Airbnb’s new Guest Favorite Badge. Make it make sense

[Michael Alexander]

The Guest Favorite badge is awarded at the listing level, focusing on high guest ratings (above 4.9 stars), a minimum of five positive reviews, and a strong reliability record. Unlike the Superhost status, which evaluates the host's overall performance across all listings, Guest Favorite operates on a per-listing basis. The frequency of updates is also noteworthy, with Guest Favorite being refreshed daily to reflect the latest guest satisfaction.

What’s important to note is that achieving 4.9 rating for a property is extremely hard, and may mean that to achieve it quite some hosts will try to “strike a deal” with the guests in exchange for a 5-star review. Meaning: cash compensation for even smallest issue, going above and beyond just to make the guest happy.

Guest Favorites and Pricing Strategy:

Airbnb's data reveals an intriguing statistic – "Over 1 in every 3 Guest Favorites have an average daily rate of under $100 USD." While not explicitly a qualifying metric, this suggests that competitive pricing could play a role in attaining the Guest Favorites badge, aligning with Airbnb's strategic push to position itself as an affordable choice for travelers.

With the visibility of Guest Favorites already surpassing that of Superhost in listing pages, hosts are faced with shifting dynamics. The Winter 2023 Release emphasizes the importance of reliability, encouraging hosts to strive for excellence to unlock the coveted Guest Favorite badge for their listings. As a host, adapting to these changes not only ensures competitiveness but also enhances the overall guest experience.

[Matt Mertz]

Quote from @John Carbone:

Anecdotal for sure, but all 8 of my listings currently qualify and have the “new badge” and I noticed the badge earlier in the week when I looked at my listings. I had a massive surge in bookings this week across all of my properties,not sure if that is why, but I’m not complaining. 

We have 2 properties listed.  One has the badge, the other does not.  There's been a noticeable increase in activity (bookings/inquiries) for the badged property since then.  Not huge: 1 week long booking for spring break and 3 inquiries, but it was pretty quiet before that.