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In addition to a room in our own house we’re renting three properties in different parts of the city center. One of the properties is located in a vibrant multicultural area. The location is great for travelers, just a short walk from the Central Station and Bus Terminal, the main street area, and most attractions can easily be reached by walk. There is a wide range of restaurants and shops in the area.
However, compared to the other properties we have, we get a lot of negative feedback on the area. “We didn’t like the area”, “we didn’t feel safe in this area”, “great apartment in a horrible neighbourhood” etc.
I do not understand where this is coming from. This area is not more unsafe or safer than any other area in the city center. The city we live in is in general quiet and safe and statistics show the crime rate in this specific area is not higher than any other area in the city center.
Still, a lot of travelers seem to assume an area with many of people of color must be very unsafe.
The many negative reviews due to “the bad area” keep us of from earning superhost.
Any advice how to convince people this is in their heads, not reality?
Perception is reality. Revise your description so people who are not comfortable in the inner city will choose somewhere else to stay. Just because someone isn’t accustomed to being panhandled as they pass the bus stop doesn’t make them racist. Or, even if they are, you would be better served to warn them off in the description.
I try to warn away a certain type of guest in my description. It’s not that I don’t want their money per se, it just isn’t worth the bad reviews in the long run. Prefer to set expectations low and overdeliver.
unfortunately, if you mention “it’s a black area” in any form, some people (possibly even black people) will think you’re trying to warn that it’s a ghetto, and you may lose bookings!
It’s not fair, but that’s possibly how a certain percentage of potential guests may think.
Could you describe it as a ‘suburban New Orleans’, or similar? Lay it on thick, how peaceful it is, although I assume you cover that anyway. Would photos sum it up, or put people off?
(knowing how this forum works I run the risk of being called a racist, for acknowledging that there are racist people out there…let’s see if anyone bites!)
Can you say in the description that it’s located in a multicultural neighborhood? As for the review that mentions it’s in a horrible neighborhood, I would respond to it with data showing low crime rates (compared to other cities) and the median income for that neighborhood so future guests can see that it is not a ghetto.
Oh Lordy @Barns stop trying to wind people up - you know very well that no-one would call you racist for acknowledging there is racism - to intimate you would be called a racist by anyone here for simply stating this, is just plain silly.
This has been discussed at length on these forums before @O_Apartments why not have a look at some of the previous posts covering this issue.
Those of us living in similar areas make it clear in the intro and in the listing that they are in vibrant multi-cultural areas and include photos of the area, this helps those with racist inclinations to self-filter so they don’t book at your place.
Oh hi Helsi! Wow! It’s almost like you can’t remember that poor chap who made reference to the 1930s “no irish allowed”, and how he was hounded by The Woke!
Can you put photos in the listing that clearly show what you think negative feedback is referring to with the goal of preventing future guests that would leave negative feedback from booking in the first place?
You said “us” and that you have 4 listings, so I suppose one workaround would be to change the listing admin (I think that requires recreating the listing) so that the reviews for the listing with consistently lower reviews go to one host and another host can become a Superhost from the other listings.
Do you mean the OP should put photos of BAME people in this listing @Brian_R170 as living in a multi-cultural area is what is putting off some racist guests according what @O_Apartment says
Yes perception is reality—-as A nurse Ive volunteered in some sketchy areas. I was in a large city with coworkers a few weeks ago. There were comments about the area not being “nice”. They were naive and didn’t realize what a “bad” area looks like.
@Helsi My understanding is @O_Apartments’ guests are leaving negative feedback about the neighborhood because of the people they see in the area, not because the neighborhood is actually bad. I’m saying put some photos of the neighborhood on a busy day, kids playing in a local park, a local bar/restaurant on a busy Saturday night, the train/bus station, or whatever shows the guests the people they’ll encounter. Pictures are much more likely to get the point across than any words in the listing description. Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m kind of assuming racists would book elsewhere.
What city is this? For those of us who do travel, mentioning your location would be helpful.
As a guest, where I would look for a room depends on the city. As a jazz and blues fan and as a musician, I like to stay in multicultural neighborhoods where I can easily and safely walk home from a night out, and where there is a good variety of ethnic dining opportunities. Your description needs to attract people like me.
I concur that some photos of the neighborhood would help filter out many bigots, and a description of the kinds of entertainment nearby would attract jazz, blues, hiphop, or reggae fans.
Ah, that’s exactly what I suggested to @O_Apartments in my earlier post on this thread and something I have done for my own listing @Brian_R170
Unfortunately it doesn’t always work and I still get people complaining about feeling uncomfortable in the neighbourhood (i.e. they don’t like that it is a multi-cultural area).
