These property managers used Airbnb tools to boost occupancy

When husband-and-wife team Angie and Chris first began renovating and renting artist lofts in Paris to travellers a decade ago, they struggled to attract guests. Despite listing with three online travel platforms and on their own website, occupancy rarely topped 50 percent.

But their fortunes changed five years ago when, seeking a wider audience, they started listing their seven Artisan Lofts Paris on Airbnb. The platform’s global reach helped attract a steady stream of young, tech-savvy guests, and occupancy soared to what the couple estimates to be around 85 percent in the high season and about 75 percent in the winter off-season.

“Airbnb opened the hospitality market to new clients and new travellers,” says Chris, a former consultant at PwC. “It made the industry a model in terms of innovation, technology and client experiences.”

For savvy Hosts like Angie and Chris, Airbnb’s platform offered not only reach but also a medium for beautifully displaying photographs of their chic mini lofts, which are repurposed from old bakeries, fashion ateliers and artist studios. A prominently displayed gallery allows them to showcase their aesthetic – art deco graphic posters, mid-century-modern chairs and red chequered bedspreads. Airbnb also gives them a platform for sharing local tips with guests through custom guidebooks on where local Parisians shop, dine and drink.

“We host because we love traveling,” Chris says. “We love traveling as locals, not as tourists. So we decided to host and help our guests live like locals when traveling.”

“We host because we love travelling,” says Chris. “We love travelling as locals, not as tourists. So we decided to host and help our guests live like locals when travelling.”

The couple has also benefited from the platform’s automated pricing tools, which indicate optimized rates a full year in advance based on factors like seasonality, days of the week, and special events. “Airbnb has given anyone who is running a smaller business the tools of a hotelier,” Chris says.

Thanks to their success in Paris, Angie and Chris are now expanding to Portugal. Airbnb’s co-hosting tools enable them to hire someone who will help manage their property from afar. “I think the Co-Host has changed the way that people are running their businesses,” Chris says. “Airbnb is always into innovation and anticipation.”

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