A Host-Led World

Ivan-and-Wendy0
Level 5
San Francisco, CA

A Host-Led World

It has been a week since Brian's big deal announcement about airbnb+. During that salespitch, he repeatedly emphasized how important Hosts are to airbnb, even closing with a sentence about how "Hosts create this magical world." Along with the "infinite timeline horizon" (???), his spiel promised - but did not define - a "Host-Led World." I've thought about it for a week, now, and I'm still wondering what that means, especially in the context of airbnb's actual actions (as opposed to their words.)

So here's the beginning of a list, feel free to add to it or expand upon any of the items!

 

Dear Airbnb, 

By "Host Led World," do you mean...

 

-Instant Book? (ie, the policy by which you force Hosts to turn on IB, even when we prefer not to, and even if we have very valid reasons for not wanting to.) 

-Price Tips? (ie, encouraging Hosts to set prices that will earn us LESS money than we can earn using an accurate demand based pricing tool.)

-Host Guarantee and Host Protection Insurance? (ie, providing insurance for Hosts, but then repeatedly refusing to pay out claims on that insurance.) 

-Airbnb+? (ie, the world-changing new product that will move our listing down in search results and earn us less money unless we pay $149 to give airbnb control of our listing's design and feel, all so we can attract the kind of guests we actually don't want, those who'll expect every little thing to be absolutely perfect... just like in a hotel.) 

 

Any other Hosts out there feel like the only thing Hosts will get from a "Host-Led World" is led astray?

Feel free to add to the list!

(Who knows, if they hear enough of our voices, maybe airbnb will let Hosts lead for once...? As if.)

24 Replies 24
Marzena4
Level 10
Kraków, Poland

@Ivan-and-Wendy0 Since Airbnb is on the way to the stock exchange, minor hosts are the least important what investors want to hear about. Bigger business, bigger money.

 

And to your list you might add stricter requirements (compulsory amenities coming soon)

// "The only person you can trust is yourself"
Sandra126
Level 10
Daylesford, Australia

@Marzena4, there was a disagreement and it is not on the way to the stock exchange atm from what I understand. But I would buy shares! There was a split. As new people are getting hired in planning how and where Air develops there will be new priorities. One can only hope that there are enough people on the board who remember and liked how Air started, and why it was so amazing to have this option of travel.

Gina32
Level 10
Bridport, Australia

@Ivan-and-Wendy0 Interestingly I too have been pondering what all the "new" categories are about, and have come to the conclusion that Airbnb are no longer really concerned about the "mum and dad" hosts or as @Marzena4 says the minor hosts, in this community. They have lost sight of their core business and have now been lured by the high end market and it appears, property managers, who are willing to pay for listings to be featured higher in the search.

The airbnb world does not feel like it is host led at all. Many have been making suggestions on the forums for a long time about issues which affect them as hosts, only to be ignored. Such as the Free infants issue for one and the rating system for another.

The business of hosting someone in your home appears no longer important to airbnb. It is probably causing too many issues for them to solve and is proving costly to continue to maintain a host service team. I feel for all those host who thought the sharing economy was a nice way for the world to accept people everywhere, and are now possibly being devalued by the organisation.

I'll watch with interest as the pandoras box springs open.

 

 

I agree with, Gina, Sandra, Ivan & Wendy & Marzena. You have hit the nail on the head. I have been pondering this situation for a while now & all points are relevant.  I don't like this smart pricing for example. How do they know what is best for us in our parts of the world i.e. NZ.  My last email from AirBnB was someone is looking at your place but they opted to go somewhere else for $29, $46 or $12 cheaper than you, look to change this by reducing your night stays. Now if I did that I would be out of pocket + having to pay AirBnB their full commission why would I do it? No breakkie, luxuries, robes, toiletries etc. a basic bed only would be what I would be offering and then the reviews wld not be good.  Airbnb +. is no longer a family home for people to come to & enjoy the hospitality of the hosts... too bad if yr house is cluttered with your personal belongings etc.... this is not a Hotel... if u want little furniture & sterile environment then plse go to a Hotel & do not come to us & complain about price etc. Travellers crave local atmosphere & contact with people who offer the service. Airbnb works for us we do not work for them, without us they are nothing & will earn nothing, they should be helping us get the people that we like & be there if there is a problem to be solved for us. They should be listening to us the Hosts.  I don't living in a mansion just a normal home which I am opening up to people to share what we have + where we are & to make new friendships, if possible.  We offer a warm & friendly environment   with a wonderful view of the Ocean & plenty of things to do around us. We have a comfortable home which is neat & tidy & great ambience. It is a small house but it has a lot to offer, I am not a hotel & I will not be told to declutter from Airbnb.  This is my home & if people want to stay with the locals then this is what they will get. Great conversation, laughs, great beds to sleep in, organic toiletries, robes. slippers & you are not a stranger but part of the family for the short time that you will be with us.  This is what a Airbnb should be like & used to be like when we first joined.  There I have got it off my chest, I do feel better now. Tks for listening. 

My sentiments exactly. We have had much success with our cottage. Nonetheless, Airbnb has indicated we need to step up our game even if the vast majority of reviews have beeb very positive. 

IMO, Airbnb was never about hosts and was never "host-led" - it was always about making money. Airbnb may have started with the "sharing economy" in mind, but from where I stand, it was always about making money. Actions speak louder than words. I don't care what kind of message ABB or Brian has to say - I'm interested in the actual policy and rules that affect hosts and guests. They can claim to value hosts till their blue in the face but I honestly don't see much that supports this claim. 

 

I'm on ABB because it has the most users and connects me with good guests. I haven't had any payment related issues yet. There is a community of great hosts who are willing to share experiences and ideas 🙂 

 

 

Rebecca181
Level 10
Florence, OR

@Ivan-and-Wendy0 @Jessica-and-Henry0 @Gina32 @Sandra126 @Marzena4 As I shared in a comment elsewhere on some other thread, I would have felt better about the 'Plus' roll out if Super Hosts had been acknowledged in search rankings more than they have been (historically), and if we had been occassionally 'featured' at the top of the search page, e.g., 'Stay With A Super Host' -  In the manner that 'Plus' hosts now automatically are (burying Super Hosts even more in the search rankings). We were led to believe by Brian C. that we will be featured a bit more, but I don't see it yet. And in the new Airbnb home page that was rolled out last week, you must scroll past at least 6 other types of housing ('Plus' homes, 'Experiences', 'Houses around the World', etc) before you get to the 'Stay With A Super Host' offering. My fingers and wrist were practically aching after all that scrolling just to find us. I mean, why on earth are Super Hosts 'featured' on the southern-most parts of the new home page? I felt very disappointed and somewhat confused when I saw this, given all that was said in the Feb 22nd announcement. And not at all recognized, appreciated, or valued. 

 

 

 

@Rebecca181

I'm not super host and never will be - my hosting style just isn't aligned to what the super host criteria requires. IMO, it's just a ploy to get hosts scared of bad reviews and make them bend over backwards for guests 🙂 Kinda like the gold star stickers teachers give out in kindergarden. And like I said before, PLUS is just the newest money making scheme, a way to allow new, lazy hosts to BUY better rankings. 

Rebecca181
Level 10
Florence, OR

@Jessica-and-Henry0 Understood. I am not attached to being a Super Host. What I AM attached to, as Airbnb grows, is Airbnb's search filters. Meaning, filters might be what allows my listing to be found by a prospective guest, and the Super Host filter, despite being pretty much buried on Airbnb's new home page, does give my rental a chance to be found, given I have no desire to be in the 'Family' category. Although I do qualify to be in the 'Work' category, in my beach vacation area people are coming here to get AWAY from work and are not seeking 'Work-friendly' rentals (although they might value the WiFi and self check-in that I provide). That is the main value in being a Super Host to me. Having my listing be found. Given the way Airbnb is going, I am glad I did my own marketing and have other means of procuring guests. The 'Plus' program is not likely to become available in my rurul beach area, and between that and not being in the 'Family' category the Super Host filter is valuable to me at this time.

@Rebecca181 @Jessica-and-Henry0 I noticed every time I comment on this subject in any thread, my listing disappears for a few days. 

@Rene-and-Zac0 Do you mean that when you pretend you are a prospective guest and do a search on your listing, it suddenly and inexplicably does not display in search results at all, and then later reappears? Confused...and curious!

@Rebecca181, The way you formed that question makes me suspect the same exact thing has happened to you. 

 Rhetorical really

@Rene-and-Zac0 Always gotta be on our toes!!!

@Rene-and-Zac0 PS, I learned about this free weekly report you can get from Matthew here in our community; I think it could prove to be most helpful. Here's the link: https://yourporter.com/airbnb-ranking-reports