Airbnb’s Superhost status is more than just a shiny badge that sits on your listings’ profiles, telling would-be guests that they can expect quality experiences when they book with you.
Being a Superhost lets your guest know that you are an experienced host that is going above and beyond. This gives guests peace of mind, knowing that Airbnb is vouching for you.
Additionally, Superhost status also means that your listings will be given preferential placement in the platform’s search results, may be featured in promotional materials distributed by Airbnb, and, of course, will appear in results whenever potential guests looking to stay in your area apply the Superhost search filter. All this amounts to more eyes on your listings and consequently, more guests in your properties and more revenue.
But, if it was easy to become a Superhost, everyone would do it, right? Here’s what you need to know to make the leap from great host to Superhost and ensure you maintain that coveted status.
Understand the algorithm
Superhost is a status given by Airbnb to outstanding hosts that meet these 4 criterias:
- You have a 4.8+ overall rating (out of 5)
- You have hosted 10+ stays in the past year
- You have less than a 1% cancellation rate (this basically means: never cancel a confirmed reservation on your end)
- You maintain a 90% response rate
So how do you do that?
Provide quality experiences
Being a good host and creating a great guest experience starts from the moment potential guests begin browsing and inquiring about listings. Communication with the host is a major and vital part of the experience, and oftentimes guests that give 5 star reviews mention the smooth, friendly and quick communication throughout the entire trip cycle. Our GCS team is here to help from pre-stay to post-stay.
Be an active host
Superhost status is not for the occasional host. It is reserved for those who accept a minimum of ten annual stays or a minimum of 100 booked nights per year, divided into at least three stays. When one of your listings is unavailable, providing alternatives will help the guest to find the best listing from your inventory, which is something our Guest Communication Services (GCS) team does to help convert inquiries.
Showcase reliability
Since Airbnb’s reputation is tied to the quality of service its hosts provide, the platform will only award Superhost status to those who have a clean record when it comes to cancelling on guests. The bar is set at zero cancellations (excluding those made due to extenuating circumstances) and the penalties are notable, including a calendar block, $150 fine, and immediate loss of Superhost status.
Because of this, our GCS team will never cancel a confirmed reservation unless requested by a host. We will also never let a booking request expire which will cause a block on your calendar. To prevent this from happening, after 24 hours without a response, Guesty will automatically decline every booking request that has not been responded to 1 minute before it expires.
Prioritize communication
Probably the most difficult criteria of Superhost status, hosts must respond to a minimum of 90% of inquiries within 24 hours. This becomes even more challenging with larger portfolios and those that draw in guests from across different time zones.
The truth is that providing prompt responses to inquiries is crucial to your success as a host, with or without the goal of achieving Superhost status. Failing to do so could not only result in disappointed guests, but lost leads who booked elsewhere while awaiting your reply.
For this reason, hosts are increasingly opting to outsource the time consuming task of guest communication to responsible third parties, who can capture leads and confirm guests around the clock, on their behalf.
Eyes on the prize
The great thing about pursuing Superhost status is that fulfilling each of its criteria inherently benefits your business. So, though the status itself is a valuable goal, you’ll likely find that becoming a reliable, active, impressive and available host will yield far more reward than just the badge, helping you to build a powerful hospitality brand with a loyal customer base, backed by communication experts from our GCS team who can offer your guests accurate and timely support around the clock.
To learn more about our Guest Communication Services, head over here to see how GCS can help your business grow and scale.
