I don’t think that Airbnb is being mysterious about the criteria for becoming a Superhost and maintaining that status. Although I think 10 reviews is a pretty low number; I believe that as Airbnb is not yet a publicly traded company it’s owners have the right to run it as they please. I appreciate their efforts to reward hosts who have only one listing. I believe that it is the hosts who have many listings who are causing most of the problems that give Airbnb a bad name.
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I must say that a lot of guests told me they prefer a more personalized experience, one that the person who manages the place is the real owner. It isn´t that real estate agents aren´t good hosts but it is a fact that having many properties listed consumes time and finally, affects the hospitality you are able to give for each property you manage. Moreover, the owner can act more quickly to the feedback provided in order to boost the guest´s experience. My guess is that Airbnb wants volume but also wants keeping great hosting experiences and it didn´t come to my surprise when someone here in the forum mentioned a new program they are testing in Japan, in which the owner rent his property through Super hosts nearby. There are wonderful and super responsible real estate agents but others are just the guy that delivers you the keys and I´m sure that´s not what Airbnb wants.
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I agree wholeheartedly.
Plus, after two years of being a SH, I can honestly say it has netted us exactly nothing.There is nothing to be gained by being a SH except higher expectations on the part of persnickety guests who expect to be treated as a British subject would treat the Queen of England - in 1860 - if they were angling to get a peerage.
Airbnb does not do anything special for us, guests are still super-crappy whenever they feel like it - on and on.
I think they should institute a Super Guest designation and even there - that will still be biased in favor of the guest since we’re nicer to them than they ever are to us.
A lot of guests think they are somehow not being discerning if they give you five stars. It’s total BS.
I just had a guest who crashed our whole series of good reviews by complaining that the bed was “saggy.” Brand new bed - more expensive and luxurious than the one we have at home. Now we’re screwed until we can gather enough reviews to put her in the rear view mirror - Susan, Newton MA, watch out for her, she’s super nice in person and does not utter a word of complaint, just kicks the legs out from under you in the review.
Seriously. If this is a social media platform on the sharing economy where people can stay in homey places and/or offer up a home for a short stay then I have this to say to Airbnb, You’re doing it wrong.
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Stephanie
I absolutely agree with you. I did have SH status for one year and then lost it to 4 star reviews. I was amazed once i got SH status the expectations of guests went up seemingly exponentially. I got nit picked on reviews for the most ridiculous things. It ties into guest expectations and I think AirBnB has attracted a lot of newbies who have no idea of what a vacation rental is about. They compare it to hotel level service and critique from there.
Though I continue to get 5 star reviews and would otherwise qualify for SH status I refuse it and have a friend make a reservation at least once a year that i “cancel” to keep myself from getting SH status… it was nothing but a headache and netted me nothing in return.
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that’s something to consider.
It never occurred to me that sabotaging our SH status might be a wise way to circumvent these issues.
Thanks for the idea - and I like the way you think!
Hi @bikebrainiac,
Isn’t it an option to just tell Airbnb that you don’t want their Superhost badge?
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Interesting. I was just Airbnb shopping for an upcoming trip and I refuse to book with anyone who has the review that says the host cancelled the reservation. I don’t want that to happen to me. I guess you still have all the business you want though.
Perhaps it is… I have not tried that route with them. My interactions with them usually end in frustration so I did not try that route… i’ll try in another 6 months when i am up again for it.
Well K9 I understand what you’re saying. But I have explained to people why reservations were cancelled, one was actually due to unforeseen/emergency plumbing repairs in the condo buildings. I’ve cancelled two reservations in 3 years and I think most guests would understand that emergencies and issues due come up which require cancellation. My view is that guests should be concerned with trends rather than isolated incidents, but again, to each his own.
I believe I offer a great vacation rental. It’s not top of the line by any means but I strive to make it good for my guests and have found this not being a SH is a better way of matching my guests’ expectations with what I offer. My problems began and ended when I obtained and lost SH status. I know there are guests who will only rent from superhosts and that is OK. Most of the issues I had were related to guests expecting something I do not or could not provide (changing out towels on a 3 night stay, not providing extra towels for the pool and spa, the HOA had not cleared 2 feet of snow by 7am in a ski town, that i do not offer netflix or apple TV, or that a fire in the mountains burned the fibre-optic cable taking down internet in the town for 5 days, etc). I believe these expectations are out of line with what I offer. I’m not an hotel and honestly do not want to be.
There are hosts who can and do offer a higher level of service and those exacting guests are better off staying in a place where their needs will be met… if that rant makes sense.
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Makes perfect sense.
I don’t think the fault is within SH per se, it’s the kind of rental you have and the people attracted to it. People with self contained/whole house/apt/condo rentals that cater to tourists seem to have the most problems. I’ve been a SH 2+ years over 160 bookings not one single serious problem. 97% 5 star reviews. This is very little to do with me and much to do with my one night, passing through traveler guests instead of the tourists you get.
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I needed to read this today. Thank you for the touchstone about guests and the differences between AirLOCAL and AirHOME.
Yes. You hit the proverbial nail on the head.
And don’t forget that you take dogs. Most places don’t 
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@KKC Good distinction, you are more for ‘one-night’standers’ vs. destination tourists? No punt intended.
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What’s the downside to SH status? I’d like to obtain it to set my place apart from the others in my area. It would be good to see if it increases my bookings.
From that perspective, it can’t hurt. Some do feel that it makes booking with other hosts more difficult however.
Some here claim it leads to bookings from guests with unrealistic expectations and hence lower star ratings on reviews once the status is granted. In over two years and over 100 guests I have found no downside.
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It is a risk I am willing to take!
I’m a Superhost and nothing change in terms of my bookings neither my rate. In my dictionary a Superhost is a host that make twice the effort to get the same revenue.
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