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OpenBnB
Book homes directly while browsing Airbnb
350 followers
Book homes directly while browsing Airbnb
350 followers
Install OpenBnB extension to instantly find direct booking links while browsing Airbnb and save on fees.
OpenBnB
Openspot
@fliellerjulian Not so sure, I remember the launch of getaway .direct and thought this was a great idea, as we often check outside Airbnb and book there. However, Julian launched in December, not really my main time to book on Airbnb. And I remember the pricing was a bit expensive just to try out, I think there was no free trial.
Some estimates say that 20% of Hotel guests find the hotel on booking .com d book directly with the hotel. Why not for Airbnb?
@fliellerjulian @tomm_p "20% of Hotel guests find the hotel on booking .com d book directly with the hotel" -- I've always done that after working in hotels; you'll generally get better services at the hotel if you've booked directly vs. 3rd party site. I get the point about customers feeling safer on airBnB, but also their fees have gotten so out of control that I bet most customers would be willing to "risk it" and book direct if that was an easy option (I.e. they can use @OpenBnB instead of googling / digging for the contact info and going back and forth with the host).
OpenBnB
@fliellerjulian @tomm_p @leah_madden Agree. My estimate tell me about a 1/3rd listings in USA have a direct booking option but hosts can't tell you that. So yes, do google haha or better use OpenBnB
My last three stays were all booked directly and had no problems at all. Austin, SF, New York (they couldn't even list on Airbnb because of the ban).
OpenBnB
@fliellerjulian Hmm interesting because I've had a different experience talking to guests. They trust professionally hosted websites, like those from property management software. Moreover, they know they can trust the host because of high ratings on Airbnb and just save money by booking direct.
I wonder if the guest sentiments are different outside of USA.
Product Hunt
I have mixed feelings about this. Airbnb creates a lot of value by simply aggregating and making it relatively easy to find places to stay. But I also understand the renter and owner's desire to save money off platform.
Out of curiosity, how are finding the direct booking and matching them to Airbnb listings, @atneik?
OpenBnB
@rrhoover I believe Airbnb brings great value to individual hosts, but has totally alienated professional hosts. They have kinda also lost their original mission (under pressure to make more revenue) by listing hotels, resorts, hidden fees, etc. Its also interesting that as the market matures there is a growing percentage of hosts who are becomes professionals (10+ properties).
The problem is Airbnb charges professional hosts the same fees (ie 15-20%) that it charges individual hosts, but provides them much less value. Professional hosts don't use Airbnb's calendar, messaging, dynamic pricing, payment, and even insurance. They have their own commercial insurance, property management software and integrations. The only thing they need Airbnb is for discovery, and OpenBnB just provides that giving them autonomy over their business. Discovery based marketplaces usually charge <5%.
For matching, I had to figure out multiple methods and finally figured something that keeps high quality and scales. Yes LLMs do help :)
What is the difference with ordinary ad boar like Craigslist? Or it specialized for home owners?
OpenBnB
@kirill_a_belov This one works on top of Airbnb as a browser extension, so when you find your perfect stay you can just book directly from the host and save on fees.
All the best for the launch @atneik!
OpenBnB
@parekh_tanmay Thanks!
I downloaded the ext. and browsed about 10 pages on AirBnB but didn't see one that had a direct booking link. Do you need to select the property first or does it appear on the search page?
OpenBnB
@kevin_pettie It does highlight them on the search page and the direct link is on the listing page. Not all locations have the same concentration of hosts, where were you looking? I'm happy to check if there are enough hosts in that location.
cool, I only wonder what happens when airbnb tech team notices it and investigate code of your plugin? ) are they able to add some guards against etc.? but anycase - great work, tx!
OpenBnB
@mbaturov I don't see how they can limit extensions checking for unique listing IDs. I think it will serve them better if they spend that time bringing more value to guests or hosts, rather than taking away.