Airbnb Lesson 2: What Kind Of Place Are You Listing?

7:00 PM angeLjamie 0 Comments


From its humble beginning of an Airbed rental in San Francisco back in 2007 to make ends meet, Airbnb has transformed itself to 3,000,000+ listings over 191 countries in 10 years.   
http://digidamo.blogspot.tw/2014/05/airbnb-was-air-bed-and-breakfast.html

And in all those listings, the variation of accommodation offered is staggering.  Do you know that the choices of rentals vary from the common shared room to a cave, a castle and even an entire island in Airbnb?

Here are the types of accommodation that you can list in Airbnb.  The first list are your typical accommodations.
·         Apartment
·         Bungalow
·         Cabin
·         Condominium
·         Guesthouse
·         House
·         In-law
·         Guest Suite
·         Townhouse
·         Vacation Home



These accommodations on the next lists are more similar to a traditional hotel.  They even included cultural hotels native to each country in the parenthesis.  

I would love to try a Ryokan.  I read before that prices for Ryokan in Kyoto costs more than your typical hotel because of the cultural immersion.  But if it comes with an Onsen in a snowy mountain, then we have a deal.
·         Bed & Breakfast
·         Boutique Hotel
·         Nature Lodge
·         Hostel
·         Timeshare
·         Serviced Apartment
·         Casa Particular
·         Pousada
·         Minsu (Taiwan)
·         Ryokan (Japan)
·         Pension (Korea)
·         Heritage Hotel (India)

And the more than usual types but would likely get your attention especially if you’re the more adventurous traveler.
There’s a castle in the list!
·         Boat
·         Castle
·         Cave
·         Chalet
·         Dorm
·         Earth House
·         Hut
·         Igloo
·         Island
·         Lighthouse
·         Loft
·         Plane
·         Camper/RV
·         Tent
·         Tipi
·         Train
·         Treehouse
·         Villa
·         Yurt
·         Other

If you’re wondering what a Yurt is, according to Wikipedia it’s a portable round tent covered with skins or felt and is the traditional dwelling place of nomads from the steppes of Central Asia.  Think of Genghis Khan from Mongolia existing his dwelling from a plains several hundred feet above sea level.

Maybe you have a piece of land somewhere in the province near a river or falls with crystal clear water?  Time to put up some tents or a yurt in that place and list it on Airbnb.
Image Credit:  Damien Knowles, Clipart-finder, Nihongodaisuki, Clipartof

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Airbnb Lesson 1: Starting Your Airbnb

7:00 PM angeLjamie 0 Comments


So you're thinking of putting your extra room or entire condo unit up for listing in Airbnb, but not sure where to start.  You look over the internet and gather information.  But, there's something that doesn't feel right.

Welcome to how I felt starting my Airbnb side-business.  Yes, there are lots of gurus and they are very helpful.  However, let's face it.  Those gurus are in western countries or in the top 10 cities of the world.  Very different to what your space in the Philippines might offer.  They are not exactly a good reflection of the Philippine setting.

So what are the things that you should consider, before listing your space in Airbnb Philippines?

·         What your place offer?
I’m not talking about your unit here; but the geographical setting of your place?  Where is it in the Philippines?  Think of why a guest would possibly book your place?  Is it near a beach? A historical site? Is it in Boracay, Palawan, Subic, Batangas, Baguio or just in the Metro?  Remember, ~90% of your guest would be locals.  So, think of why a local would come to your area, and possibly book your unit.

·         Who is your target market?
Based on where you what and what potential guests may do on your place, you’ll have an idea about your target market.  Do you think the guest would mostly be couples looking for a get-away? Maybe your potential guest is a business man trying to close some deals or looking after his off-site business?  Or they can even be a family staying for the night after a whole day of fun at Enchanted Kingdom or Splash Island and just want to rest before going back to the Metro?

·         Who’s going to manage?
You’ll need a doorman who’ll manage the check-in and check-out of guests.  A cleaning lady, who’ll clean the unit, change the sheets and laundry them or at least send them to laundry after each guest.  Are you going to manage it yourself?  Possible if it’s in the same area where you live.  But what if it’s a kilometer away? Or in the metro and you’re living on another province?

Condominiums on touristy areas actually know Airbnb.  It’s starting to be part of the lure on why people are buying condos.  Ask the sales agent or the building admin if they have cleaning service that you can use.  Or maybe there are independent cleaning agents in the building you’re just not aware off.  Ask around.

AZDZ is a new company in the Philippines that offers cleaning service, check in/out and other Airbnb related service around the metro.

·         Is it viable?
Wondering where to get an idea if your area has Airbnb listings and how many? Or maybe the number of guests staying in those listings?  Check AirDNA
They have a massive data about Airbnb and could give you an idea if your area is Airbnb worthy.

·         What your competitors offer?
So you’re positive that there are guests and people are earning with their Airbnb listings and want to join the crowd of host.  The best you can do is lurk in Airbnb.  See your competitor’s listings.  What do they offer?  How much are they pricing their listing?  What’s their check-in and check-out time?  Know which you can copy for your listing and find a way to raise the bar.  If they are offering 3-in-1 coffee, then offer Kapeng Barako in your place.  Do they offer cable TV?  Why not offer Netflix for your listing.

Airbnb is very competitive and seasoned hosts are equipped with experience.  You’ll have to learn fast.  Don’t be deceived by that Superhost badge.  It’s actually easy to get one.  So, if you think that you’ve answered all the questions above positively, then go ahead and start that Airbnb listing.


Image Source: techinasia.com, primer.com.ph, freepik, justcleanit.ca, AirDNA 

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Where To Go In Tagaytay - Your One-Stop Shop For Everything Tagaytay

7:00 PM angeLjamie 0 Comments



Recently I've been racking my brains on what to write.
Writer's block! Alert! Alert! Alert!

 I want it to be meaningful and something that had to do with either Airbnb or Tagaytay.  And so, I've been busy joining Facebook groups and chat rooms about Airbnb hosting; and boy was it fun.

 I've learned so much both from newbie and expert host from all over the world.  Most of them are from the other side of the globe, and did I notice the lovely similarities between us hosts.  As for the guests? They're another creature entirely different.  As different as where each came from.

But enough about that.  The things I've learned and still learning from them are for another entry.

 For today, I'm sharing something that I should have done, but too lazy to do.  Good thing there's Tagaytay Tourism Council and the awesome website they've recently launched.  I'm talking about the Where to go in Tagaytay website!  I has what you need to know about where to go and what to do in Tagaytay, with awesome pictures and little snippets of the story behind the place.

 It has everything Tagaytay! Well, maybe not everything, since I didn't see the list of beautiful condo's dotting Tagaytay's skyline on the Where to Invest page.

They called Tagaytay as the wedding capital of the Philippines and I guess it does fit the bill.  There are so many places in Tagaytay with stunning view of nature, plus with the cool breeze, it would make any wedding seem magical.  See here for their list of wedding venues.




 Then there's also tour packages of the Taal Lake and volcano trek that can be availed right on the site.  Isn't that awesome?

 There are different type of tours offered depending on the level of your adventurism and deepness of your pocket; with tour price starting at P1,499 per person, for a minimum of 6 persons or $30! Now, that's some deal.




 For the complete packages and inclusions, visit their Tours page.
Photo Credit:  Where to go in Tagaytay

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