Diane (still can't seem to tag on these posts), I might have agreed with you about Superhost status in the past, but I think it has become more important since Airbnb started highlighting it on our profiles. Before, most guests had no idea the scheme even existed, so the Superhost filter was pretty pointless. However, I now find that guests frequently mention the fact that I am one and some that they used the filter or that it was one of the reasons they chose my listing.
This IS important to me as there is an insane amount of competition in London and a listing needs to both stand out in the search results and come near the top of them. The reviews/ratings also affect position in those results, plus guests booking do notice the star ratings. Some have even told me they wouldn't book a listing with 4.5 stars, and why should they when they have plenty of 5 star listings to choose instead? I wouldn't.
Perhaps none of that is pertinent to someone who lives in an area or charges prices that mean they do not have a lot of direct competition, but for many hosts it is very relevant. A 4 or 4.5 star listing just doesn't cut it in my neck of the woods, unless it's at a bargain basement price.
Also, as someone who frequently updates their property, I'm looking forward to the Superhost reward of a free photo session each year, if Airbnb does indeed introduce this. The professional Airbnb photos of my listings are probably THE single most important factor in terms of bookings.
Do I get stressed when I get a 4 star review? Yes, I do, because I then need several 5 star ones to push my stats back up. Am I ashamed about getting stressed? No, not really. I treat this as a business and running a business is going to be stressful from time to time. Plus, it's a matter of personal pride to strive for those 5 stars.
You might be happy with 4 star ratings but it's a bit patronising to suggest that there's something wrong with hosts that aren't or that hosting is "not for them".
