TripAdvisor vs. Airbnb

[Jeff Piscioniere]

Am I missing something with TripAdvisor?!?!?! It seems that I only get inquires with TripAdvisor/Flipkey! Everyone asks whether our cabin is available and what the rate is. Isn't this something that should be clear as day when they are searching on either one of these platforms? So I always cordially respond and I never hear from the people again. Is TripAdvisor/Flipkey the platforms that people go to to get a bargain? I feel like everyone is waiting for me to say sure buy one night and get 2 free! Lol. At the minimum they should be able to know if the cabin is available since it came up in their search. Airbnb is seemless and an absolute blessing. People either inquire or they send a reservation request. They respond quickly and cordially and people are thankful when you communicate with than. Are there strategies that I'm missing with TripAdvisor/Flipkey that I should know about? Thank you in advance! Jeff

[Waverly Rennie]

I have had a couple of places in Florida as STVR for over a year now- I tried listing on Tripadvisor for about 3 days and got a series of inquiries from people who wanted locations in other states, so I gave up. 

I find that VRBO gives me older, longer stay and more well to do clients, who book more in advance and are willing to pay higher rates. I paid the lowest possible annual fee for my VRBO bookings (~$400 for one, and got a promotion code for the second which dropped it a bit) and maybe I am not getting high placement because of it- they made me so mad when they then added the guest fee! I have my prices a good bit higher on VRBO, probably above market rate, so maybe that's why I am not getting bookings now during low season.

On the other hand, most of my bookings are coming from AirBnB, with lower rates and shorter lead time.  I have found that when it is low season and rates are lower, you get less desirable guests- I have had three in the last two months (low season) who were not good- two of them smoked despite my no smoking policy, and one of them didn't put down the dropcloth on the sofa so their dog kind of trashed the sofa. Other than that, I've had great guests and great experiences. 

I am learning to listen to my gut on guests who seem like a pain. If they don't even say hello before saying is your place available, or don't sign off with- looking forward to hearing from you or something like that. It's not worth it. 

I have used a polite formula that I copied from some AirBnB guidebook or forum to decline a request for reduction in rates, something like "Our cottage is priced based on market rates- sorry it doesn't fit your budget. Have you tried xyz? best of luck" or "Thank you for your enquiry and request for a discount. The cottage is already discounted since it is low season. If our rate doesn't work with your budget, you might consider xyz"

Good luck!