Need a length of stay discount option for 2 and 3 day stays, and per room not per guest

[David9478]

I had hoped a more granular approach would change the existing length of stay discounts. For 3-bedroom apartments like my two AirBnBs, in my town the most common length of stay is two nights for one or two bedrooms needed, then stays around 3-5 nights - we are a popular town for staying en-route, taking a break from travel, but not especially for a week's stay. I am missing one-night stay bookings entirely (I've just switched this back on), getting too many two-night bookings which then block out a day each end (I can not do same day turnround with a 1100sq ft wing to clean between each stay). Also, after lowering my rate dramatically for a short period near the end of this month, all it did was get a booking for 2 midweek nights for a team of two workers needing two bedrooms, a huge amount of work for almost nothing and effectively blocking out other stays.

Though each wing of the house can sleep six, with one king, one double and one sofabed/bunks option I was charging for four guests and then £25 extra per guest - have changed that to making the basic booking cover one guest only, then £10 for each further up the maximum 6. This will still not prevent guests from asking to have three rooms made up for three guests. What I really need from AirBnB is the ability to charge per room per night, with each room having a capacity (always 2 for mine). But this isn't offered or possible - just like being able to set a high price for a single night, but reduce it for 2 and 3 and thereafter a base rate.

Has anyone worked out a way to achieve this?

David

[Mike-And-Jane0 · Accepted solution]

@David9478 you could create 3 listings 

Listing 1 for 2 people in 1 bedroom

Listing 2 for 4 people with 2 bedrooms

Listing 3 for 6 people with 3 bedrooms

Link all the calendars so you don't get double bookings and lock bedrooms not needed depending on what rents.

Also switch on  pro tools in your account and you'll find it easier to manage 3 listings and also you get rule sets which will give you additional flexibility

Finally, even if the calendars are linked blocking 1 listing will leave the others available so you can remove the 1 bed place in high season when you can fill the 2 or 3 bed.

[David9478]

Thanks a lot - so although it would be the same actual property, I would replicate the entire listing and just change a few details and remove some pictures? I guess it's not possible to duplicate a listing in one click or this would be very easy. I would then have six listings. I didn't do the linked calendar thing as this seemed to indicate that a booking in one wing might prevent the other wing getting booked (I can see how that works within one unit and different sleeping arrangements). I already can lock rooms not used, since Covid have just asked guests not to use them and this has been honoured.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@David9478 you can duplicate  listings using the 'duplicate listing function' BUT the duplicate will revert to a flexible cancellation policy and Instant Book - basically the things Airbnb want hosts to offer.

The other issue you may find is that the 3 bed listing may appear first on the search engine before the 1 bed even if people are only searching for 1 bed. This is a pain but livable with

[David9478]

Just done the start of setting up one for two rooms only and I can see how it works and what I may need to change - I guess I'll leave the maximum occupancy offer with the fullest description and fine tuned policies and see what comes up, but I may change the 'master' booking to have lower occupancy and the 'in this' variants to have higher. Seems illogical but if it allows it, could work.

Thanks again. Better settings would be preferable to creating multiple listings, but if they don't do it - they don't do it!

[Gillian166]

@David9478  the other thing i'd suggest is that you add in the description and in house rules and in your guest messaging that the listing they have paid for only gives them access to the 1 room.  They book for a couple, and the price is low, and somehow they think they can move rooms (The Goldilocks Guests) or invite friends over. Some places might be set up like that, and even though hotels charge by the room and p/p, and previous STR holiday rentals is for the whole house, this new type of accomm is still "new" to many travellers. 

I don't want to lock off rooms but I am considering some kind of pretty door sign that politely informs guests they haven't paid to mess up this room too.  

[David9478]

@Gillian166  point taken, I have always said if the other room is made up please do not use it. I made swing tags for the doors during Covid which say Covid Cleaned please don't enter and that was never complained about. I have also fitted adult head height bolts on some doors to prevent children exploring storage used for things guests can use like ironing board, and a room with use as an office if guests need it. My last guests, couple, used only the master bedroom and I saw they had left the second room closed, and also bolted the 3rd/office, no reason to!

[Andrew2792]

Hi David. I totally hear what you are saying. When I first started hosting a few years ago, the feature to offer a % discount on a set number of days was available ie 2/3/4 days etc which I found to be a very useful feature for the reasons you mentioned. However the only options available now are 1 week, I month ,8 weeks.. which to me aren’t as useful as I don’t usually  like to make my cottage available for long term stays as I like to use it myself when days are available which seems to be most of the time these days since I had to raise my prices due to energy prices. 

[David9478]

@Andrew3 - I'm only here since 2020 and never had those options. As my wings are literally that - two wings on the ends of the central house which is now my space - I turn off their heating when empty and even power down fridge/freezers if there's a gap of a week or more. But I am looking hard at the energy bills - huge, 200+ years old, stone, Scottish property. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@David9478 what fuel do you use for heating? we have a central biomass boiler feeding our house and our apartments with the apartments having separate heat meters so we know exactly how much they cost. Our heating is so expensive (18th century solid walled, high ceilings, single glazed old Rectory) we may close down in Jan/Feb as the percentage of variable costs will be about 50% of the revenue (prediction so it could be worse!)

[David9478]

Gas - three supplies, although it's one house for council tax. Inherited the supplies as we put the house back together from divided and partly derelict 'bits' in 1988-1992. One boiler is now over 35 years old and one is exactly 34, very simple and surprisingly efficient compared to my 17-year-old main house one which is complicated, unreliable, expels loads of heat via noisy fan assisted flue and won't run without power. Due for replacement but I do not trust any of the suppliers and know the actual cost of the models they want to sell me at double trade price. I do get three £66 rebates at the moment because I have three supplies.

1806, 6000sq ft, 14 big original sash windows on 85ft wide two-storey frontage - but they do face SSE and rooms get warm when the sun shines even in winter.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@David9478 you could actually save money by business rating the wings and then getting a lower council tax band on the house. Danger is you will definitely be clobbered for CGT when you sell but you may anyway if you have been renting the wings out.

[David9478]

@Mike-And-Jane0  they didn't give a lower tax band on the house when one wing was business, they didn't give a lower tax band when we sold a building plot carved out of the garden, and they didn't give a higher tax band when reinstating the former flat/office as part of the house. It's already second to the maximum and always has been, it's a bit steep even with sole occupier discount and they don't make any special allowances for living on a basic state pension. Despite separate entrances etc it's historically one house and my sole residence - unlikely that a few months in total renting bits on AirBnB in 35 years plus of ownership will be an issue. I'll be selling within the next two years and taking the holidays I've missed since 2019!

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@David9478 we can now stalk your listing as we used be able to do before the CC update. What a lovely place.

@Gillian166 have a look!

[Gillian166]

@Mike-And-Jane0  indeed. I just love old homes, period furniture and quirks, like a sink in the bedroom. ha, fabulous!