Quick update. I did have a cancellation for a weekend in July. Page views did increase some. However, I also discovered that both Air Conditioning and Heat were checked off in my amenities. Of course this isn't something I would turn off and had just checked them about a week ago after receiving an ABB email about a bug that turned off some amenities, so think it was related to this update. I also just installed a mini split haetpum 4 months ago and injured my finger in the process. But I do feel a lot better now that I discovered this and who knows how many others have been turned off and won't even realize it?
I agree with others that its going to be harder for guest to find open single dates. I'll likely need to change to allow 7 days or longer but even then it still could be harder for guest to find open nights especially on weekdays.
On the mobile app my apartment is showing Bay View, Harbor View, and Waterfront, in the amenities, although there is no option for host to select Bay or Harbor View. However, when selecting Amazing Views, Charleston, Two Guest, it zooms back out and only shows beach front listings in Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head for 600-1200 a night. The same with Lakefront, National Parks, Farmsteads etc. The beach also has "Beach" "Beach front" "Amazing views" and "Surfing" and beach listings are very limited in number as its just a small sliver on the coast. For example the closest beach to me gets millions of visitors a year, but only has 1000 short term rentals that can only rent out for 2 months a year.
I get a lot of guest from all over the country who are here for a few nights for medical treatments, surgeries, and follow ups for the local hospitals. I've had mothers and daughter stay for surgery during peak of pandemic in April 2020, and guest following up on brain surgery from Montana. Back then Airbnb promoted itself as an essential service for guest who needed to stay for medial reasons, and STRs in my area were considered essential services like hotels, but now that there is a lull in covid, Airbnb is now making it much more difficult for guest to find stays shorter than a week close to the hospitals, and instead direct them to some other area for week long stays.
Brian Cheskey is already an iconic historical figure, one of the rare individuals who was in the right place at the right time and started an amazing company. I've posted about this before and his inspiring personal achievements. He went to Cuba with Obama when the president was opening relationships, and Airbnb was the only American company doing business there. So nothing personal. I like the concept but its targeted to increase earnings by promoting week long stays in higher end, more expensive listings, to the point that occupancy rates in popular listings could suffer. Although I'm also seeing a lot more places that normally would have been much lower ranking as they have low ratings, so the update kind of stirred up all the muck that had settled to the bottom as places that are popular and good value are already booked.