Star Ratings Dropping?

Do any of you search listings frequently? I shop a good bit - always dreaming of getting away, lol!!

It seems like it used to be ‘everyone’ got 5 stars, sometimes 4.5 Made my 5 stars feel unimportant. Now, however, it seems like 4 is more common. I assume people are catching on that they still want a good value for the money, and (hopefully) the cream is rising to the top? (I hope I’m ‘cream’, I try!!).

There was a new host near me, but her area is not very good, and her prices were cheap. At first she was 5 stars and got super host quickly. Now, however, she’s not a super host and her stars are down to 4, and the complaints are stacking up.

There is one host in the Shenandoah Valley - they have many properties, nicely priced, but not one property has 5 stars - all 4 or 4.5 So I’ve decided to not stay in one of their places. (Plus, in their listing the whine terribly about how they have no staff, work non stop, and never have a day off… well, they purchased at least 10 properties…)

Anyone else notice this change?

Oh, and yes, WAY MORE IB than there used to be, that is showing up - so using IB no longer distinguishes a property. Sad for me, since I use it (though rarely does anyone actually BOOK using IB).

I get very great comments from guests but many 4* (I think it’s coming that is Air Bnb newbies) and I am not doing the pushing about the * system in air bnb, I feel it’s too much to do that.

I’ve said this before about the star ratings. Just look at the ratings for top-end hotels or boutique B&Bs that charge many times what we charge but of course get amazing amentities. Rarely if ever do they get the equivalent of 5 stars, yet people flock to them. We need to stop the obsession with being “perfect” and just relax.

What you are describing is not your typical AIrbnb offering; it’s a hotel/motel situation with loads of people coming through the properties so of course they can’t be given as much attention and everything can’t be perfect.

I’ve got the Super Bi___ badge for now :)))))) but I’m not going to get depressed if, and it will happen, a guest or 2 come along and don’t think their stay was over the moon fabulous.

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I’ve noticed some of the places I’ve stayed in this summer have been dropping since I first started looking around 2 months ago. There’s one place where I think the drop from 5 to 4 stars was well deserved.

I’m the private feedback I mentioned the dirt problem. Apparently he didn’t do anything about it. The reviews after mine were absolutely horrible. I think his cleaning service is ripping him off.

In other cases I think people are getting pickier, as in new users who are accustomed to sterile chain hotels.

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It also has to do with the way AirBnB now changed the names for the rating.

5 stars used to be “great”, now 4 starts is “great” and 5 starts is “fantastic”.
To be honest, I think there are very little guests that would call a place “fantastic”.

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Oh! I didn’t know about that change - yes, I’m sure that’s it. I think that’s a good change, overall. As long as I stay in the ‘fantastic’ category, lol!!

I wonder if it will be harder to become and stay a super host. Hmph.

Yes I suppose it will be more difficult because it is very unrealistic to expect 80% or more of your guests to give you a “fantastic”. People don’t do that for the Four Seasons with the Godiva chocolates on the pillow.

I don’t care about the Super H badge at all! I’m hovering at 83% 5 star reviews, but that ain’t gonna last long with this awful heat wave we’re having and I don’t have AC. It’s also driving the local ant population crazy and some are heading indoors in search of water and food, so I’ve got the random scout ant wandering here and there that I know freak out some people.

It’s all good though. I’m booked because I’m cheap for the solo traveler and most appreciate the bargain, and can save their $ to spend on other stuff.