What do you wish you knew when you started out?
- For me, it was how much laundry I will do and how much I will enjoy.
1 Like
Some people are liars.
Always use the Airbnb system for payment.
Be wary that people might make mistakes in their booking (number of people, dates etc)
3 Likes
I wish Iād known how clumsy and messy people are. Iād have bought all duvets covers and or quilts and no American style comforters. I have a brand new comforter thatās going into a yard sale.
3 Likes
That people present themselves differently from how they really are and that they backstab. This was really really hard to swallowā¦ and sadly made me into the jaded host I am today. 
2 Likes
NOT TO PAY ANY ATTENTION TO AIRBNB āPRICING TIPSā!!! That handicapped me to this day, and itās hard to crawl out of that idea. Now I have a summer full of bookings at $20-$50 less per night than what Iām getting nowā¦
7 Likes
Meanwhile the tourists are so thrilled that they got a killer deal in DC during the high season!
4 Likes
Speaking of your never ending pricing saga how is Beyond Pricing going??
Itās ok - they got me reconnected, but when they did, they had slashed my price for that night, and someone booked it before I could fix it. So Iām not real crazy about my prices being changed without my knowing it. I did raise my minimum quite a bit, almost to my base, to keep that from happening again. Itās probably not fair for me to judge them over the summer since I was so booked anyway - Iāll wait and see what happens in the fall. They think I need to cut my prices by 25% for same day bookings, but my experience tells my otherwise. Weāll seeā¦
Oh, yeah, Iām doing a lot of people a big favor, lolā¦
If you are overbooked, your prices are too low. Itās better to do less bookings at a higher price point.
4 Likes
Im confused. We are talking about Beyond Pricing right?
You set your base price to your normal every day price and then you set you minimum price, that your nightly price never falls below, and they do all the work. We very rarely go in and have to change the price. I did manually lower a random 2 night stay for next week during the week, but that doesnt happen too much. I also do have some major events marked up for 3x what BP suggested, but everday business, i leave alone. I will lower my base price once out season ends and put it back up in March. Our ave nightly price is up from ā¬301 in 2015 to ā¬360 this year and that was 100% BP, I would have charged less.
Exactly what Kona said! The goal is to make more $$$ not be booked 100%, unless you own an island like @Mearns.
4 Likes
Here is an interesting factoid @azreala; two islands who are also in southern Belize, and the only thing they offer which I donāt is a cook/caterer, charge $1500 ( 2 people) and the other $1135 again for a couple a night; I for a slightly smaller island (with no cook and no personal catering) but in an exquisite location (inside a reef) and the same amenities only $395. Drop them off, pick them up a few days later, thank you very much. My thinking is this: I rather have the type of people I feel most comfortable with than the type of people they get who sound, judging by their managerās tales, 50% are constant whiners and obnoxious? I DO value a positive atmosphere and canāt stand whinners, important to note. What would you do? What you any of you do? Charge more and bite the bullet or enjoy the journey with minimal hassles?
PS. Forgot to mention, the aspect my guests like the most, is that they are ALONE in the island, unlike the other islandās clientele who presumably want someone catering to them, presumably.
3 Likes
With greater money comes greater complainersā¦ You are completely right @Mearns.
Since we have raised our price in Barcelona everyone feels the need to point out the most trivial inconvenience they had while at our flat: the clothes dryer doesnāt dry like the American one I have at home (um, hello, thereās this thing called a close line, us civilized Euros use it), the shutters make the house dark (well the shutters also keep the cool air in on 35+ days, you can also OPEN them), I canāt believe they didnāt serve a full breakfast (um, where did I say I did), the flat is too far from the metro (it is literally around the corner, not kidding, walk turn right and you are there), and my favorite of the seasonā¦ The building had a very āoldā exterior and the multi colored tiled floors should really be replaced as they seem worn (!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! Itās Barcelona not Suburbia, Iām sorry my house is 150+ years old in a town from the 15th century, my bad).
5 Likes
Oh my Lord, travel all the way to Spain and wonder on why things are not ālike homeā. The last one about the tiles, speaks volumes, how totally ignorant. How you handle such things? In one ear and out the other?
3 Likes
The version of that, that involves wine! I use to respond, and recently noticed it made the bad review stand out that much more, so i just let it go. I thought about emailing the last one, and say maybe you shouldnāt travel, but what is that going to accomplish? Making me more stressed bc now Iām in an āonlineā battle of words with someone? Just not worth it, but I will gripe about it for awhile.
2 Likes
In will keep that in mind, have a drink instead wasting a nano-second responding.
1 Like
Itās trueā¦ some people shouldnāt travel. Those same ones would find something wrong at the Taj Mahal.
1 Like
I should have known before that there is no sense in discussing the price. The rate is fixed, thatās it, no discounts.
3 Likes
I think I understand what you mean, @Mearns. There are lots of threads that say ācheap prices, crappy guestsā but that was never my experience. Iām still charging a very reasonable price because part of my mission IS meeting lots of people, sharing what we have, etc. When my prices were rock-bottom my guests were SO HAPPY to be here, left gifts, friended me on fb, etc. Now my prices are higher (but not high by any means) the guests are still happy but it is not the same. Iām staying where I am, though, as Iāve calculated what I need to replace my income from one of my part-time jobs and the full-time renter that we asked to depart. But Iām still giving families and groups a nice place to stay at a good price. I say our mission statement is to offer āa great place to great people at a great priceā.
Youāre booked for two years out, is that right?
2 Likes