Airbnb listings include a Work Collection comprised of work-ready homes and private rooms.
While wifi is a must-have, said Karena Graca, Travel Coordinator for Graham, an integrated construction solutions firm, “24/7 access is very important as well, because sometimes our travelers arrive at 11 at night.”
Airbnb listings include a Work Collection comprised of work-ready homes and private rooms with a private bath that offer all the essentials and amenities business travellers need to be productive and comfortable.
To qualify for the Work Collection, each listing must include a number of service and amenity requirements, have a minimum number of positive reviews and ratings, and feature flexible or moderate cancellation policies. Work Collection listings are limited to property types that business travelers need such as homes, apartments, condos, lofts, and townhouses. Smoke detectors are present, and all Work Collection listings are equipped with wifi. As business travelers can arrive at their destination at all hours, self-check in is available. And, to ensure that your business travelers have a comfortable stay, these listings have fresh linens, clean towels, soap and shampoo, a hair dryer, an iron, and hangers.
Wifi and self-check in top the list of what most travel managers find most valuable in Airbnb listings for travel for work. “Wifi is an absolute necessity,” said Alla Neys, Director of Global Travel Programs for Medallia, a cloud-based customer feedback firm. “Business travelers need to work in their room, whether it’s a hotel or Airbnb. It’s great that Airbnb does not charge separately for wifi unlike many hotels.”
Regardless of what type of property is booked, travelers, those booking for others, or travel managers have the opportunity to message the host before and during the guest stay. This online conversation creates a strong sense of community and a highly effective support network for travelers. Hosts also generally like to provide local knowledge to help their guests get comfortable in their neighborhood and home.
“I always communicate with the host,” said Gusto’s Flynn. “For me, there is a humanizing effect. In most cases, though for money of course, someone is inviting a stranger into their home and that means a great deal to me. I am not necessarily the type of person who wants to get into a listing and chat the whole way through, but I also believe that this is a business transaction with someone who is presumably not unlike you in a lot of ways.” While logistics comprise much of the communication pre-stay, Flynn said he always includes “saying ‘thank you’ on the front end of the trip.”
Neys said Medallia employees regularly communicate with hosts and find the messaging capability to be “very valuable.” She added, “Sometimes people might want to negotiate for a lower rate. Or they might have questions about the area, or about a late arrival. It’s a great communications tool.”
Once the travel period is over and the guest has checked out of the Airbnb listing, both the host and the guest review and rate each other on a five-star scale. Only guests who actually stayed at a property are able to review the property, and the double-blind system ensures that feedback and ratings are honest.
Airbnb’s review and rating system is designed to provide a continuous feedback loop that builds and maintains the overall quality of its community of homes. Additionally, Airbnb hosts are highly motivated to maintain excellent product and service rankings to ensure they continue to attract business, just like any other accommodations provider anywhere in the world.
At the foundation of that commitment is Airbnb’s robust Trust and Safety team, which is comprised of 24/7 response agents, engineers, data scientists, product managers, designers, law-enforcement liaisons, crisis managers, and victim-advocacy specialists. That’s in addition to the company’s deep bench of experts in policy, privacy, cyber security, insurance, and fraud issues.
