Laura’s Letter: What I learned staying with private-room hosts

[Laura_C]

May 20, 2019

Hi everyone,

Congratulations to all of you who achieved or maintained your Superhost status in the April assessment! The longer I’ve worked at Airbnb, the more I realize what an incredible accomplishment being a Superhost is. Thanks to all of you for providing wonderful experiences for guests around the world, and for setting the standard for hospitality for Airbnb.

As many of you know, my role at Airbnb is to look after the team that builds products, community, and resources for home hosts like you. When I joined Airbnb last July, one of my top priorities was to quickly immerse myself in the world of hosts and hosting—in particular, to learn more from some of our amazing hosts (and Superhosts!), gather some great tips from them, and bring those back to our host community (and our teams here at Airbnb). There’s nothing quite like firsthand experience, so as part of my journey, I decided to stay in a private room once a week. I have three small children at home, so it was a pretty big commitment, but it ended up being such a delightful experience in some fun and unexpected ways. I’m excited to tell you about what I’ve learned over the past few months.

Getting to meet Superhosts like you was one of the highlights of my recent adventures staying in private rooms. There are more than 161,000 Superhosts who share private rooms on Airbnb— that’s 29% of all Superhosts. And private-room listings are popular with guests, too. In 2018, tens of millions of bookings were in private rooms, which was a significant share of all bookings on Airbnb. Private-room hosts and listings are a really important part of our community.

I had 3 goals for my private-room stays

1. Experience variety (staying at listings with different price points, and different types of hosts: new, Plus, Superhosts, etc.)
2. Have personal interactions (I reached out to hosts ahead of time and invited them to chat with me more about their experiences, and share thoughts on how we can help them more)
3. Gather learnings (What was my experience as a guest? How can we support hosts more? What is the host doing brilliantly that other hosts can learn from?)

So, what did I learn? Well, the first big takeaway was that we need to do more to help you better set guest expectations (which can help with better reviews). This is something that’s really important for all hosts but absolutely crucial for private-room hosts, many of whom share a bathroom or kitchen with their guests. On our end, I think that starts with categorization. How can we better differentiate different types of listings on Airbnb (need a room in a castle, anyone?), especially as we begin to welcome more bed-and-breakfasts and boutique hotels alongside homes and rooms? How can we help you make it clear to guests that there are cats in the listing? (I am much more of a dog person than a cat person, but I have to admit that I made friends with many cats during my stays!)

Next, I learned many things about what can make a stay great from a guest’s perspective. I appreciated a lot of different things—clarity on where I could go and what I could use (shampoo? fridge space? through that random unmarked door?) was a big deal. Having some information from the host on who else was going to be in the house was also hugely reassuring. Knowing the hours of the other people in the household was also great so that I could be a respectful guest (I get up early, and always wanted to be thoughtful of not waking up everyone else in the house!).

In fact, many of you have already shared some wonderful tips for hosting a private-room listing here in the Community Center. (This thread really impressed me, and I enjoyed the comments on this article, too). I’d love to continue to hear from you on this subject, and I’d love to learn more about what we can do to help you as private-room hosts succeed. Please tell me your suggestions in the comments, below.

And finally, and perhaps most importantly, I was reminded again of what an incredible community of hosts we have. I met one host who started hosting so that she could have more flexibility to support her children with special needs, and another who took a big pay cut to follow their heart and work in the non-profit sector … hosting helped them have the financial flexibility they needed to make that move. I met one host who has developed extraordinary relationships with her guests (many of whom come back often to visit) and another who started hosting so that she could afford to keep her family’s home while her children went to college. I love that Airbnb is helping people around the world build wonderful connections and support their goals and passions in life.

Congratulations again to those of you who are Superhosts, whether you’re sharing the spare wing of a castle, an entire home, or an extra bedroom in your apartment. I hope to meet you on my next outing. Until then…

… Happy hosting!
Laura

[Lyn68]

Judy313, Dont stress about it, u hit nail on head with ' impossible to please'.  It is not possible to please all of people all of the time. There will always be a difficult person who will leave a bad review. But as said in earlier similar reply, prospective guests will read most of the reviews and if there is the odd bad review which stands out against a majority of good reviews, most future guests will book based upon all the good reviews as they know there is always an 'odd-bod' whom one can never please. Paying guests are not daft. I travel a lot and a few bad reviews never put me off, I balance them against the good & more importantly is it where I wish to be geographically which is why Locatioon is a daft item for airbnb to have on their review score. L

[Mary1085]

Come see me at Shangri-la in the Redwoods.   

[Lyn68]

HI Laura,

Hello from Sydney.  Good luck with your new position and hope you manage to address the differences tho with 3 kids I wonder where you find the time or energy---just joking as been there/done that. Happy to have the Antipodes represented.

Please see my reply to Cryn, London, UK as don't know how to paste & post or whateveryoucallit!

From a happy host in Sydney. L

[Lyn68]

Hi Superhosts,  from Austrralia,

Pleaase forgive all the comments and replies I have sent this thread  thus making thread longer to read but I am  'Resting'  in winter season and normally I wouldn't have time to read each comment when I am hosting so it was a well-timed e/mail to fully appreciate comments. 

So many comments and so many points of view I loved reading. You all made me feel so normal and that it's just not me who has same thoughts. Has given me strength to reopen next Summer. Lyn

[Sharon-and-Terry0]

Hi Laura! Glad you were able to visit some Super Hosts! We'd welcome you anytime at The Cali Surf Palace. We always see the posts on Instagram and here about these very lavish, incredibly decorated and designed spaces but we hope you don't forget about the roots of Airbnb. We have been super hosts for a very long time and we are very proud of our hospitality gift. Our home is in a great neighborhood close to the beach, UCSD and so many great places. We always feel a little bit left out as Airbnb seems to focus on homes and rooms that are spectacularly designed. Ours is a very comfy serene and tranquil place to stay, in fact it's my childhood home. Our reviews speak for themselves and we don't need advertising but we just hope you don't forget where Airbnb started and feature some of us who still keep things very simple but incredibly welcoming and warm to our guests. Hope to see you in San Diego sometime.

[Misty2]

Hi from Florida!

To make sure guests know we have a cat, I list it multiple sections of our listing.  I even sign the welcome message with all our names.  Misty, Phil and Cleo the cat.

I also have a printed informational in the room with instructions on how to operate the coffee maker and shower as well as a reminder that we provide breakfast at no extra charge (and that guests are welcome to use the microwave and kettle in the kitchen).  The name is AIRBNB!   Not AIRB!   We have the bathroom stocked with supplies including sunscreen (because... Florida).

I hope you stay with us if you come to Florida!  We are a prime spot to visit Kennedy Space Center!

Thanks for all you do!

Best Regards

Misty, Phil and Cleo the Cat! 

[Helen427]

@Misty2 

Welcome back to CC

Make sure you include photos of your cats in your listing, in particular either before or after photos of the bedroom.

All the best

Central To All Home & Location, Auckland, New Zealand

[Randall27]

Laura,

Thank you for your article. I have been a super host for two years and I have enjoyed the experiences I have had with my guests from all over the world and my relationship with AirBNB. To improve the process for Private Room Hosts (PRH) and guests I agree that more detailed instructions should be provided about what it means to get a “Private Room”.   

First, guests need clear understanding that they will be staying in a Private Home and not a hotel that caters to their every wish. Each PRH's home is different and should be respected.  Some guests have unrealistic expectations and would be better served in a different type of listing.   I had one guest who attempted to remove the Art from my walls because he did not like the Art and at one point requited the central air be turned off and provide him a fan.  I have a 4 bedroom condo (3000sf) and other guests at the time of his stay and truning of the air was not an option. Again, his expectations were unrealistic and not met.

Second, a better explanation of how to use the map function should be provided to guests. I have a number of guests ask me how close I am to a certain address/place. It would be easier if they find the address/place they are interested in and see what Airbnb locations are near.

I hope this is helpful and I look forward to a long Airbnb relationship.

Randall

[Pat205]

I have a listing under private room but it is really a private suite in our home. No category for this. No kitchen in this suite but we have set up a mini fridge, microwave, and coffee maker. They also have use of a gas grill outside.

We are also on a fresh water lake. No category for this as well.

Pat in Cape Cod

[MaryAnn33]

Enjoyed your story Laura! I absolutely love hosting  people throughout the world who come and visit The Outer Hebrides!  I have met such lovely and interesting people. I've been fortunate enough so far, not to have met any difficult guests although I am aware and horrified by some other hosts' bad experiences.

The only negative comment I have to make is that due to the one and only cancellation I had to make, I was penalised for a year from teaching Superhost status. The reason for my cancellation was due to a bad fall I had down some steps at home. I was very bruised in many places and had to attend hospital, then needed time to recover.  I immediately contacted the prospective Swedish guests to explain my predicament giving them 5 days notice, and offering to find alternative accommodation for them.  They were extremely kind and understanding, however AirBnb were not, and knocked me back from becoming a Superhost, and told me in so many words that they took a dim view of cancellations by hosts. 

I find, like other Superhosts have mentioned that guests have not read my listing. Some guests are surprised  (pleasantly) when I ask them what they'd like to have for breakfast, because they haven't read it.

I think, however that's it's a brilliant concept and very easy to manage administratively, thereby giving hosts time to talk to guests and for room changes and cleaning! 

[Pauline74]

After reading many of the comments and experiences here, I can agree that many times guests and even the Airbnb “gods” forget we are not hotels.  We are people opening our homes for a variety of reasons.  

Having cleanliness standards is, to me as a traveler, really important.  All the other stuff is icing.  I can write clear and succint instructions for how to get here, how to check in, what the wifi is, what restaurants are good.  If guests don’t read it, I am not their mommy.   At some point in our lives we must accept that we have become adults and take some responsibility for ourselves by acting that way.  

I agree it is unfair to allow guests to give poor reviews to superhosts for lame things.  It is also unfair to ding a superhost for declining ludicrous requests.  I have had people ask to live at my home!  Those are not legitimate requests and I take issue with Airbnb’s policy of giving us a poor mark for declining any requests.  We are opening our homes to strangers. We are not hotels.  We are not apartments for rent. If it’s not an instant book, I should not be penalized for declining a request.  

Ever. 

I make my guests feel welcomed and safe.  

My reviews show that. 

No reason to beat me or any other superhost up for protecting our homes’ boundaries.  We are adults.  

[Michael1981]

Pauline,

I can tell you have a passion for hosting.

It would be great if guests were given expectations for using the AirBnB platform.  Maybe AirBnB can come up with a video that guests must watch prior to their booking that goes over the basics of the platform...reading listing descriptions carefully, asking questions of the host before they book, etc.

Maybe Hosts should do a short video for their listing that the guest must watch that can answer all of their questions about the listing, which could cut down on questions being asked and cut down on booking times, and lead to higher guest satisfaction, as they can see better what they are renting prior to arrival.

[Heather532]

Cranberry Creek Homestead in the heart of the FLX. Hand tailoring an experience for guests is what I do every day. Whether in my full time job at Red Newt Cellars, my work for the Finger Lakes Cheese Alliance, or for Seneca Cheese Company. Everything I do prepares me to host my guests. Making sure guests have a clear understanding of what to expect is crucial to me, especially after 15 years of international travel. Most importantly, without AirBnB last year, I would have lost my home. A kind and trusting heart on my part and some not so kind relationships  nearly ruined me financially. AirBnB has not only been rewarding, it has single handedly helped me regain my financial independence, while allowing me to fulfill my dreams. A true three generation Homestead to share with the world!!! Thanks! 

[Savdas0]

Hi Laura

Thanks for your kind support and helping all the time. We are very happy that your team is always available to us. I would more than happy to meet you one day if your busy scheedule allows you. Please do come to Hiran Holidays(Gujarat, India), a beautiful farm land on the bank of river Hiran. Ours is a kind of agro tourism you would love to be there.Thanks once again for sharing your experiences with 

SH which guides us thoroughly.

Regards

[Amy1012]

Hi Laura,

I am happy that you are taking this challenge to help us to gain insight from a guests perspective.

Originally, I offered a private room with shared kitchen and living room.  We have expanded to offer the entire home with shared kitchen.  We stay in the basement apartment on weekends while guests are here.  Either way, I rarely have seen guests use the kitchen, living room or deck.  The room has everything they need is one way that I could interpret this.  Perhaps for weekend stays, guests don’t need or want more than the room?  After all, they are visiting as a convenience related to their plans while visiting Asheville, NC.  Is a room all that guests need on a weekend? Is a whole home more important to someone with a long stay?  How do you want to see the kitchen presented in order to use it? The room has a refrigerator but we have our items in the kitchen refrigerator.

The guests we have using the room and home are visiting the city for the weekend to explore, see a show, work a show or search to relocate.  I will be curious to see what you learn.

Mcbrandon Country Lodgings, Amy