How Airbnb wants to ease tensions between hosts and guests


Mathilde Rochefort

May 06, 2023 at 09:30 am

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Airbnb © Shutterstock

© Shutterstock

Under fire from critics, Airbnb has just announced more than fifty new features aimed at bringing more transparency to the platform. The firm thus hopes to ease the tensions (between guests and customers) which escalated during the Covid-19 pandemic, and prepare for a summer season which promises to be very busy.

Between stay cancellations and additional cleaning requirements, the pandemic period has generated many conflicting situations between the two parties. With its new products, Airbnb intends to reverse the trend.

The series of updates the most comprehensive ever »

A few months ago, the company announced more clarity on prices, it is now going much further. ” Millions of people have given us feedback on how to improve Airbnb. We listened to them. Today we present the most complete set of updates ever. Our design-driven approach means we’re constantly improving Airbnb, and our 50+ new features and updates are just the start. We will never stop improving Airbnb “, announces Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb.

Guests can now view the total price of a stay, including tax-free charges, across the app, i.e. in search results, price filters, maps and rental listings. Payment instructions will also be more transparent, allowing customers to view them before booking, as well as get a reminder before leaving the accommodation. During the review process, travelers will also be able to report any abuse or over-request; Listings with repeated low ratings will be removed from Airbnb. These new features respond to the problems posed by cleaning obligations that have exploded during the pandemic, causing a climate of misunderstanding between guests and guests.

Other features include improved cards used by more than 80% of users, redesigned wishlists that allow them to add notes to listings, and a calendar that shows listing availability. Monthly stays are also simpler and more affordable, with a significant reduction in service fees for stays longer than three months.

airbnb features © © Airbnb

© Airbnb

The Rooms feature for more affordable stays

Airbnb has also announced a new feature called Rooms. This is intended to be more affordable for travelers, allowing them to meet local people with whom they can stay. The rooms offered are often under $100 a night, with an average rate of $67 a night. To reassure travellers, each room has a “ host passport which allows you to get to know its owner better. Airbnb Rooms includes a dedicated category with over a million listings, new filters, and improved privacy features, like indicating the presence of a lock on the room door or indicating the presence of other people in the accommodation.

Airbnb now has more than 4 million hosts who have hosted 1.4 billion customers. The company has long struggled to find a balance between these two sometimes opposing pillars of its activity. With its new functionalities, it hopes to respond more effectively to the needs and requirements of each of the parties. This year, the platform expects the arrival of at least 300 million customers among its hosts.

Sources: Bloomberg, Airbnb



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