Superhost, no bookings in the last 3 months!! Help :(

Superhost, no bookings in the last 3 months!! Help :(

Hi everyone.

I am facing a problem I have never faced before. I have been a successful airbnb host for almost 2 years now and have held the superhost status for most of it. My stats and reviews are great, response rate is 100%, I offer a really good quality/price apartment in the very centre of a very big city (so demand is always high). My occupancy rate has always been at about 90%!

However, as of January, 1st, this year something has changed. Basically all the bookings stopped. I only had ONE booking since January up to now - i.e. for the past 3 months! I am really doing everything I can, including daily calendar updates etc, yet nothing is changing. I also contacted support and they assured me that I am one of their favourite listings and everything seems great. Right, except 0 bookings.

Has anyone ever had a similar issue? How did you resolve it? Maybe there's just something that I am missing? At first I thought to just give it some time, but now that 25% of the year have gone by I am really starting to feel my income dwindle, apartment staying empty all the time, and I am frustrated as I do not know what is causing this and how I can help it.

 

I would appreciate any advice and would love to hear from other Moscow hosts if there are any here.

 

Best,

Daria

20 Replies 20
Colleen47
Level 10
Frisco, CO

Maybe competition is up in your area and your price is no longer competitive? @Daria20

I'm constantly checking other listings and seems to be in line. I have also lowered the price substantially since January in an attempt to get more bookings, it's quite underpriced now but still no interest.

Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

@Daria20

Dasha, your listing seems to be geared to foreigners. Do you think they are just not travelling is much anymore with the relationships between Russia and other countries being what they are? Do you have any bookings for the world cup time frame? Would it make sense for you to create a page in Russian as well (or do you have one already and I am not looking in the right place?) 

Mmm.. not too sure about that - I would expect much less business travel, which I think is the case indeed, but they were never such a great % of my guests anyway. With the recent developments I would assume the amount of tourists will decline as well but this is yet to come. Otherwise airbnb'ers never seemed to be the kind whose travel decisions would be affected by politics.

I do have a page in Russian and have hosted quite a few over the years.. As for the world cup, yeah there has definitely been a surge, however, out of several requests and questions from potential guests only one ended in a booking (and he's coming for business lol). So yeah, really not sure!

Rebecca181
Level 10
Florence, OR

@Daria20 Could the new and ever-increasing filters Airbnb is offering guests be affecting how your listing appears in searches? Are you in the 'Work' and 'Family' categories, for example? In cities near me, when a search is done, one row of listings in shown at the top of the search results, and then two big boxes, 'Family' and 'Work' are shown, to entice people to click into those to do their search. So these filters are becoming more and more important if you want to show up in searches, as ABB is promoting them heavily since they were launched February 22 of this year.

Rebecca181
Level 10
Florence, OR

@Daria20 Also, I looked at your listing - What a beautiful apartment! I would want to stay there, for sure. I am wondering, however, if you are having trouble with bookings and it is not due to the new ABB search filters, could you get two single beds that get pushed together to make a Queen? This would allow you to host couples and singles traveling together more easily - at least, in the traveler's minds! That's the only thing I would wonder about if I read your listing, as you stress the bed is 1.5 - meaning, some couples might think that the bed could be too small. Also, a minor thing: Is there a way to make the one photo of the toilet room more attractive? Hang up a few pieces of wall decor or tile art or something? 

 

The other thing I might try is a different cover photo - One of your living room with the vaulted ceilings would be nice. The photo quality could also be improved - Maybe hire a professional photographer? I know that when I did this, my place shot up in views and has been booked nearly solid ever since. You may not have needed to do these things before, but if there are more and more listings springing up in your area (including property management firms that now list on ABB) you may have to do thing and try things that you did not need to do or try before to get booked.

Some great advice, thank you so much!

Hello @Daria20, I agree with @Rebecca181 that you should change the cover photo of your listing. The photos have very good clarity/resolution, but needs to portray your home better. As a guest, it's hard for me understand how spacious your home is. Your photos should capture wider views. A guest trying to book should be able visualise how the home would be. I see that you have also focused on the amenities you provide. Consider removing them or if you want to keep it, I would suggest taking wider shots. 

Also I see that similar listings have slightly lower prices than your. So obviously the supply seems to have increased than the demand. You will have to keep up and innovate a bit.

 

I read in a CC article that it would be a good idea to take a picture of your best review and include it in the photos around 4th or 5th place. I haven't tried it yet, but seems like a good idea.

 

I really hope that you will start getting more guests at the earliest.

 

Hi! Thanks for the suggestion! You are probably right - my pictures don't accurately represent how big the place is, as my guests are always really surprised when they check in - they excpect something much smaller. It is the best I could do with my phone camera unfortunately. So new photos will definitely be on my priority list now!
And including a review - great, I would have never thought of that myself!

Rebecca181
Level 10
Florence, OR

@Vinay7 LOVE that idea on the photo of one of our best reviews - Doing now!

J-Renato0
Level 10
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

@Daria1

Have you checked if your listing has been displayed in the search results?

Airbnb Menu -> Progress -> Views

 

 

Maybe you should consider taking new pictures, with wide angle and more light to show better the interiors. See the pictures of listings in the same area and see if yours are not dated.

Maybe the first picture of your listing are not atracting guest. It does not show the interiors.

 

Yep, I'm taking this into account from now on.

I always had this picture as cover as I thought that it would make my listing stand out from the rest, as they are all interiors. However, now I will give it a try!

Clara116
Level 10
Pensacola, FL

@Daria20 Hello - I think since you do all the what seems necessary superhost things and still no bookings - YOU really want new and improved photos with color - Picture on the wall.. flowers on the table, or like that. 

also I on some photos I would quote my guest nice reviews instead of the title listed under the photo - "Daria's place was lovely and she was great at communitcating in both Russian and English" .....stuff that's positive. I think it is great cause guest don't read all the reviews so pick out some really nice ones and quote them. you can brag on yourself cause you have done a great job. 

 

Photos which have a pop of color and are taken with a full view of the place - and you might change the title.

The reviews will tell you words that guests use and help in picking a new title  - like the location seems very important - I would say lovely and  bright apt. ......priv bed and bath - 5 mins to.......... stuff like that.

I will help you if you brainstorm a list and write me - 

Happy Hosting and all the best, Clara