Remember back when Covid hit, Airbnb cancelled all bookings, hosts worldwide screamed loudly, and Chesky put out that grovelling, crocodile tears video apologizing profusely for springing it on hosts, how sorry he was not to have given hosts any warning and promising such a thing would never happen again, that hosts would be kept in the loop?
Well, apparently Chesky doesn’t remember. He’s no different from the politicians who can’t seem to recall whether they had a telephone call with the POTUS before or during a violent insurrection, or what the content of said phone call might have been.
Who is this “everyone”? Even a six-year old can grasp the concept that all 8 children at the bithday party can’t have the first piece of cake. (I used to hand the first piece, after the birthday girl, to the child that was quietly waiting their turn in the background, not clamoring around loudly, trying to be first) You do what you can to stand out from the crowd, with your photos or amenities, price or uniqueness, and hope for the best. And I personally know lots of hosts, none of whom have the attitude that their place is the “best”.
Consider yourself lucky. When I click on my little touristy beach town, it shows listings in Guadalajara, the second largest city in Mexico, 5 hours from here, (inland, no beach)with thousands of listings, and Puerto Vallarta, an hour away, with also thousands of listings. It’s akin to showing Washington DC listings when you input Myrtle Beach.
The algorithm was obviously programmed to pick up what would be most wanted by the digital nomad demographic, which is who Chesky and Co. see as the wave of the future and are actively courting on all fronts, with long stays, etc. And with the new 72 hr. window for guests to lodge a complaint, coupled with the Air Cover assurance for guests (which I have little doubt will come out of hosts’s pocket) they will easily get a full refund if the internet is a little slow for a couple hours on their 3rd day, or the desk chair isn’t comfy, using their refund to prance off to their next “live anywhere” destination, leaving their take-out containers, make-up and hair dye stained towels and bedding, and high electric bills in their wake.