Extra Guest Fee Transparency

[Stephen285]

I am a host that charges an extra guest fee ($25 per guest per night) after a single guest. I have many guests book as single guests and show up as couples surprised that my advertised fee is for single occupants.

A conversation with a recent such guest revealed that she had searched AirBnB as 2 guests, and assumed that when my space appeared in her search that she was seeing the rate for her partner and herself, and she did not think to check that the number of guests was correct when making an inquiry since she’d done that with her search.

If her experience is the norm, I ask that AirBnB consider being bolder visually with asking a guest to enter the number of guests in a booking, since many guests miss this, and explicitly showing the rates that multiple guests would pay in searches. Additionally, whenever a guest enters or alters the number of guests traveling, that AirBnB carry that guest number through to inquiries and booking as a new default for that guest. 

Thoughts?

[Ricardo85]

@Stephen285 

I always ask the guest to confirm if it is a only one guest inquiry.

Ricardo

[Stephen285]

Hello Ricardo -

Yes I have been doing this with most of my single guests, especially if they are a little vague with their booking language.

This most recent guest was very pointedly using “I” and “me” in her inquiry and I just made the assumption she was traveling alone (with a dog, for which she asked permission to bring along.)

When checking out, she used “we” and “us” in her messages, and I glanced out my window to see for the first time they were a couple leaving the space. They’d been here 4 nights and we had not crossed paths! (I live upstairs with a private entrance.) The extra $100 charge was a surprise to them, but they paid with no complaint. It just means for now I must always ask.

[Ange2]

@Stephen285    Airbnb used to have it written front and center at top near description but disappeared it under the booking section. Cancellation policies also slid down to the end of a long scrolling page!  I charge for an extra guest after one because I have many single guests and prefer to keep my price down for such bookings.   Like @Ricardo85   I always mention it in my intro message to them:  "Thank you for your reservation for one (1) guest blah! blah! blah! And sometimes I add for good measure (it is also written in my rules), "people not listed on the reservation are not allowed on the property."

[Stephen285]

Thank you, Ange. I am of the same thinking, that single guests shouldn’t have to pay the same as couples, who have the ability to share costs. I have considered making my couples rate the standard, then offering the discount to single travelers when they book, but really, AirBnB should make it as clear and transparent as can be.

[Ange2]

@Stephen285   Yes, I would love that option of default two guest rate and discount to single person instead of charging extra for a second person.  Would be a good feature to have, and to encourage one person bookings because a two-person room charge may be out of their price range if they do not know up front they would get a discount if just one person.