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 agree most people have no idea of the time and costs involved to keep a holiday cottage up to a 5*hotel standard,
For my two 2 bed 2 bath cottage, l allow my cleaner 6 hours, that includes, sweeping the terrace, cleaning the hot tub and sunloungers, garden table and chairs.
I did it myself for one cottage last summer as we were a cleaner short and it really does take several hours to clean very thoroughly, kitchen, 2 bathrooms, two bedrooms, living room, and make up beds with pristine white bedding and fluffy towels....it is a hard slog.
We did win a Customer Choice award from cottages.com, and the reviews are very good, like most things you get what you pay for.
I don't book with air BnB myself, or advertise on the site as the reputation is not good.

Also agree about the cleaning fees and having to do a thorough clean up. We always left it spotless but it was just extra faff. I think the novelty of using air bnb has worn off.

But that one is over £100 even in November. God only knows what’s being charged in the summer months but from what I can make out from similar properties, very likely to be at least £150 per night.

Even in November, that hut is more expensive than a whole villa next to the sea in Sardinia, in season.

I just think U.K. prices have become crazy when booking airbnb type accommodation. Yes, that shepherds hut has a hot tub and looks nicely kitted out but at the end of the day it’s still a shepherds hut, tiny, and you’d probably freeze your ass off in November.

If people want a beach holiday and access to the great outdoors why would they choose the hit and miss u.k. weather, when you can go abroad and enjoy amazing wildlife, scenery and beaches for similar or even less money?

Op I’m with you - literally not a whiff of interest!

We have glamping on Airbnb. we also charge separately for cleaning - I think I undercharge and will be reviewing this going forward. Especially as we have a composting toilet and I literally have to pick up peoples shit. Unbelievably people can’t crap in a loo, they can around it, on top of it etc but not actually IN IT. If someone wants to complain about the cleaning charge, they’re welcome to clean up their own shit 🤣.
I also have to do several loads of washing, ironing etc and it takes me far longer than 1 hour 🤦‍♀️

Not looked at it recently but the last booking we did through them got cancelled at short notice by the owner with no explanation. First we knew was Airbnb refunded our rental fee. Not sure I'll use them again.

What i’m trying to say is, a U.K. holiday used to be cheaper than going abroad. But prices are now climbing to the same if not more expensive.

Just because everyone in your area is charging similar for similar shepherds huts, doesn’t mean customers think it’s a good deal. I’m quite shocked at how pricey things like glamping actually are when compared to other places abroad, even factoring cost of flights. I can’t be sure but I think even with the flights included we will spend less going to a place that is 100m from the mediterranean, with white sand beaches and almost guaranteed 30 degree weather. If not less it’s going to be very similar price wise than many of these sea view shepherds huts in the u.k.

Really just does not compare!

Not many people are going to book somewhere with a compostable toilet. And certainly not pay more for it.
If you have had no bookings, how are you undercharging? No one is prepared to pay the current price.

I am paying less for a four star hotel abroad than some of the shepherds huts in the UK.Now people can fly again, many of these options make zero economic sense.

I love AirBnb and have had some great experiences.

I don't like cottage websites as they always want you to book a week with arrival and departure on set days.

And booking.com makes me stressed! It shows you things that aren't available on your dates (why?!) and then scream at you that 24 people are looking at the same room as you and you need to book NOW!

Although I did see a tent in someone's garden being advertised on AirBnB for £80 a night. I wonder if they got any bookings...

I have cleaned hotels in my youth. I think some of you are either slow at cleaning, or have not designed your properties to be easier to clean. There are lots of ways to have a clean and lovely house without spending ages cleaning every time.

By the way I do regularly clean my cutlery drawer. It takes very little time if done regularly

These are the changes I'm talking about! The owners probably have a nice title, but Air BnB have taken those away and it makes it confusing for guests.

If you click the map function in your search this is how you see the exact location. It shows the map with all the properties as a square with a price. Then scroll along the bottom of the map to look at all the properties. It's the best function on the website now!

So you've had no interest but you think you'll put the prices UP?

How is that likely to pan out (no pun intended)

Perhaps its better to re build if you can and put a property that is attractive to people and easier to clean anyway

I don’t book with Air Bnb because I’m my opinion it is taking homes out of circulation. There are loads of them in my home town and locals are finding it hard to buy and landlords are turfing out tenants and properties bring let as holiday homes instead. Rents have become sky high too.

@francesfrankenfurter we were fully booked last year, even when everything opened up. We also had lots of enquiries - we’ve had born.

as it is you don’t know how much I charge for the night or the cleaning so perhaps ask those questions first?

also you’d be surprised about how happy our guests have been with the facilities - just because it’s not for you doesn’t mean that being off grid isn’t for everyone. we’ve had amazing reviews and never had any complaints about our pricing (under 3 figures).

It isn’t to do with the current state of the economy, it’s well known that it’s to do with how the algorithms have changed, it’s depressing that after working hard at it for the last year this algorithm has meant we have to try and start all over again, but this time with no clear access to guests.

You're not entitled to interest.

Going abroad is far better value and is what the vast majority of people would much rather do. We were all trapped here last year because of travel restrictions and insane covid test prices and desperate to go anywhere at all after three horrendous lockdowns.

I went to the south coast early last summer and it was the worst holiday and biggest rip off of my life. No way am I paying those prices again for mediocre accommodation, dodgy weather and bad food. I'll get on a Eurostar and have a break in the French countryside or a quaint little town with amazing bistros and cheap wine.

Bit weird how your solution to nobody booking with you is to charge even more for cleaning, as if it's somehow your guests' fault that you have to actually do the work involved in running a glamping site.

Sounds like greed to me. I would be expecting breakfast, lunch, dinner and a bottle of champers for that price. Along with full access to bathroom and changing facilities.

Because people like it? Because they want a short break and not get on a plane? Because they are loaded and £150 a night is nothing to the.? Because people are different and like different things?

Did you read the reviews? The people who booked and paid £150 a night loved it, even in November!

What else do you do from a marketing POV? I market four properties (owned by the same people) and they have always been on air B and B. However they’ve tried to push sales through their own website as it’s better for them and their customers. It’s maybe worth doing similar. So use your own website, social media, online ads, e.t.c, and boost your sales that way.

That one is booked out for months so is doing something right.
OP is not getting bookings. So it is not as simple as air bnb.

Map - yes i use the map all the time, its the only way I have ever viewed the site. The properties are not shown in their location, they're not far from it but not on the exact location which is important sometimes if you're wanting to know what side of a busy road the property is on, on a particular side of the village or not.

Description - well some owners clearly have more precise descriptions than others. So right now looking at a 'guest suite in North Scarle' so that tells me that the accommodation is in a particular village and that its a self contained section of an annex/house etc. Another one says 'apartment in Melmerby'. But other respective descriptions are 'tiny home in Nottinghamshire' or 'tiny home in North Yorkshire' which is far far less descriptive for the customer

So yours should be Shepherds Hut in Padstow, or wherever it is.

Also to add to my last post, their Shepherds Hut property is starting from £200/night but sleeps four. It’s typically fully booked. I’ll have a look at bookings tonight and see if bookings via Air B n B have gone down like you’ve seen.

I like AirBNB as it allows you to book shorter stays. So many of the more 'traditional' holiday / cottage companies expect you to book 7 days and the customer service is appalling. I'm not as keen on booking.com as I find the descriptions / photos misleading at times and you have to read the small print very very carefully to be sure of what you are getting.

Just been on AirBNB and see that the listings have changed - to be honest I prefer the shortened titles - some people advertise 'luxury' but it isn't luxury IMO or 5 star when it clearly isn't.

OP I think the problem is that a lot of owners put their prices up massively post Covid and frankly it is hard to justify in some cases. IMO some of the glamping sites are way overpriced when they don't have what I class as basic facilities (eg washing machine / driers) available for guests. Not saying yours is like that but you might want to review your prices

@bellac11 yup the cleaning charge will either go up (it’s incredibly low currently) or I will make it far lower and the customer will have the option to do their own cleaning of the facilities.

But as I say, it’s not the glamping that’s the issue, or the location, or the price, it’s the algorithm that’s the problem.

We have other avenues for marketing which don’t seem to have a problem (with pricing or filling the dates)but part of the attraction of Airbnb is the marketing/support etc that you receive from them which means for me it is easier to run as a side income in addition to a full time job.