How is your hosting season going?

[Paula]

Hello everyone 👋

As summer approaches in one half of the world and winter arrives in the other, students and families are taking time off, which could create a peak season in different regions. With this in mind, we would like to ask: Are you having a busy hosting season? If so, could you please share your top three strategies to stand out this season?

Your insights will help inspire Hosts who might be facing a slower season in terms of bookings. We look forward to reading about your experiences.

Thank you 🌟

[House-For-Rent0]

Not busy this month, I only have one booking for the month of July🥹

[Paula]

Hello @House-For-Rent0,

I'm sorry to hear about that. What do you think might be causing the issue? Have you considered starting a 👉critique listing thread in our community to gather advice from our experienced Hosts on how to enhance your listing and attract more bookings?

It would be great to see you start your critique listing thread.

I hope this helps.

[House-For-Rent0]

Good day, I don't know about critique listing I don't know how to do that.

[Dottie21]

Very busy. Minneapolis, Minnesota

[Paula]

Hello @Dottie21, that's wonderful to hear! Are you receiving bookings for both weekends and weekdays? Some of our Hosts have expressed concerns about not having many weekday bookings. Would you mind sharing some of your strategies? 😃

We look forward to learning from your experience 🌟

[Dottie21]

My bookings are mainly from Friday to Monday. The other days are pretty much with no bookings.

[Delores13]

Hi! It has bern very slow for me! Most of my weekends get booked nut not so much during the week. End of July - Middle of August is full so it's very sporadic! Any suggestions? I am in Amherst, VA

[Paula]

Hello @Delores13, thank you for participating in this thread.

Have you considered implementing any strategies to attract more guests during weekdays? I highly recommend starting a 👉new conversation in our community to gain more visibility and ask our Hosts to share their ideas.

This way, you can gather a wealth of excellent suggestions 🌟

[Delores13]

I have tried some promotions,  redoing photos, and several things like that and got a few more bookings right after which was helpful! 

[Görkem11]

Hello 

Last month was healthier because of the holiday, but this month has just started and we are waiting, let's see if it will happen, thank you.

[Paula]

Hello @Görkem11, thank you for sharing this! How far in advance do your guests typically book your place? Do they book weeks or months ahead, or are most of your bookings more last-minute?

Looking forward to hearing from you 🌟

[Hans797]

Good morning, Paula. 

This is our first year as Airbnb hosts and we have been overrun (in the best sense of the word) with inquiries and bookings. 

In fact, most of June, all of July and August, as well as the beginning of September were booked within eight weeks of activating our listing. This exceeded our wildest expectations. 

We are now receiving inquiries and bookings for next year. Absolutely amazing. The income has also been remarkable and is securing and guaranteeing us an incredibly luxurious retirement. Again, well beyond our expectations.  We wish we would have used Airbnb fifteen years ago when we purchased our beachfront lake house. 

[Paula]

Hello @Hans797 😊,  Wow, that's amazing 👏! Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

We’d love to hear about the strategies you’ve implemented for such a successful start. Could you share the top three strategies that have worked for you?

We look forward to learning from you 🌟

[Hans797]

1.  Frequent, friendly, respectful and, most importantly, personalized communication. I avoid using canned responses. Guests deserve the personal touch. 

2. When issues arise, honesty is the best policy especially when the host has made an error. Don't sugarcoat.

It's disrespectful and patronizing. 

3. Ensure that all aspects of the property are ALWAYS squeaky clean, tidy, organized and the way you would expect a high-end five star hotel to be. 

4. Make certain that the amenities you have listed are actually available. 

[Paula]

Thank you so much for sharing this, @Hans797. It is very insightful 😊