Can more that one booking request come in for a place at the same time?

[Blaise-and-Kami0]

We are new hosts and there is a big event this summer for which our local motel is already booked with a waiting list. We currently have our listing blocked for these days. When we open it for reservations will more than one guest be able to make a request for our space at the same time, that we can book the best offer? Or will we need to accept/decline on a first come, first serve basis? Thank you in advance!

[Sarah977]

@Blaise-and-Kami0  I don't think you understand how pricing works on Airbnb. Guests don't make an offer- you set your pricing on your calendar, and guest see that price and can decide to book it or not. You can't ask for a different price than you have listed when a guest makes a booking request.

If someone sends an Inquiry message, the dates remain open if you pre-approve it, until the guest books, or not. If you approve a Booking Request in the meantime, and Approve it, the Request takes precedence over the Inquiry.  If you approve a Booking Request, the dates are blocked for that guest. If the guest fails to follow through with the payment, the dates will open again.

[Blaise-and-Kami0]

By 'best offer' I mean a difference in number of days they're requesting to book or for how many people. So request one is for 3 nights for 4 people and request two is for 4 nights and 5 people, where I have an additional charge for the 5th person. So, it appears that I can, in fact, approve the second request first? Sorry for the confusion.

[Ava30]

Hi @Blaise-and-Kami0 Short answer, No. No one can request overlapping days.

If someone, for example, requests March 12-15, a second guest cannot request March 13-17 or any other combination that includes the dates in the first request. Once a request is submitted by a guest, those dates are blocked. If you decline the request, they may stay blocked unless you can convince AirBnB CS that you have a good reason for declining and should be allowed to reopen those dates. Just set a good price for the area at the time you are holding, open it up and hopefully you get an excellent booking.  

[Lisa723]

@Blaise-and-Kami0 you can-- but requests expire after 24 hours. A way to do this that would be less frustrating for potential guests would be to set your price and minimum stay to their maximums, open up, and subsequently reduce price and/or minimum stay if it doesn't book-- which sounds unlikely given your context. (If you try this, note that when you set a minimum stay for a certain time period, it applies to stays with check-in dates within that period only.)