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My inquiries/bookings have rather suddenly dried up. In response I’ve adjusted prices, spiced up decor & pics and added amenities. Still nothing.
There are a ton of new “professional” comps around me and at first I thought that was it. But they don’t seem to be booking well either.
I’m near a high density, crowd-based event location. Even my last couple of bookings were for family visits. I’d blocked Christmas and opened it at the last minute, but clearly too late.
Now I’m wondering if Omicron is the issue. I’m in an area full of anti-maskers and anti-vaxers. Sigh. Here we go again?
Please delete If this link isn’t allowed, but it’s full of need-to-info in my opinion. It has a ad for the news agency but the story is free to read.
IIRC you’re in Texas, right? Well I can tell you several reasons why: Gregg Abbot, Crooked Ken Paxton, and “Cancun Ted” Cruz are three of them. My bro lives in Mexico (he and SIL are vaxxed but not boosted) and usually gets his Medicare doctoring in Austin, usually by overnight bus, and they’re afraid to go there now. If they have major issues they may end up flying direct to Seattle, where he has other docs.
I’m guessing it is, especially for international trips. I don’t think people are as afraid of the virus as they are of the travel regulations (like required quarantine upon your return) so they are waiting to book until the last minute or just not booking at all.
My international and cross country bookings have yet to return to pre COVID levels. I am also in a 5 college area and parents are not coming in for events like they used to. However, I am getting bookings from people who can drive here and more are showing up with masks on. I don’t think that the new variant specifically is the issue for me.
This is normally my slow season in NE and our Infection rates are rising. I have only gotten 1 new booking in over a month and nothing yet for the spring. I know for myself, I’ve stopped booking trips. (I was going to do a cruise to Alaska in the summer but am holding off because of Omicron and what might follow.
I opened limited days the last two weeks of Dec. I got a couple of bookings who have now both subsequently canceled. However all their days and more got booked by repeat guests who know to text me directly. One is coming for 4 days due to yet another unexpected death in the family. And flights are a mess. One regular was here last night due to a canceled flight. The repeat guest from Boston has to go to Austin, spend the night, then come to El Paso the next day.
Reservations have come late and yet still people are having to change plans. Whether Omicron or general anxiety I don’t know.
This is my first winter with the STR and it’s been dead for me for a couple weeks. In looking at others in the area, lots are not very well booked. Hard to know if this is the norm.
It’s cold here and I suspect the slow time of year. Not like AZ where it was the busiest.
I’m in Austin as well, and have had very few bookings this month. I have repeat guests for Christmas and New Years. Looking at past years, December and early January are generally very slow, so I don’t think it’s necessarily the virus; just people are saving their travel for the holidays.
That could be. Although the bulk of my guests over the last two years have been couple visiting adult children/grandkids, rather than those coming for events or business. So I think there is still a market for smaller rentals, just perhaps a different one.
You may not have noticed because we’re way up here but we’ve been going through it for a couple of months now, it’s been really really bad. If it makes you feel any better (though it probably won’t, lol), my state has both, concurrently, the highest rate of vaccination of all the states (tied with Vermont) as well as the highest rate of covid per 100,000 of any state.
Last year we held the record, for a couple of weeks, for having the most cases per 100,000 of any state or country in the world.
Of course, it’s better to have more people vaccinated, but there’s nothing about getting vaccinated that keeps people from being dumb and spreading it around. Basically, the only difference is that a good portion of our dumbasses got vaccinated so I suppose less of them will die from it.
Our stupid governor finally made a partial mask mandate 2 days ago. It doesn’t start until Monday though
But to answer your question, we just canceled a stay today that was for 2 days starting Sunday. It was a stop along the way to go to DE for Christmas, but we’ve called it all off now. I had our calendar blocked because we were planning to be out of town so I can’t comment on whether or not we would’ve been booked or been canceled on.
I know no one will want to see this, but read it in WaPo this a.m.
Eric Topol from Scripps Research said omicron’s “exponential rise could take us to levels of even one million cases per day in the United States, which previously would have been considered an unthinkable projection.”
Eric Topol, doctor/scientist is someone that a lot of people follow on another site I follow. People really trust him.
Well, taking into account everyones feedback (thank you!), it feels like the “perfect storm”….
I waited late to open Dec dates/slower season
Pandemic resurge w/ assoc. fears, illness, and restrictions
4-6 persons is my usual; if I’d allow more I might get Christmas, even this late, but I’m not up for it.
Lots of new competition in my area
I mostly opened last 2 weeks in Dec as a backup to folks who might get cancelled last minute. I finally finished my 2021 books & exceeded our $ goal but basically by a single booking. That made me nervous, I think.
Jan 2021 was our first month after being down 4 months due to the car vs house accident. So we started slow/slow season. I guess 2022 will start the same.
Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year! And for those who are down to receive it…God bless you!
When I first re-opened I offered a moderate cancellation and everyone who booked with this cancellation cancelled. I’m tired of losing income. Get trip insurance. I honestly think very few people even understand the cancellation policy.
Now if someone wants to cancel, I just let them know that they should cancel so that:
a) They get back their cleaning fee
b) If I get rebooked I will refund the amount I’m paid on the new booking. I make it clear that I have to reduce my rate so that it will be less and I also let them know I have no control over Airbnb fees being refunded.
Now I’m much happier. I might get less bookings due to my policy (I only know of one that I didn’t get because I wouldn’t change my policy) but at least I know that I can count on that income.
I prescribe lashings of the finest Oloroso all round, as my research has shown it to be highly effective in the battle against the fallout from this virus purely from a hosting perspective.
The more cancellations you get, the more Oloroso is required. After sufficient medication, you simply don’t give a feck anymore
Says he who has two apartments sitting empty the last weekend before Crimbo. Its been a fantastic Dec for us, but it’s now ground to a halt.
