Do you host many business travelers? if yes, what do you do to attract them and how do you make your property ready for business travelers?
Iām not a host (yet!), but I do book Airbnbās based on whether theyāre business ready or not. Hereās some things I look out for before booking:
- Workspace. I work online and so the first thing I keep an eye out for is a desk of some kind. Itās all good if itās just a dining table, but if thereās nowhere I can sit my laptop down itās a big no no.
- Comfortable chair(s). Along with the workspace, there really needs to be a nice chair to sit on. Thereās not much chance of me working on an uncomfortable looking chair. Benches are surprisingly comfortable to work on.
- Decent internet. If youāre looking for business travelers like me, sharing your internet speed will make a huge difference. I usually have to ask the host specifically, but if you can share it in the description thatās a massive plus!
Thatās pretty much it. Hope that helps 
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My listing doesnāt qualify for Airbnbās business ready tag but it would be fine for many business travelers. I have a picture of the desk but your post has me thinking I should put a better picture of the desk with a laptop on it and the chair. Do you think a picture of the laptop with the results of the internet speed test on the screen would be appealing?
@KKC. Be careful about posting internet speeds. As we have seen, if your listing includes a speed test, AirBNB will refund the money if a guest complains that it was not as fast as you āpromised.ā Much safer is to post what speeds you pay for, with the disclaimer that speeds can vary based on your providerās ability to deliver what they promise. I have very fast internet which I pay a lot for since I am working on VPNs, uploading files, and doing large data transfers for my ārealā job, and I have decided NOT to make this a feature. Sometimes, the speeds are not what I pay for and I donāt think that my guests should get a refund.
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That is an excellent point. I also pay for a high speed but internet tests show it much slower. Iāll just add a picture that shows the workspace better.
Well, that was a quick turnaround for me!
I went from, 'Hey! Great idea to list my internet speed since I also pay for high speed" toā¦āer, I guess not.ā
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I want to know the Internet speed of the place I would be staying at, and would definitely pay extra if I know that I can get a fast Internet, but the thought of being granted a refund for a lack of performance of the Internet connection is batsh*it crazy. In fine, this is an example of Airbnbās policies preventing a superior consumer information, and preventing a a superior experience for the guest.
Let me recap: The house rules, as laid out by the host and clearly presented as ārulesā, would be unenforceable, but the screen captures of speed tests would be, although those pictures are in no way part of any contractual commitment or representation of specific performance? Infuriating.
Somebody please fix Airbnb, I will be busy heating their servers.
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I know! I have just shy of a T1 line. That is a plus! But sometimes, life and technology happen, and the speeds are slower. Happens to most of us. But, there was a poster who claimed that his guests āchangedā the modem box, told AirBNB they werenāt getting internet, and they were refunded the amount of their stay! The technician who came to fix the problem [host isnāt tech savvy] said that these people changed things deliberately. Imagine, they broke it enough to complain, and probably actually did have the promised internet. I mean if you know how to break it, you know how to fix it.
I would, if asked, give someone my internet specs, but I am very cautious about promising anything that is beyond my actual control. My list says calm, not quiet. It is quiet, but the city might decide to dig a hole in the street to access the sewer, or a neighbor might throw a party.
This is part of the CYA Book of Hosting. 
I have a back up plan for that. There is a local Xfinity hotspot for which I have the user name and password because Iām a customer. If thereās anything wrong with the modem in the rental they can use that or, because my apartment is directly opposite, they can use mine.
Yes, internet is vital for business travel. (Well, any travel). But what Iām concerned about is the host supplying things that I donāt want to pack. I donāt want to be checking luggage in at the airport. So I look for a place that has an iron, hairdryer, shampoo, other toiletries etc. Laundry facilities are a plus too.
I prefer to have a place with a kitchen or kitchenette and because business travel often means taking flights at weird times, such as after the working day, then I also look for late check in.
I donāt care about a desk because if Iām using the laptop or iPad itās more comfy to be on the bed or sofa. Whatās especially lovely is if thereās a garden, yard or balcony so I can work outside using wifi.
Of course, location means a lot too.
I used to have a back up planā¦ a CLEAR plan that could be accessed using a dongle. But, then I opted for a smartPhone so I rolled the funds I was using for one into the other. Not much of a backup plan. Thank goodness, my uptime is terrific. Though it might slow down in the evenings, in 14 years I have only had about 24 hours of downtime.
I have considered offering a mifi to guests to carry around in their pockets at a small charge. This is a benefit for international visitors who donāt choose to get a US SIMM card.
The key word is āClaimed.ā We have no way of verifying that actually happened. Iām all for taking people at their word until they show they are untrustworthy or obvious trolls. But anyone can post anything here.
I still think I wonāt post my internet speed. It does say āfast wifi,ā in my description and Iāll leave that. Also I have one and two nighters. If someone really wants to lie about the internet here in order to steal $50 (aka trade their soul for 50 pieces of silver) then let them.
Iām just wondering if it would make a difference if our listings said āfree wifiā? If something is free, then can guests really complain if the internet service is slow or has gone down? Mind you, knowing Airbnbā¦
Exactly. But, the point remains that since the Host could not prove it one way or the other, the guests were given a refund since there was no wifi and the listing said that there is. Like you, I am onsite. I am using the internet access. It would be difficult to pull this off with an onsite host. As to free wifi being a disclaimer, I have no idea. If I wrote my listing narrative to account for all the wacky things I have read both here and on the AirBNB community boards, my listing would not be as welcoming as I like to be. And, it would be a terrible use of free webspace. 
Iām sorry I wasnāt clear. The person posting about the modem being messed with claimed they were given a refund. We donāt know that to to be true. I was somewhat incredulous of his story when he posted it. So Iām not going to make any decisions about what I do based on one disgruntled personās story.
Hopefully Airbnb recognises that there are some amenities that are beyond a hostās control. On two or three occasions weāve had the water supply interrupted because of work going on in the street. Luckily, I was able to warn the guests, supply bottled water and suggest that they showered using the free showers on the beach. So the guests were fine.
Here in Florida some minor storm can knock out the internet or the electricity temporarily and luckily guests see it as part of the āFlorida lifestyleā and donāt complain.
But itās as well for hosts to have contingency plans in place in case of these issues.
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Many good tips here, thanks a lot
My listing has been ābusiness readyā since a few months, and despite the fact that my listing is located near the business district, I havenāt had many business travelers yet. It seems like business travelers still prefer hotels or they have deals with certain hotel chains.
Many business travelers work for companies with a travel department, and their lodging is paid directly by the that department. It is the folks who receive a per diem, are self-employed, or work for a startup who will be most likely to book. I think business-ready does give some indications about the setup, so though you may not have had many business folks, that designation might have been important for some of your guests.
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