Airbnb Plus is actually Airbnb Minus. Does anyone feels the same about it?

[Dan182]

After i applied a while ago to upgrade to Airbnb Plus, after some time i got an email asking me to review the new photos. I was looking so forward to see these new photos but i must say i am very disappointed with the outcome. Out of 18 photos, there’s not even one that i like. I have a background of 16 years in advertising and design, i am good with photography, photoshop, indesign, lightroom and all those; i know what i am talking about. It’s not only the very weird choice of angles that bothers me, but also the poor photo editing that made my beautiful, colourful, house look grey and dull. I spoke to Airbnb but they said these are their new guidelines in terms of style. For the sake of a linear platform they play around with the image of pur homes? How is that ok? It's not fair that Airbnb gets to choose what photos we should advertize our houses with. This should be every host call. If you really wanna do it and take the responsibility to do the pictures yourself, then just do them right. For me, right now, if i would use these 18 photos they sent me, it would be more of an downgrade rather than an upgrade. After putting so much effort into my property offering the Airbnb guests in Bucharest more than a stay, but an experience… after investing so much for fulfilling all the Airbnb requests in order to reach the Plus standard.. now i see myself in the unpleasant situation of not being able to upgrade to Plus because of these ugly photos. That’s not fair. It is very frustrating.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Dan182 

you are not the only one who is dissapointed with photos and PLUS-MINUS in general. Browse through this forum and you will find many threads exactly the same like yours.

[Julie143]

Well, I’ve been a guest more than a host. Recently I was browsing listings for a potential trip. I found myself *avoiding* even looking at the Plus listings, because I can’t stand the way they are organized.

It’s annoying having to click through separate categories of photos room by room, and the information I care about seems to be buried in trite copy which sounds like it was written by someone at Headquarters. There doesn’t seem to be anything that gives me a true idea of the hosts themselves

For foreign or far away trips staying with a Superhost is much more important to me. The main reason is I think they are less likely to cancel last minute. With the Plus listings it’s hard to tell who is a Superhost.

[Marg11]

We are not photographers so I organised to have the Airbnb photographer do the work and yes, they have a formula. However, the lighting was professional and some good ideas were used. When I downloaded the professional photos I kept some of ours, particularly the garden. Since then we have made a few changes so I have added photos reflecting this. Bit of a mix & match but we are trying to show the flat as it is.

[Dan182]

For the photos shooting they took at my place the photographer they've sent came with no lighting at all. Very umprofessional. I asked the Puls team to let me add some of my photos but they said it can't be done. All photos need to be done by their photographer in this new airbnb style. It's strange for me that you managed to do a mix and match and add some pf your pics too.

[Elizabeth550]

Are you allowed to add your own images to a plus listing and choose the opening image do you know? 

[Dan182]

You are not. They oblige every host to use the airbnb photogapher's photos. For the sake of a linear platform they take from the personality of our homes and chose to present them all the same, according to their "airbnb photo standards" which generally means very ugly photos done by random photographers. At the end of the day airbnb only cares about hos their platform looks, not our homes.

[Darlene99]

Yes, I paid to have Airbnb Plus ($149) for nothing. The photographer came and I have never seen one photograph. Airbnb said 1.  I needed a Netflix TV (yes, done and proved it) 2.  Carbon Monoxie (again proved it and ok'd) 3, luggage rack which was already in the room. I sent them 2 more photos of the luggage rack...mine is similar to Fairmont Hotels. They continually asked for more photos. Then suggested I needed another bedside lamp which I explained I have bedside lamp, 2 reading lights and 4 downlight - total 7 light in the bedroom. The Airbnb PLUS is a joke and nothing more than a money grab.

Don't get sucked in! Save your money! 

I was so frustrated that I have taken my place off their site.

[Dan182]

I feel you. I wanna leave airbnb too. They create unloyeal concurence between hosts with this Plus program. Not fair.