Five ways to help maximize bookings during peak season

Peak season is coming. Here are five ways you can use Airbnb hosting tools to make the most of the time when guest demand is higher. Consider the benefits of each to decide what’s right for your hosting business.

One way to prepare for your area’s busy season is to open up more nights in your calendar. This helps your listing appear in more search results and can increase your earnings.

To open nights:

• Go to your listing’s calendar.
• Look for blocked nights, which appear in gray.
• Select any blocked nights you can host and tap Open night.

Consider your minimum trip length when opening up nights in your calendar. You’ll need to stay within your minimum or lower your standard trip length minimum. You can also create a custom trip length for the specific nights you open.

“It’s especially important to make sure the calendar is open during busy season,” says Myranda, a Superhost in Little Rock, Arkansas. “Instead of taking a couple days off between guests, I make sure I’m more flexible during that season so I can host even more guests.”

Extending your availability window beyond the three-month minimum lets guests book further ahead. You can open your calendar up to two years in advance. Your listing will appear in more search results—and in a shorter list of results if there are fewer places available at that time.

To increase your availability window:

• Go to the Availability tab in your listing’s calendar.
• Tap Availability window.
• Select a lead time of up to 24 months and tap Save.

Your calendar opens one day at a time regardless of your availability window. For example, if your window is 12 months, guests can book your place one year ahead of today’s date, with your availability updating every day.

“Take advantage when demand is high,” says Jimmy, a Superhost in Palm Springs, California. “Maybe other hosts are not ready and their calendars aren’t open. So by being proactive, you’re going to capitalize on those high-demand periods.”

To stay competitive during peak season, check the prices of similar listings in your area for the same dates and consider adjusting your nightly rate.

If you offer the same price every night, consider adding weekday and weekend prices. Varying your pricing based on the night can also help maximize your bookings and earnings.

To compare similar listings:

• Go to the Pricing tab in your listing’s calendar.
• Select a date range of up to 31 days.
• Tap View similar listings.

You’ll see the average prices of similar listings nearby on a map of your area. Buttons on the map let you view booked or unbooked listings. The factors that determine which listings are similar include location, size, features, amenities, ratings, reviews, and the other listings guests browse while considering yours.

“If we have a part of our calendar that’s in a busy time and we’re still not getting booked, I will double check properties in my area,” says Felicity, a Host Advisory Board member and Superhost in New South Wales, Australia. “I’ve got to be priced competitively.”

Adding a discount for bookings made 1 to 24 months before check-in can help you appeal to guests who plan ahead. For early bird discounts of 3% or more, guests see a special callout on your listing page and in search results. Your discounted price appears next to your original price, which is crossed out, so it’s a great way to stand out during the busy season.

To add an early bird discount:

• Go to the Pricing tab in your listing’s calendar.
• Tap More discounts below weekly and monthly discounts.
• Open Early bird discounts and set a percentage discount for reservations booked 1 to 24 months before arrival.

Note that this discount is not available when Smart Pricing is turned on.

“I use the early bird discount when I’m setting up my calendar for the year,” says Anne, a Superhost in Tarragona, Spain. “This tends to fill my calendar quickly, and people who get the discount don’t usually cancel.”

Discounts for longer stays can help improve your search ranking, fill gaps in your calendar, and reduce turnovers. Consider offering weekly discounts for stays that are seven nights or longer and monthly discounts for stays that are 28 nights or longer.

Guests see a special callout on your listing page and in search results for weekly or monthly discounts of 10% or more. All length-of-stay discounts are also highlighted next to your original price in the price breakdown.

To add a weekly or monthly discount:

• Make sure your minimum and maximum lengths of stay follow local rules and regulations.
• If you can offer weekly or monthly stays, go to the Pricing tab in your listing’s calendar.
• Under weekly or monthly discounts, set a percentage discount and tap Save.

“If my summer is looking kind of hectic, I’ll offer weekly discounts for that time frame,” Myranda says. “When guests are able to book at one-week or two-week intervals, it helps me not have to turn that space over as much.”

You control your pricing and other settings at all times. Your results may vary. 

Hosts were paid for their participation in interviews.

Information contained in this article may have changed since publication.