Airbnb Plus what exactly?

Kate292
Level 3
Saint Margarets Bay, United Kingdom

Airbnb Plus what exactly?

Feeling discouraged as a host seeing media coverage on the "Plus" scheme lauched today.  Firstly, I think the airbnb hosts' who offer easy, affordable, clean and simple accommodation are great and will continue to have a prosperous market: most guests are not looking for "luxury".  My concern is for those hosts that do aspire to be on the higher end of the market, what it means to be excluded from "Plus" category?

 

We were shortlisted for this back in November 2017 and to date have found the whole process to be a shamble. We underwent airbnb's photoshoot, inspection and "design consultation" (nothing more than a professional estate agent photographer with a letting tenancy style checklist). His only response was very informally, he believed we'd met all the requirements but would be better off waiting for airbnb's offical feedback and in the meantime I should google my questions as he didn't actually know anything about the Select/ Plus pilot. 

 

Despite doing so and requesting feedback, our Select/Plus  status has been "under review" with no updates whatsoever. Luxury is of course subjective,  but how can we aspire to coninuous improvement without any feedback? It is even more frustrating and discouraging to see updates in the press.  Thanks Airbnb for keeping us in the loop! From a small business point of view,  the lack of service and consequential loss of marketing as a result of being exluded from the "luxury category", makes me question whether all the airbnbs fees are worth it. I may deactivate my profile. 

 

 

 

 

57 Replies 57
Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Rebecca181

 

Sorry to hear about your experiences with CS. I have not encountered these problems YET, but that doesn't mean I won't in the future. I have managed to get through on the Superhost hotline pretty quickly with satisfactory results. However, I have to admit that it is not as fast as the regular line before I was a Superhost because the Irish team I used to get through to ROCKED, like your Florida team.

 

I had noticed on the forums that US hosts seemed to complain more about getting through to Airbnb CS, so I assumed that was due to higher call numbers. However, one would think the Superhost hotline would bypass that. Apparently not. Now, I know that I get through to a US number when I call as a Superhost, but maybe the teams within that are split by territories so that I get through quicker than a US Superhost. I do wonder though what is the advantage of the Superhost Hotline if you are on hold for 30 minutes. More worryig are your reports of incompetence and lack of knowledge once you do get through...

Cor3
Level 10
Langerak, South Holland, Netherlands

Hi @Pete28,

 

Seems like an excellent alternative (although my Chinese is a bit rusty)

 

🙂

Another cool feature of Tujia is that guests post their pictures in review

 

https://m.tujia.com/detail/305366.htm

 

Although as a host not sure i want pictures of me and the trash bins at the side of my house on my reviews 😞

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Emily352

 

Well said!

 

I especially liked:

 

Hey, poor host, what are you waiting for to make your hovel "better"? Four Russian globtrotters, who eat caviar and Cristal while migrating from one announcement to the next, can not wait to set foot in your house for € 1,000 a night! This is your awake service. Work hard to guarantee them a stay that satisfies their (gargantuan) expectations.

 

However, from what I've seen, Plus listings aren't necessarily priced higher than comparible listings in their areas, so the pressure is on, not necessarily for any significant financial, reward, but just to keep your listing higher in the search results. It was exactly this with IB.

 

So, Airbnb makes it automatic for only IB properties to show in results unless the guest is savvy enough to notice and switches the filter off. Now, they totally dominate the homepage with Plus and probably push Plus to the top of the listings. Meanwhile, guests still have no idea what a Superhost is and, unless the host tells them, will never find out...

Cor3
Level 10
Langerak, South Holland, Netherlands

Hi @Huma0,

 

Exactly, In all reservations and inquiries we had - this far. Only 1 guest ever mentioned that they selected us, because I was a 'Starhost' (as he called it 🙂 )

 

And to be honest, when we started on Airbnb over 2 years ago. It took me some time as well, to understand what this mysterious medallion was that some hosts did seem to have 😞

I initially thought it was 1 of those badges, you can add to your profile.

Only after some time, I understood that this was the Superhost reward badge.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Cor3

 

I don't remember ever having a guest mention 'Superhost' to me. The few guests that I have mentioned the subject to had no idea whatsoever what it was.

 

That's not to say that guests would not use that filter if they only knew about it. Superhost is so buried amongst the other marketing that the vast majority of guests - yes, even the experienced, savvy ones - are not aware of it unless they are also hosts themselves.

 

My housemate now uses the Superhost filter when he searches for an Airbnb, but that's only because he knows about it from living with me! He had no clue before even though he was a regular Airbnb user. It just goes to show that guests will search only for Superhosts, but ONLY if they know Sup;erhosts exist, which at least 99.9% I reckon don't - so why on earth would the majority click on that filter?

 

Being a Superhost is pointless if Airbnb treats it as so meanlingless.

Rebecca181
Level 10
Florence, OR

@Cor3 @Huma0 @Pete28 From a sheer marketing perspective I simply do not understand why Airbnb leap-frogged over Super Hosts to focus nearly exclusively on Airbnb Plus and Beyond in their promotional efforts. Super Hosts (those with both standard AND unique properties) were ripe to be noticed; were ready to receive some dedicated space on the Airbnb home / search page; had proven track records confirming happy guests; and with some promotion on Airbnb's part, could have gained traction even with non-Airbnb users - the type of traveler they hope to attract with 'Plus'.

 

Instead, all of this time, money, and effort was spent on creating 'Plus' properties this past year (or more). I could understand it if they had focused on Plus AND promoted Super Host properties. But what I will never understand is why they ignored Super Hosts all together. What traveler will use the Super Host filter when it is buried within so many other filters, and buried on the new 'Plus' billboard home page, not to mention the fact that the traveler has no idea what a Super Host even is? 

Cor3
Level 10
Langerak, South Holland, Netherlands

Hi @Rebecca181,

 

On the 22nd of Feb, Brian C revealed Airbnb's so-called infinite future plan. And it did start of with more benefits to Superhosts!

 

I must admit though, that I was not really much impressed with the additional effort to be put in for Superhosts 😞

 

Look at the whole presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBAc4Fo0b2g

And the Q&A, 1 week later: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfPDDEKabV4

 

Airbnb's Infinite Future PlanAirbnb's Infinite Future Plan

My belief is that Brian's drive is toward aesthetics (art school degree etc) and thus he might have been horrified by the Frankenstein of basement rooms, tents, trailers etc etc that Airbnb has become in,may places. How to get rid of all of this clutter that hurts the eye ?

 

Superhost alone would not be enough of a filter ! What is needed is a new order to cleanse out anything not suitability boutique like. Welcome, ladies and gentleman to... plus..

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Pete28

 

True, but didn't he start it with an airbed on his kitchen floor?

 

I understand that times have moved on, but maybe Brian needs to remember that Airbnb was supposed to be an alternative to hotels and corporate rentals...

Cor3
Level 10
Langerak, South Holland, Netherlands

Hi,

 

Both @Pete28 and @Huma0 are right!

Yes, they want to move up the ranks. I.e. no longer staying on a couch (although that was exactly what Brian and Joe were doing, only 10 years ago).

 

So the new idea is: No longer battle the hotels, but embrace them (Although it is actually a classic Roman embrace - with their own new brand: Plus) 🙂

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Cor3 @Pete28

 

Of course you are right, but Airbnb seems to be doing pretty well. Does it need to battle with hotels in the first place? I know in London at least, my Airbnb, and most others I have seen, are priced so far below hotels that for people on a budget, it's a pretty easy sell.

 

Look, I have no idea of the numbers (not my strong point), so maybe I'm missing a trick, but it does seem to me rather a cynical attempt to take over the hospitatlity industry - an almost insatiable desire for more, more, more... BUCKS.

 

What is the point in Airbnb if it is the same as a corporate rental/hotel?

 

Maybe I'm just too naive...

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Oh, and by the way, that's fine if that's the way Brian wants to go, but then please drop all the nice 'touchy feely' speil about being a community, valuing hosts (especially Superhosts) and all of that. Even I'm not THAT naive.

@Huma0 YES. Thank you. This is the point I was trying to make, including in regard to my response to @Cor3, below. I was SO incredibly excited when I watched Brian C's live Facebook 'performance'. I was so happy he started it off with acknowledging Super Hosts, and how valuable and important we were to the company. And that we would be acknowledged in ways that would make us happy and even more successful. And then I looked at the new website. (Scroll, scroll, scroll, scroll, scroll...Past 'Plus' homes; past 'Unique Homes Around The World'; past 'Experiences' past 'Concerts'; etc, etc, etc....And then, finally, the 'Super Host' category). Let us just say I felt just a wee bit deflated, and, sadly, more than a bit disillusioned. If we were that appreciated and valued, we would have at least ranked above 'Concerts'. I mean, please, give me a break, I wasn't born yesterday.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Rebecca181

 

Yes, I can see that Plus is being pushed hard and maybe the other new categories, unique homes etc. but putting Superhosts under concerts, or even under experiences in general is a slap in the face. It goes to show how very valued we are... I guess they thought they would appease us by putting us on the homepage at all.

 

It's about as useful being at the bottom of the homepage as that search filter that guests don't even realise exists and, even if they did, don't know what it's for because none of them know what a Superhost is! Why would they when we are promoted so badly by Airbnb?

 

I am looking forward to the other new Superhost benefits promised, e.g. the option of a photo session instead of travel credit. That will be useful at least. I also do like now that there's an explanation on the listing for what a Superhost is, but it's still not enough.

 

Being a Superhost is a matter of personal pride for me, nothing else. The 'benefits' certainly don't add up to the effort it takes to maintain the status.