Essential Guide to Making Your Property Perfect for Airbnb Business Travelers

It is the common goal of every Airbnb host and property manager to win as many bookings as possible with low-maintenance guests.

Airbnb business travelers represent a category of guests that are known for being profitable and problem-free. They pose minimal safety or security risk to you or the property and are prepared to pay market rates for their accommodation needs.

Airbnb business travelers are therefore a target guest type for any host or property manager looking to maximize their earnings whilst simplifying their day-to-day Airbnb operations.

Despite their attraction, many hosts and property managers remain unaware of the small simple changes they’re able to make for attracting these target guests.

Airbnb has long sought to create a special class of homes that appealed to business travelers. In former iterations, these homes were referred to as Business Travel Ready. More recently, Airbnb has updated this to homes that now sit within a new Work collection designation.

Airbnb business travelers can filter their searches for properties that are spotlighted as appropriate for work trips:

This means that homes that do not sit within the Work collection will be automatically excluded.

To qualify for the Work collection, each listing must meet service and amenity requirements, have a minimum number of positive reviews and ratings and feature flexible or moderate cancellation policies.

We’ll run through each of these requirements to assist you in joining Airbnb’s Work collection and winning an influx of business travel bookings.

Service and Amenity Requirements

Naturally, Airbnb business travelers prefer staying in comfortable and private dwellings. They seek spaces that will afford them the opportunity to get a good night’s sleep and churn out the work as required.

For this reason, only entire homes or private rooms with either a private bath or ensuite bath are eligible to qualify for the Work collection.

Airbnb business travelers also prefer staying in particular property types. Only the following type of homes will be eligible for inclusion in Airbnb’s Work collection:

• House
• Apartment
• Bungalow
• Cabin
• Chalet
• Townhouse
• Villa
• Guesthouse
• Loft
• Condo
• Hotel
• Bed&Breakfast

Similarly, business travelers have specific business needs when traveling on work trips. Whether it’s a desk to work at, a strong Wi-Fi connection, or hangers to hang up their suit; hosts are required to provide specific amenities for Airbnb business travelers to qualify for the Work collection. These amenities are:

• Hair Dryer
• Hangers
• Iron
• Laptop-Friendly Workspace & Wi-Fi
• Bed Linen
• Pillow
• Shampoo
• Soap
• CO2 & Smoke Detectors
• Toilet Paper
• Towels
• TV

In addition to the above-mentioned amenities, your home needs to allow for self-check-in. Airbnb business travelers come and go at all times of the day (and night!) and need to be able to check-in at a time of their convenience without any complication.

Self-check-in means that guests have the ability to access your home using a lockbox, keyless door locks (often called smart locks); or by getting a key or access from a building staff like a doorman who’s available 24 hours a day to provide access.

Reviews and Ratings

To qualify for Airbnb’s Work collection, you’ll be also required to have responded to 90% of booking requests within 24 hours over the last year. This demonstrates your responsiveness to guest needs and communications, which business travelers look favorably upon.

Airbnb business travelers also expect to stay with seasoned hosts that are familiar with the needs and requirements of guests. They want to stay in homes that have a demonstrated track record of good hospitality that extends across Airbnb’s core hosting standard criteria. For this reason, your listing must also maintain a 4.8 overall rating (or higher) over the past year, as well as an average check-in rating of 4.8 (or higher). Hosts must also have no less than five reviews.

Cancellation Policy

Airbnb business travelers often have a dynamic and ever-changing schedule with meetings that get added and canceled at the drop of a hat. They, therefore, require flexibility around their travel arrangements. For this reason, hosts of listings in the Work collection are required to provide flexible or moderate cancellation policies.

How to Join a Work Collection

As you can see, there are many specific requirements for qualifying to join the Work Collection. As long as you meet all the above-mentioned criteria, Airbnb will automatically add your listing to the Work collection.

You’re always able to track your eligibility and understand any unmet requirements by going to https://www.airbnb.com.au/progress/opportunities/work. This is what you will see:

Summary

In the quest for winning additional bookings from low-maintenance guests, Airbnb hosts and property managers should vehemently consider the appropriateness of joining Airbnb’s Work collection. Many listings may already meet the eligibility criteria by default. For others, it may be a simple case of making a few small changes or additions to the current home setup or hosting behaviors. Either way, participation in the Work collection is a surefire tactic for getting found more often by low-maintenance guests. Catering to the specific needs and wants of Airbnb business travelers is a great strategy that should, at a minimum, be considered by all hosts and property managers looking to win more bookings and maximize their earning potential with low-maintenance guests.

About the Author

Evian Gutman  is the Founder & CEO of Padlifter – the one-stop-shop for getting found more often, winning more bookings and making more money on Airbnb. He is the author of the best-selling book ‘The Definitive Step-by-Step Guide to Making Money on Airbnb’ and is an Airbnb Superhost that has hosted over 500 guests.