EP176: This Week in the World of Airbnb - a podcast by Jasper Ribbers

The hotel lobby has crossed a line this week with an ominous ad linking Airbnb to terrorism. Airbnb spokesperson Peter Schottenfels referred to the commercial as ‘an outrageous scare tactic’ and argued that the big hotels sponsoring the ads have lodged terrorists themselves.

Today Jasper is joined by Noah Neiman, Hostfully Co-Founder and Head of Product, to offer their takes on the tenuous argument made in the attack ad and share their recent adventures dealing with short-term rental hosts making unexpected requests. They also cover the incredible growth of Tujia, Airbnb’s Chinese competitor, and the staggering boost in Airbnb bookings associated with the solar eclipse taking place August 21st.

Listen in to learn how Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky handles his lengthy to-do list, and how you might handle a bad review that stems from charging a guest for damages. Noah and Jasper conclude with a question from the Facebook group around Smart Pricing. Learn why Airbnb has an incentive to keep prices low and how you can use an alternative third-party service to determine the optimal price for your listing!

Topics Covered

Article #1: New York City’s Hotel Industry Links Airbnb to Terror in Harsh Ad
•Refers to Manchester attack
•Intends to instigate fear
•Link tenuous at best
•Airbnb calls ad ‘outrageous scare tactic’
•Counterargument that terrorists also stay in hotels

Article #2: Ctrip Keeps Supporting Tujia ‘WeChat Hotels’ to Engage in Shared Housing
•Airbnb competitor in China
•Partners with text app and travel service site
•Triple digit growth since 2016
•Airbnb may need local partners to compete

Article #3: Airbnb Expects its Biggest Night Ever in South Carolina Thanks to Total Solar Eclipse
•Solar eclipse on August 21
•Path of eclipse through many rural areas (with few hotels)
•Airbnb bookings five times higher than usual
•Hosts should use dynamic pricing apps

Article #4: The CEO of Airbnb Starts Each Morning with a Simple but Effective Twist on the Standard To-Do List
•Start with exhaustive list of things to accomplish
•Group similar tasks, choose one that will cover all in group
•Refine to a few big tasks
•Shark Tank investor Barbara Corcoran uses similar strategy

Q1: A guest spilled red wine on my table runner. Should I take part of the deposit to cover the cost? I am worried about receiving a poor review in retaliation.
•Yes – if cost is significant percentage of rental fee
•Can request to have unfair review removed or respond to review with explanation
•One bad review won’t destroy your business (80% five-star reviews necessary to maintain Superhost status)
•No guarantee host will receive portion of security deposit
•Claim before next guest arrives, within 14 days
•Guest can accept or decline
•Airbnb investigates, mediates resolution
•Documentation necessary

Q2: Airbnb Smart Pricing doesn’t reflect the optimal price for my listing. Why?
•Airbnb branded as affordable alternative to hotels
•Must consider best interest of guest
•Incentive to keep prices low
•Use a third-party service like Beyond Pricing

Resources Mentioned
Article #1: nydailynews.com/new-york/new-york-city-hotel-industry-links-airbnb-terror-harsh-ad-article-1.3370202
Article #2: prnewswire.com/news-releases/ctrip-keeps-supporting-tujia-wechat-hotels-to-engage-in-shared-housing-300496413.html
Article #3: postandcourier.com/business/airbnb-expects-its-biggest-night-ever-in-south-carolina-thanks/article_92fd8f00-6cb7-11e7-987d-dfa9e3dc33da.html
Beyond Pricing
Smart Pricing How-To
Article #4: businessinsider.

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