How to stand out on Airbnb during the peak season

Peak season is a time of year when hoteliers and property owners experience a significant increase in reservations that varies and depends on many factors such as location, climate, events that are organized by region, festive periods etc.

In Greece, the summer months, June to August, are the peak season for accommodation types that are located near coastal areas or islands while the winter months December and January are the peak season for accommodation types that are located in mountainous areas, areas near ski resorts, etc. Of course, we must not forget that the time before and after August 15th in the summer, as well as Christmas and New Year’s Eve in winter and Easter in the spring are very important periods and peak seasons for many accommodation types in Greece.

Regardless of the peak season of your property, one thing is certain: you should show foresight and follow a careful pricing strategy to help you stand out from the competition and earn more money.

But let's see more specifically 9 ways that can help you achieve your goal.

1. Set the prices per night that you wish in advance
The availability table of your property changes every day, so you should have up-to-date prices.

• Tip 1: Choose a particular day of the week or of the month that you will dedicate to update the overnight prices (the frequency of the update depends on the reservations of your property).

• Tip 2: You can set customized prices for specific days, weeks, or months in advance to help your visitors make reservations when they want with the prices of the corresponding period. It will help you a lot to get a sense of the local trends, as well as the events that are organized in your area.

2. Increase the availability time frame of your property

In many cases, making your calendar available to the public up to 6 months beforehand can help you attract guests who plan their trips well in advance. So, you can get reservations in your peak season.

• Tip 1: Add an early booking discount, which surely will attract visitors.

• Tip 2: Add weekly or monthly discounts. In this way, you encourage your guests to make longer reservations at a lower price and you will fill gaps that may exist between short stays.

• Tip 3: Add a discount for last minute reservations. In this case you win more bookings at a lower price but without the risk of cancellation.

3. Increase the minimum stay policy during the peak season

Increasing the minimum stay is something that will definitely work in your favor during your peak season. You can choose the minimum number of nights that somebody can stay at your property and whenever you feel that these settings are restrictive for you, you can modify them.

4. Prepare your calendar according to events organized in your area

If your property is located in an area where large events are organized every year, you can close your availability off for the event days, so that you can adjust the nightly rates later. This is very useful, especially if your calendar is available to the public up to 6 months in advance. By comparing similar bookings of other properties on dates nearby and during the events, you can make your own prices more competitive and get more guests.

5. Beware of extra charges

One way for visitors to choose your property for vacation among many others during the peak season is to bone up on the listings of others near you. So, you will set the prices per night, and the additional charges such as cleaning, breakfast, extra guests, etc. based on this.

• Remember that visitors compare the total price of a stay including extra charges and not just the overnight cost.

6. Check your property frequently
Checking your property listing on Airbnb at regular intervals and especially before your peak season is of utmost importance to have increased number of reservations.

• Tip 1: Post eye-catching and recent photos of your property. (A professional photographer can help you in this.)

• Tip 2: Provide full information on how to access your property.

• Tip 3: Correct any spelling errors or typos and fill in missing information. Also, you must correct data that may have changed from one period to another.

7. Customize instant book settings
If you haven't customized the settings for direct bookings yet, it's something you can try during your peak season. Instant book enabled listings are more popular as they make it easier for guests, especially when it comes to a last-minute travel. In this case, guests can book a stay without having to send a request to the host to get their confirmation.

• Visitors must have completed their account settings.

In addition, the Airbnb platform allows you to enable a filter that only shows the listings that can be booked instantly, which can make your listing more attractive.

8. Try to respond quickly to your guests and be consistent

Your prompt response to visitor inquiries and the consistency in communication are of utmost importance.

• Tip 1: You must answer to the question you received within 24 hours.

• Tip 2: Try standard messages for a faster response.

• Tip 3: You can send “thank you” messages to your guests after they leave your property reminding them to write a positive review on the platform.

Keep in mind that you increase the chances of positive reviews from your guests if you communicate with them from the beginning of their reservation to their departure. In this way, you show your care as a host. Also, the more positive reviews you receive, the more visitors can learn about your property and therefore increase your reservations.

9. Provide for the cleaning of your property before and during the peak season

Think in advance about the cleaning work that needs to be done inside and outside your vacation property before the peak season, so that it's ready in time.

• Tip: It will be very useful to organize the cleaning schedule between guest arrivals during the peak season. A professional can help you in this, in order to complete cleaning and prepare the area faster.