To think the recent changes to Air BnB will mean fewer people will book with them?

[Movinghouseatlast]

Have you looked at Air BnB in the last 2 weeks and noticed the changes they have made to the website?

I ask because I have a glamping business and since the 'summer release' I have had no bookings at all. Absolutely there are issues with the cost of living/ energy crisis but it seems a bit of a coincidence that I was getting plenty of bookings before the changes happened.

I just wondered if from a consumer point of view if the changes are making a difference? I just think it's not user friendly any more!

I do have my own website but I have stuck with Air BnB as I have always had a lot of bookings and to me as a business they work out cheaper than other platforms like Canopy and Stars etc.

Thanks!

I have used Air BnB quite a few times, but possibly wouldn’t in future.

I don’t like it being impossible to make some bookings without having my photo on my profile, and it is not obvious until I actually come to book.

Also on the last 2 bookings I have been charged by my phone provider for my messages to property owners sent via Air BnB messages. It is only about 50p per message, but I can’t see any warning of this.

Unfortunately the last property owner was very conscientious and sent me several messages, and I ended up paying around £5.

I can’t be bothered with them anymore. I’ve found over the last year that I can stay in a well located hotel with earlier check in and later check out, breakfast and no bed stripping for about the same money.

On booking a recent trip to Krakow, the central 5* hotel was cheaper than the Airbnb apartment a bus ride away.

People have higher standards now.

This. ^

I think @Movinghouseatlast that the glory days of air-bnb are behind us now. People can get better for less money, with less faff. You say you're not expensive, but I bet you are compared to what someone can get for less money. I wouldn't go 'glamping' if you paid me. Even the word 'glamping' makes me cringe. Would much rather go to a hotel, hire a villa, or go abroad.

I'm always being told by owners that it's cheaper to book direct, but whenever I check their website, I find that the prices listed are the same.

And frankly, I'm happy to use booking.com for the convenience and flexibility of booking choices unless I've stayed somewhere before.

It's not really surprising is it op. UK tourist accommodation providers hiked their prices massively last year as people were stuck here. Now people can go abroad with guaranteed good weather and it's vastly cheaper. I got 2 weeks in Crete for 1350 flights included. The UK holiday sector had a chance to make the market more popular but they have shot themselves in the foot by massively increasing prices. It's a hut not luxury accommodation the smoke and mirrors thing is annoying.

Yes I know the listing has changed. I am saying that how people will search now is all properties by the beach. So your shepherds hut will show up in that search. You need to look at all properties you are competing against in your location, not just at shepherds huts.

I agree with PP, I think AirBnB has had its day. Far too expensive now, I tried to book a 3 night break for just me by the coast. The initial cost was approx 320 pounds, when I went through the booking process, 2 sets of additional charges were added and the cost increased to over 400 pounds. Just list the actual cost!

You obviously aren't my target customer, that's fine, I'm not upset or angry about that if that was your aim.

Air BnB is just a marketing agency for holiday properties, so unless everyone stops wanting to stay in self contained places of any description then there will always be on line travel agencies advertising them.

Of course things come at different price points. Not everyone just looks for the cheapest thing available.

But share your listing and people will give specific feedback.

You are right OP.

I've just tried to filter my search to look for :
A Shepherds hut
By the sea
5*

I can search for either a shepherds hut or beaches but not both together.
The only way of doing it is through google search.
For example:
'Shepherd's hut, by the sea, Wales, 5*, Air B&B'

Air B&B's own search engine is crap.

I do look at all properties in my area. It's how people in this industry set their prices.

I get stressed at the whole review thing. I am a perfectly law abiding and clean guest (although I do have young children) but I really don’t feel relaxed knowing someone is going to judge me.

This, this. The selling points of AirBnB were originally that it was cheaper and more personal. I am not sure it works out cheaper any more, and I don't particularly want a personal relationship with someone I don't know; it would make me feel obliged to go mad with the cleaning and tidying at the end because I'm a conscientious person who avoids unpleasantness.

(FWIW I always leave hotel rooms in a tidy and decent state, but at the end of the day I like the fact that with hotels you are not going unwittingly give offense to the owner, piss someone off or end up getting into a dispute--assuming you are a normal sensible person who does not trash the rooms or nick stuff, obviously).

I agree with the price hike thing last year definitely.

Last year, our favourite place (log cabin) shot up from the usual 1100 pw to 1950 pw. For the same weeks. Unbelievable!

I didn't even bother looking this year.

I've found the same. If I'm not saving money I'd rather go with a known website. I'm not such a fan of Air BnB these days. The hidden charges make it difficult to compare prices so I stick to booking.com which is easier to navigate and has some real hidden gems.

I looked UK
then used the filters to choose shepherds hut, then by the beach, a huge number have come up, some are very clearly in places where there would be restaurants nearby but without knowing whether I want Padstow or Devon or somewhere else as they're dotted all about the UK, its difficult understanding what the issue is

When Im looking for holidays I tend to choose location first, for example I might want to go to Padstow, I tend to look for cottages/houses/apartments or tiny homes. I dont want a room in someones house unless its self contained. So once I put in Padstow I use the map to look at whats there.

So this is typical of shepherds huts. Over £100 a night for a weekend in July for a hut with no electricity, lanterns provided,patchy wi if, and shower and toilet in a separate hut. The interior does not even look that special. It is the location that looks attractive. But I would rather pay more and get something better at the location.

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/43721801?sourceimpressionnid=p3165382627665BaN75vq6B7j%2B6cp&guests=2&adults=2&checkin=2022-07-16&checkk_out=2022-07-18

I've only booked once with AirBnB. The place was great, close to everything. No hidden charges. But the messages from the host were timed and they seemed irritated about me asking impromptu questions. I'm an anxious soul! I much prefer booking.com but I must try VRBO too, I've heard good things.

Change the name to ‘beach-side hut’ then?

The issue is that it is now easier to compare shepherds huts against other property at the same location.
Loads of holiday properties are by the beach and near restaurants. It is not a general use.

They are moving slowly that way.

Owners can opt to pay the guest charges which means that the price you see is much more reflective of what you will actually pay. A lot of owners don't like it though so it's very much a minority at the moment. It's mandatory for some though who use certain booking software so I don't think it will be long before Airbnb prices are much more transparent across the board.

Personally I look on Airbnb and then try and find an owners own website. It's generally cheaper there as the owner isn't paying any fees or commissions

@notanothertakeaway i think I worded my comment badly.
I’m worried about the impact of short term lets so I try to avoid self catering in general and use more “traditional” type accommodation.
in some parts of the country self catering would have been traditional so I try to book somewhere that hasn’t come out of the local residential property pool to become tourist accom but is either purpose built/converted. These properties are generally more readily available/ identifiable to me on the “cottage” websites.
I have also stayed in a former seaside boarding house that had been converted into an aparthotel by it’s current owner.

This seemed smart to me as it appealed to modern accommodation trends and kept the building in use for it’s original purpose.

i’m from edinburgh and have seen the city centre communities decimated by self catering accommodation.

I will only take guests with verified ID and a photo for insurance reasons. Airbnb discourage third party bookings, so I must be sure that the person at the door is the person who booked. Any problems and they won’t pay for damage.

I include cleaning charges in the cost. I do not ask guests to strip beds or take rubbish out - I wear a mask and gloves and do that myself. However, the one in about a hundred who does this unasked get five stars, everyone else get four. Four stars is not a criticism it just means that the room and bathroom was left as I would expect.

The price some hosts charge for their spare rooms is bonkers. No matter what energy costs are doing, a spare room or SC accommodation is only worth what guests will pay for it. I have had rude messages from other hosts for undercutting, but they need to get real and not be so greedy.

It does sound like ABNB have changed their search options which is causing yours to drop out because it’s not picking up your USP. Are there other platforms as an alternative?

I do think people are steering clear of ABNB though, we all saw the stories last year of price hikes and stays being cancelled because the owner could get a higher price. NOT that I’m saying that’s what’s happening here OP, but a general downturn on the platform might be exacerbating things.

We used air BnB yesterday for the first time in ages. The new ID process was a complete nightmare as someone booking from abroad. Horrible. Not surprised your bookings are down, we were v close to giving up.

Airbnb in itself is just a portal, most people who own holiday let's a will list the same property on multiple different sites including booking.com. I agree it's not as user friendly but it's still very popular.