While hosting, when do you take your holidays?

Nick
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

While hosting, when do you take your holidays?

Screenshot 2021-10-14 at 16.13.45.png

 

Hi everyone,

 

As we all know, the high season in most cases is during the summer months, regardless of when that is based on your geographical location. 

 

Before that busy period, I can imagine several of you preparing for the many bookings to come, but I'm curious to learn about how you spend your time after high season.

 

Personally, I love taking holidays in September and this also worked when hosting as my bookings would start quiet down around that time, giving me a chance to enjoy some beach time. So this got me thinking as to which month is your "September"? 

 

When do you take a break from hosting? 

 

Looking forward to reading your replies. 

 

Thanks,

Nick

34 Replies 34
Laurelle3
Level 10
Huskisson, Australia

@Nick before hosting we have always travelled from May till September to travel overseas or around Australia as it gets us away from our winter. Since hosting we have planned to shut our books from the July winter school holidays to the length of travel plans to overseas.

As @Mike-And-Jane0  say, to save on a heating bill and to enjoy the summer months of the northern hemisphere. But this year was out with Covid lockdowns. But we did get to go on short stays in our modified (by husband) work van converted into a simple camper van then gets converted back into work van when we return. We are now planning where to go next year.

@Nick 

Even before we became hosts, Henry and I always went on a *winter* vacation (Jan~Feb, 10 days~2 weeks, including or overlapping with Lunar New Year holidays) overseas to somewhere warm and sunny (usually Thailand or the Philippines) 😎 so we can escape from the freezing cold weather and enjoy warm sunny beaches. We rarely traveled during summer. (Henry always likes to say "why leave hot and humid Seoul, sweat like crazy with a backpack/luggage just to travel to somewhere equally hot and humid?") 

 

So it worked out well for us hosting exchange student guests. Spring semester is from March~ June and Fall semester from September ~ December. We would keep our calendar open for July~August to host a guest for the summer semester or a solo traveler, but we didn't mind not having a guest either.

 

We also liked to take shorter 3~5 day mini-vacations during spring (April~May) or fall (October~November) so after we began hosting, this would depend on how comfortable we felt leaving the guest at home alone. Some we trusted and had no concerns whatsoever. Others we didn't feel comfortable letting them stay home alone for even one night. Since most of our exchange student guests made plans to travel and see the country or take trips to nearby Japan during their 4~5 month stays with us, we were often able to coordinate and plan to be away from home when the guest was away 😉 

Nick
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

To be fair to Henry he does have a point 😁 @Jessica-and-Henry0 

 

Any plans for this Oct-Nov? 

Mauricio467
Host Advisory Board Member
Cancún, Mexico

I think that in my community March, since the prices of flights go down too much and there are not so many people vacationing, at least that happens in my community.

 

Mauricio
John5097
Level 10
Charleston, SC

@Nick This year I have only slipped away when I had a guest more than 5 nights. No one missed me. 🙂 Last year I blocked off Christmas and Thanksgiving but this year one of my regular return guests who have kids and and grandkids down the street I let book for both the holidays. They are great and i'm sure will want to book for next holidays as well. Although I don't even need to be here for them and another regular staying a week right after them. In the future I need to start blocking off a few weeks here and there, so very good topic. I'd like to travel abroad more, as I watch a lot of docs of places that look interesting, but would also want it to be relaxing and also be doing something interesting or even work related for example.  But for me would likely be the summer to get away somewhere cooler and the mountains are less than 4 hour drive. 

Nick
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Now I wonder what some places on your list are @John5097 ?

J-Renato0
Level 10
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

It is so good to travel !!! 🙂

 

I take a break when I can. Usually on April and May. Sometimes in September and October.

Linda3345
Level 10
Corning, NY

We've blocked out 2 weeks in June (even though that is pretty high season here) for our own adult kids to come home, and be our guests. Gathering our family twice per year is one reason we are doing Air Bnb. We will be traveling to daughter's house for Christmas this year, but I rented the house out for someone else to use for Christmas. 

Nick
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

How lovely to read that Airbnb is helping your family be together, thanks for sharing @Linda3345 🙂

Max144
Level 10
Bongaree, Australia

@Nick Have bookings already for Christmas so always grounded around this time, looking forward to March/April as always travel to New Zealand as have holiday house on small island and with covid my bags are still packed ready to go.

Also like to travel to different countries once sky's open up. 

Nick
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

I do hope you will get to travel really soon, @Max144 

 

Many of us have been missing it for what seems ages by now 

Deborah1127
Level 2
Fayetteville, NC

Hello everyone. I have not quite decided as of yet, but leaning towards end of summer - early fall time frame to get out of Fayetteville N.C.B7FB66CB-0ECF-4C31-A19B-6DF9DBF36E28.jpeg

Deborah A. Ellis
Brian883
Level 3
Orillia, Canada

Love taking the last week of March into the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend for March Madness in Las Vegas!...weather is good, city is hopping, entertainment is rocking and it's something Kim (co-host) and myself enjoy doing together!

Carla81
Level 4
Sherwood Park, Canada

We are lucky enough to have our Airbnb in our walkout basement. One of the appeals of having an Airbnb vs. renting it out to one person fulltime is we book off the couple of days over Christmas and use the space to set up a big table etc. for our family dinners!

Dana225
Level 3
San Diego, CA

I take vacations whenever I want!  It is so easy to do!  Working for Airbnb makes traveling anytime a reality!