Merriam Webster Definition of "LOCATION"
: a position or site occupied or available for occupancy or marked by some distinguishing feature
I know that "LOCATION" has been discussed countless times among hosts and in this community forum, however I have decided to start the conversation again because it needs to be discussed until the option is removed. There are six categories that guests can check off when reviewing a host after their visit, and they are Value= was the booking worth the price, communication= did the host communicate with you, cleanliness= was the listing clean, check in = did the check in go flawlessly, Accuracy= was the listing description accurate and then finally "LOCATION"=???.
I am a Superhost, with overall 5 star rating, over 400 views per week, and glowing reviews, I achieved all of this by working hard and implementing what the guests are going to be grading me on and that is Value, communication, cleanliness, check in, accuracy, and finally "LOCATION"??(which I can not control).
I know that some hosts listings are easy on easy off the expressway or other roads, and the hosts without effort continuously benefit with a 5 star rating on "LOCATION":. However Airbnb promotes itself as unique travel destinations around the world, so the vast majority of the listings are going to be hidden gems which are going to be off the beaten path, where travelers need to be alert to be able to arrive flawlessly to their unique booking destination. I live in Vermont U.S.A., just about all listings in my state are tucked away, where many times guests need to follow written instructions that hosts have sent and not be totally dependent on G.P.S. , And this is where the "LOCATION" problem begins, the vast majority of my guests arrive on time without any problem locating the property, however then there are the ones who do not follow my instructions and wind up lost on a dirt road. And it is these guests who give me a 1 to 3 star for "LOCATION" because they got lost, even though they were specifically told by a couple of messages to follow my directions.
You might be thinking well, "you are a Superhost with 5 star overall rating, you should not worry about your location rating" I should worry and so should you because I am sure "LOCATION" star ratings are part of Airbnb algorithm and therefore it is going to affect your standing on search results.
I am hoping that if we as hard working hosts on Airbnb can give plentiful feedback and replies on this post and issue, then hopefully in the year 2019 Airbnb will divorce itself from this long talked about "LOCATION" problem.
Finally Merriam Webster's definition of "LOCATION" : A position or site occupied or available for occupancy or marked by some distinguishing feature.
Therefore all Airbnb listings fit this description and should be receiving an automatic 5 stars. So it is obvious that "LOCATION" star rating does not make sense from the definition of the word itself and does not belong on the star rating and should be removed in 2019.
(Thumbs up if you agree but most importantly to keep the conversation going)
Ruben
Rubén