Hosts around South Africa are offering Airbnb travellers great experiences when traveling around the country. But what makes the perfect Airbnb host? NICOLA D’ELIA, GM for Middle East & Africa (MEA) offers some hosting tips.
Every day, from Amanzimtoti to Zeerust and every destination in between, hosts around South Africa are creating unforgettable experiences for thousands of Airbnb travellers.
Be sure everything in your listing—photos, details, house rules, pricing—accurately reflects what guests will experience. And don’t skimp on photos. Listings with better photos get more bookings. Airbnb actually offers free professional photography, and you can check here to see if your location is covered.
Get to know your guest’s travel plans so you can personalise their experience. Download the Airbnb app to respond to guests from wherever you are in the world. And aim to respond to all enquiries and reservation requests within 24 hours. We have found that hosts who respond in less than 12 hours get twice as many bookings per month.
Manage your calendar meticulously. Find the right match for your space by setting criteria and using Instant Book. Hosts who keep their availability calendars up to date receive five times more bookings than those who don’t.
If you can’t keep a reservation, contact your would-be guest as soon as possible. Apologise profusely and bend over backwards to find back-up accommodations. Don’t forget to officially cancel online, too. Hosts can use Groups to help find another available host.
Clean as if royalty were on their way for a slumber party. The cleaner your space, the more glowing your review. Our research shows that listings with 5-star cleanliness ratings receive 20% more bookings.
Fresh bedding, towels, soap, and toilet paper are a must. Always have them available upon arrival. Plus feel free to add your own little luxuries, too, like maps, local wine, coffee beans, aromatherapy diffusers or even a vase of fresh-cut flowers.
Show world-class hospitality with a prompt check-in time, transportation tips, and a tour of your space. Airbnb guests live for outside-the-box travel activities. Teach them how to eat, dance, and bungee-jump like a local.
Check in on guests, be easily accessible, and go way out of your way to offer alternatives if things don’t go according to plan. Our world isn’t perfect. Pipes burst and ankles twist, but you have the power to help remedy these situations.
Write a review (compliment or constructive feedback) for guests within 14 days of checkout. Approach this as if you were writing a thank-you note or a friendly letter encouraging one how to be a better guest. This will also help encourage your guests to write a review as guests are 70% more likely to review their host after their host reviews them.
And remember:
From pricing to easing the arrival of a guest, Airbnb offers a range of personalised tools that let you spend more time building lasting connections with guests instead of managing your listings. The newly revamped Host Dashboard on Airbnb is more personalised to your needs.
You can see everything that is important in one view: pending requests, upcoming guests, alerts, and reviews. This makes it easy to you keep track of your reservations and stay on top of your interactions with your guests.