Air BnB - Should I try harder?

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rosebud
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Air BnB - Should I try harder?

Post by rosebud »

I have had very few bookings through AirBnB: 6 in the last 4 years. I believe the main issue is price.

Several times guests rated me as not very good value when I had reduced my normal price significantly...

There seem to be more and more local properties advertised on Airb'nB - some clearly doing very well with bookings and lots of very positive reviews

The properties are all much cheaper than mine and let for a minimum of 2 days (one for minimum of 1 day!) I have always advertised a minimum of 3 days...

Lack of my usual bookings from the end of Oct to mid December has made me wonder whether I should try and attract AirBnB guests??
Marks
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Post by Marks »

Maybe try something different?

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COYS
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Re: Air BnB - Should I try harder?

Post by COYS »

rosebud wrote:I have had very few bookings through AirBnB: 6 in the last 4 years. I believe the main issue is price.

Several times guests rated me as not very good value when I had reduced my normal price significantly...

There seem to be more and more local properties advertised on Airb'nB - some clearly doing very well with bookings and lots of very positive reviews

The properties are all much cheaper than mine and let for a minimum of 2 days (one for minimum of 1 day!) I have always advertised a minimum of 3 days...

Lack of my usual bookings from the end of Oct to mid December has made me wonder whether I should try and attract AirBnB guests??
I’d be wary about devaluing, which is exactly what you’ll be doing if you cut prices solely to compete with the cheapest. Others may well be busy just because they are cheap but that doesn’t necessarilly equate to being successful. All things/costs/time considered, is a bargain basement 1 or 2 night rental really worth it I wonder?
This time next year Rodney, we'll be millionaires.
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GRL
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Post by GRL »

Similar issue for me - I have had a handful of ABB guests and one of those said I was expensive compared to other places .... but were they comparing like with like? I just accept that maybe I am not the "right" sort of property to attract ABB guests although I will have a good look at my advert and maybe write my text in a different way and change some photos.
e-richard
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Post by e-richard »

Rosie wrote:... maybe I am not the "right" sort of property to attract ABB guests
I think this is a very plausible explanation for a lot of us who do not succeed with abb - maybe?
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Bordering
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Post by Bordering »

Price is a huge factor, but minimum stay 3 nights is also bound to reduce the number of times you show up in search results.

I think some properties are a good fit for Airbnb, and others not for a variety of reasons. Its popularity, and in some areas the emergence of low-cost hotels with dynamic pricing, are re-shaping the short stay market by disrupting ‘standard’ price models.

I rent out a chalet in the grounds of my house, and because it’s right next-door and is compact and un-carpeted, changeovers and meeting arriving guests are about as hassle-free as it gets. Occupancy is really high even out of season because I compare prices and always make sure I’m very competitive. The low cost of changeovers is really key to this being possible.

A friend nearby does B&B at market rate. She’s in a good location - very close to a popular Cathar castle - but gets very little from Airbnb, and I noticed in her reviews, which are generally quite positive, a couple of whinges about price.

I think the net effect of Airbnb is to push down prices, which overall isn’t a good thing when prices in the shops are on their way up. On the positive side, I think overall occupancy is up as a result of people spending their discretionary budget on experiences rather than things - but whether this trend will last is anyone’s guess.

If there are a lot of properties near yours on Airbnb, you’ll definitely get more from it if you enable instant booking.
rosebud
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Post by rosebud »

Many thanks everyone (I loved the cartoon)

I enabled Instant Booking a few weeks ago, next lowered my prices then subsequently adjusted them again offering 2 days minimum! I had a substantial increase in views but still no bookings.

But do I really want to go down this route??

Unusually I have found myself with 7 unbooked weeks from the end of October but overall my profits are up for the year so far!!
Jenster
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Post by Jenster »

I think that's your answer - if profits are up you are doing something right, and that is a better measure of success than occupancy. You are attracting fewer but higher value bookings, which is less wear and tear on your property as well.

I don't get much from Airbnb either, again I believe because of price, but it's just not worth my while to go lower given the time and effort involved in changeovers. For those like Bordering, who have small places and live on site, I can see it would be. These are the type of properties best suited to Airbnb I feel.
COYS
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Post by COYS »

Jenster wrote:I think that's your answer - if profits are up you are doing something right, and that is a better measure of success than occupancy. You are attracting fewer but higher value bookings, which is less wear and tear on your property as well
+1
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rosebud
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Post by rosebud »

Thanks Coys and Jenster.. I agree.

I decided to increase my prices on AirBnB yesterday with my cleaning fee at its true rate (£60) and guess what?

Late yesterday evening I got a 4 night booking from this Sat:
Worth more than if someone had booked directly with me!

My first AB booking since Feb this year..
Martha
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Post by Martha »

Lots of good points here. I'd add that if I'm looking for a place on airbnb, I've often found myself increasing the minimum price if there's a lot of options, to cut out the really low cost ones. I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this, and your experience seems to bear this out.
Chalet la Foret, Chamonix
rosebud
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Post by rosebud »

Amazingly my effort has paid off .. at least in the short term...
No bookings since Feb 17 then 4 from the end of October..

I had previously tried switching on Instant Book - this alone made no difference..

I put up better photos, rewrote the text and after studying others price structure changed mine. (Cheaper Sun - Thurs) I lowered my prices for 3 nights breaks .. but only a little ... I put my cleaning fee as £60 .. its actual cost. Others have no cleaning fee or £20 - £40 ..

....and hey presto bookings!! (2 x 3 nights, 1 x 4 nights, 1 x 12 nights) All made within 4 weeks of stay.
kg1
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Post by kg1 »

I too get little from ABB, and include the cleaning fee in the rental - but am beginning to think I would be better to lower prices & have a cleaning fee. My fear though has been that guests will think it OK to leave a mess because they've paid extra for cleaning.
louiseddie
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Post by louiseddie »

In my experience there are very different expectations from Airbnb guests. We're quite a high end property and have received consistent glowing 5* reviews for the last four years on OD and HL. We very rarely get Airbnb bookings and when we do we usually get rated 4*' with sometimes 3* for 'value for money'. I think people are looking for a cheap bargain on Airbnb and even though they're getting a 5* property and service they think they should be paying less for it as it's on Airbnb, which is the impression Airbnb gives in its ethos/marketing.

I find it really irritating and am not too bothered that we get less bookings through Airbnb as the other thing we've noticed with their bookings is Airbnb guests have been the only ones with whom we've encountered problems with guest communication and not leaving the flat in a very good state.

Just our experience.
COYS
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Post by COYS »

louiseddie wrote:In my experience there are very different expectations from Airbnb guests. We're quite a high end property and have received consistent glowing 5* reviews for the last four years on OD and HL. We very rarely get Airbnb bookings and when we do we usually get rated 4*' with sometimes 3* for 'value for money'. I think people are looking for a cheap bargain on Airbnb and even though they're getting a 5* property and service they think they should be paying less for it as it's on Airbnb, which is the impression Airbnb gives in its ethos/marketing.
+1
This time next year Rodney, we'll be millionaires.
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