strange results
strange results
We let through airbnb and Homeaway. This year we have only had three bookings through Homeaway which we have used successfully for around 8 years- until two years ago they were the only site we used. I contacted HA to see if they could offer any reason for our lack of bookings and they gave us a free months featured listing which made no difference despite being marketed as bringing in more enquiries ( normally you would pay extra for this) The airbnb bookings are fine but always for short periods- it is rare for us to get a weeks booking so the workload has increased. Am wondering what to do for next year- has anyone else had this happening?
Whereabouts is your property Roy. Oh, and welcome to the forum
I think most of us are experiencing a downturn in both enquiries and bookings following the senseless fiddling and twiddling by HA and OD which have succeeded in doing nothing but messing up previously good sites. I would say that bad publicity regarding the fraud risk of 'direct from owner' rentals hasn't helped. All you can do is be ever more focused in the way you try to get to your market, hence the question about where your rental is located.
I think most of us are experiencing a downturn in both enquiries and bookings following the senseless fiddling and twiddling by HA and OD which have succeeded in doing nothing but messing up previously good sites. I would say that bad publicity regarding the fraud risk of 'direct from owner' rentals hasn't helped. All you can do is be ever more focused in the way you try to get to your market, hence the question about where your rental is located.
Very nice Roy I am not clued up on the best way to market properties in your location, but there are plenty of UK owners with useful insight to offer. For what it's worth (and that probably isn't much ) I still see AirbnB as being largely for short breaks and if that is not your primary market then you might need a 'holiday rentals' listing to complement your HA one if that is not bringing home the bacon. As you are accustomed to the commission model (which I hate with a passion) what about either a UK cottages type site and/or another mass market holiday rentals site such as Holiday Lettings? The latter would get you a Trip Advisor listing too.
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- Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2012 5:30 pm
- Location: millport
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I have had hardly any enquiries from AirBnB. I'm on a commission listing with Flipkey, and I would say about 50% of my bookings have come though them- my listing shows on Trip Advisor.
I also advertise on my local tourist information website- is there something similar for your area? I get a lot of enquiries from there too.
I also advertise on my local tourist information website- is there something similar for your area? I get a lot of enquiries from there too.
Hi Roy, your place looks lovely. Before you give up on HA why not take a fresh look at your listing, your photos, your facilities, the competition and see if some of it could do with an update.
Worth remembering that the listing sites, their search mechanisms, and guests' wants have evolved over the 8 years you've been letting so you need to make sure you are keeping up.
I had a quick look at your listing and notice all the photos are captioned Bath &......not sure if there's a fault on HA. Your barn looks charming - just a shame there's no colour or sunshine in your lead shot.
Your bedroom shots could be improved with fully made up bed and towels. At the moment you have what looks like a non-matching, non-fitting quilt on the bed. Look at how the competition do it.
Am also not sure if the double futon is adding anything. Do you get many children? - Certainly two couples are unlikely to want to sleep in the main bedroom together so what's the point.? Also futons are notoriously uncomfortable. Why not re-think it as a romantic retreat for two people only and charge the same
Hope that's helpful and constructive.
Worth remembering that the listing sites, their search mechanisms, and guests' wants have evolved over the 8 years you've been letting so you need to make sure you are keeping up.
I had a quick look at your listing and notice all the photos are captioned Bath &......not sure if there's a fault on HA. Your barn looks charming - just a shame there's no colour or sunshine in your lead shot.
Your bedroom shots could be improved with fully made up bed and towels. At the moment you have what looks like a non-matching, non-fitting quilt on the bed. Look at how the competition do it.
Am also not sure if the double futon is adding anything. Do you get many children? - Certainly two couples are unlikely to want to sleep in the main bedroom together so what's the point.? Also futons are notoriously uncomfortable. Why not re-think it as a romantic retreat for two people only and charge the same
Hope that's helpful and constructive.
Tavi- you really have given me food for thought! I am going to analyse the market we appeal to - off the cuff it is families and generally from all over the world. We have 85 5 star reviews on airbnb so something is working - but only one recent one on HA - no bookings - no reviews........................ Thanks again
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- Location: in the hills of Pennine Yorkshire
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hi Roy, we are UK based, a rural barn in the Yorkshire Pennines. We get over and above most of our enquiries from the holiday lettings site although more now coming from our own website. i don't much like HL but if you want enquiries they are much better for us than Air BNB. we have't used HA or OD so can't compare with them.
we got a local professional photographer to do some photos and it wasn't that expensive, we set it up like a film set!!
we got a local professional photographer to do some photos and it wasn't that expensive, we set it up like a film set!!
ever hopeful!
www.crabtreebarn.com
www.crabtreebarn.com
Hi Roy
My property is in Sussex & during the last 2 years Owners Direct has brought me the most bookings, followed by Holiday Lettings. However recent changes to OD may well affect my future bookings & HL bookings have been going down.
I have had just 3 bookings via Air BnB in the past 2 years (last on in Dec 14) & only 1 that came indirectly through HomeAway.
My property is in Sussex & during the last 2 years Owners Direct has brought me the most bookings, followed by Holiday Lettings. However recent changes to OD may well affect my future bookings & HL bookings have been going down.
I have had just 3 bookings via Air BnB in the past 2 years (last on in Dec 14) & only 1 that came indirectly through HomeAway.
Hi Roy
Have to say that your place looks lovely. The Garden in particular looks absolutely charming.
Do you attract any Soho House people who might want to use the Cowshed at Babington but who don't want to stay at Babington? Might be a cheeky market to consider.
Also, a weighted weekend or couples rate (with accompanying extras) and maybe a push for the weekend market might be a way forward.
I'm in a really rural area, but because my properties are large, I have a slight edge. With my marketeers hat on, I would suggest that you need to identify USP's and promote them on whichever site you choose to advertise on.
Have to say that your place looks lovely. The Garden in particular looks absolutely charming.
Do you attract any Soho House people who might want to use the Cowshed at Babington but who don't want to stay at Babington? Might be a cheeky market to consider.
Also, a weighted weekend or couples rate (with accompanying extras) and maybe a push for the weekend market might be a way forward.
I'm in a really rural area, but because my properties are large, I have a slight edge. With my marketeers hat on, I would suggest that you need to identify USP's and promote them on whichever site you choose to advertise on.
If you want to find me, Google The Barton Poughill!
Welcome to the site
Our property is in the Cotswold Waterpark, so not a million miles away but does have 3 beds.
We've only been offering it out as a holiday let for a year now. A majority of bookings by volume and revenue have been from Holiday Lettings (sadly). We're on a commission advert.
Air bnb has typically been for shorter lets but we're seeing average duration of stay increase and are happiest with it of all the major sites in terms of how they treat both guests and us as owners.
OD has given us some valuable bookings but their recent changes are taking a while to filter through. We'll probably renew next year but i'm going to second guess it'll be our last year with them.
Our property is in the Cotswold Waterpark, so not a million miles away but does have 3 beds.
We've only been offering it out as a holiday let for a year now. A majority of bookings by volume and revenue have been from Holiday Lettings (sadly). We're on a commission advert.
Air bnb has typically been for shorter lets but we're seeing average duration of stay increase and are happiest with it of all the major sites in terms of how they treat both guests and us as owners.
OD has given us some valuable bookings but their recent changes are taking a while to filter through. We'll probably renew next year but i'm going to second guess it'll be our last year with them.
Thank you to everyone who has answered . Regarding the suggestion about Babington House- funnily enough the couple who came to stay so that they could go to Babington's
New Year party liked it here so much that they bought the house next door to us! Back to bookings- over the last year 83 bookings from Airbnb and 4 from Homeaway. So no shortage of bookings - just that we would prefer to have longer bookings like we used to get- although maybe the market has changed. We are going to give Holiday Lettings a try as this seems to be the site that most of you prefer
New Year party liked it here so much that they bought the house next door to us! Back to bookings- over the last year 83 bookings from Airbnb and 4 from Homeaway. So no shortage of bookings - just that we would prefer to have longer bookings like we used to get- although maybe the market has changed. We are going to give Holiday Lettings a try as this seems to be the site that most of you prefer