Airbnb plus host- anyone been invited?

[Mark Futalan]

Anyone ever been contacted by Airbnb to be part of their Airbnb plus program? Any air bnb plus hosts out there? From what I know, it appears it’s just higher hosting standards in terms of cleanliness, amenities and customer service. Any costs to do it? I got an email from Airbnb PLUS team saying they think my home may be a good fit for the program. I know this is something Airbnb rolled out a few months ago. Just wanted to see if people have gotten more bookings and profits from it. Thanks!

[Tim V.]

I was invited to join the pilot program in San Francisco about 1 year ago. I went through the entire verification and validation process and in the end opted to not participate despite "qualifying".

Ultimately, I'm happy with my current returns and I'm concerned with the additional expectations of guests searching the "plus" platform. 

I'm currently filling the budget traveler niche (both tourists and business travelers) and I do a good job of setting expectations before guests arrive to ensure everyone has a good experience. My concern is that the "plus" signifier will raise expectations beyond what my neighborhood can provide.

I definitely see value in the program helping if you're in an over saturated market, but @Luke Carl is right. It's 5* or nothing for Airbnb and heightened expectations make that a more difficult goal to achieve.