively has crashed from 93%  occupancy to zero reservations- nothing on my calendar at all! Total destruction of my business and my fellow Hosts in my town are all empty as well.

  For me I cannot just switch to another platform because there are no other booking sites that accept solo travelers/ single person occupancy reservations. They do not accept a listing that is exclusively one person  only. Not even craigs list allows them, and certainly not VRBO.

  My lodging product is common in other countries like Japan or Paris etc. so my business was booming until the categories platform launched and the Monthly Stay Places product was abolished.