After almost, into his 3 rd year of working with Airbnb as the only hosting platform that I use for my 3 listings, by February this year I was already brimming with excitement for the oncoming season of maximum occupancy. My location is beyond fortunate- Central Shoreditch- attracting the hipster crowd for the whole unique ambiance, Silicon Roundabout (5 mins walk away) Europes no.1 chosen tech start up location and art, street markets etc on my doorstep. I received superhost status early on- My 2 ;etting bedrooms are spot on ( well, I know every host says this)lol But I do have a flair for interior design. Moving forward to March this year- started off quiet- no worries I thought, just a slow start- maybe this wretched Brexit cloud hovering over out heards is deterring guests from planning London temporarily. Fast forward to mid July- My airbnb bookings/enquiries have all but completely ceased up.
I knew I had to take action as this is my sole source of income these days - I have 3 listings-all in the ame apartment- 1 double, 1 king/ensuite and once a month, I let the property exclusively while I pop off for my own little excursions.
I have been in the hospitality business nearly all my life- I believe I have the experience, knowledge and professionalism to treat my home which is in a very desirable location not only as a safe haven for me but a a business and a safe refuge for any staying guests. This is reflected in my reviews.
I still list on Airbnb - nothing changed- although there was a rude interlude back in September last when one of my listed bedrooms. I was informed qualified for Airbnbplus. I then received a couple of emails asking me to change just a couple of the room layout features and add some new pics. This I did- but stopped short of removing a large spotless rug that protects the solid wood floors below the dining table- also out of consideration for my neighbours beneath who I suspect would not appreciate the constant scraping of wooden chair legs against the wooden floor. I was told I would hear back shortly to receive this 'Honoured accolade' of Airbnb plus- although looking at the prices of such properties, I can think of many boutique hotels that offer an identical product at a cheaper price plus in house 5 star services. However- I'm still patiently awaiting my reply.
When I search Shoreditch as a prospective guest, half the times, my property never shows up or the location on the map is way out- That can be a very important factor when I guest books.
I took the bull by the horns in May this year and added a 2nd platform with identical listings. I increased the price to exclude the Airbnb cleaning fee, the increased platform commision and the single occupancy rate that I have always offered Airbnb guests.
Talk about night and day ! Within 3 weeks I have been receiving between 2 and 3 definite prepaid non refundable bookings per day- yes, you heard me right. To the extent that June rapidly bcame fully booked. as is July. August is 2/3 booked and now September is rapidly filling up- leaving no room for Airbnb prospective guests to even get a look in.
I believe I know the answer. Airbnb was always seen to the the cheapest alternative to staying in expensive big cities around th world. These people are often on a very tight budget- They arrive at low cost airline airports- disregarding the printed check out and check in time. Financially, they often book at the last minute due to Airbnb taking the full cost of the room,plus commision,plus cleaning plus in some circumstances a damage deposit. Why would you hand over what can be $1000's of dollars months in advance for your trip abroad, when there are a mass of similar platforms guaranteeing the cheapest rate you will find anywhere which no hidden costs and no money up front depnding on the hosts policy ( 2 weeks beforehand in my situation).
It pains me to detail my experience with Airbnb so far this year, but something somewhere has gone terrible wrong and I don't believe it is my good self.
Maybe Airbnb marketing department needs to clearly define exactly what they now are? I see you can book hotels, unique experiences, rooms in ,locals homes, and now luxury homes. Airbnb's market and advertising needs to be seriously addressed to prevent sliding ever further down the believability scale. The original concept was a fantastic product- but, never properly regulated. ''Mass Host companies have sprung up all over the place- with community/council housing being snapped up in undesirable loctions with the promise of a superb base for your holiday. That 15 m inute journey to the historic sights is unachievable- more like 1 hour 15 minytes and often through not so safe areas of the outer city.
I know the answer is always going to be - Airbnb are now a multi billion $$$ worldwide business- So was Woolworths a few years back.
Seriously though, I am I missing something here? After a shakey start to the year, my gross income has increased, my guests no longer sneak into their room with a take away kebab or a m ug for cup-a-soup!, while they luxuriate in an apartment featuring many fine works of art, sold hand crafted beds and top quality linen- but obviously not sufficient to warrant Airbnb plus status. This no longer worries me - but I do feel a pang of sadness about slowly becoming non- entity of Airbnb. This comes from someone who has been invited to the local Clerkenwell offices for lunch and at one point even giving a talk on what I considered yo be the main elements of being a successful host. I feel badly for all the wonderful people who work tirelessly to create a wonderful environment for both guests and hosts . But what is the use with one without the other ?
Possibly other London hosts can come to me rescue and tell me my experience this year is uncommon.
Thank you for reading this far- I attempt to be as positive as I possible can - and financially I am up- but, how can I recommend Airbnb to other hosts (As pops up on my facebook page weekly) when my own experience this year has been so dire.
