How a Broken Bunk Bed in a House That`s Seen Better Days Is One of the Most Popular Airbnbs in Tokyo
Positioning, positioning, positioning.
The picture you see above is of the very bunk bed in the Airbnb in question.
Not unlivable for backpackers or budget-minded 20-somethings by any stretch of the imagination, no.
But it`s not exactly something I’d see a picture of and go, well, I’m definitely staying in this one.
Now factor in that it`s not even located in central Tokyo, and surely not enough by itself to get basically full-booked year-round, get bombarded with 5 star reviews, and have the owner turned into a routinely being a super
So Why Does It Do So Well?
Obviously the bed and room is not the reason why, so what exactly is the magic sauce of this Airbnb?
Let`s go through the list of things that people normally prioritize when choosing a place to stay:
- Location
- Amenities
- Price/Value
- Service
Location
Location, location, location.
It`s gotta be located in a great spot right?
Stone`s throw out from Tokyo Tower, the Imperial Palace, Shibuya or somewhere else…
Way off.
It`s far removed from most normal tourist attractions, as well as business centers and hangout spots.
While the location is not horrible, it`s not very convenient either.
Again, the location alone is not a strong point that would drive demand/customer satisfaction.
Amenities
While there`s a kitchen and a shower room (in an add-on to the original building, as bath houses were still the norm when the house was built in the 60s) amenities aren`t a strong argument either.
There`s no pool, jacuzzi, stocked-for-you minibar with Champagne or anything that would justify the results.
The one saving grace amenity-wise (if you`re into that kind of thing) is that there is a TV and a working Nintendo 64 with the original Super Smash Bros, and people who will actually play against you into the AM.
Price/Value
Again, at the listed price it`s not the cheapest Airbnb in the kind of location that it`s in, you have to share the room with two other people (one of them being this weird, tall Norwegian guy named ‘Ragnar’) and it`s still mostly fully booked when Airbnb automatically raises the price based on demand (before the host notices).
Service
Now we`re getting into the right area, but again, the service is not exactly 5 star hotel service, and it`s exactly the kind of service likely to piss off people who`d rather be left alone during their stay; actually being treated as a guest/friend.
But nobody gets pissed off.
Everybody leaves 5 star reviews (even listing cleanliness at 5 although it`s an old house with 8 young people living in it…)
But really, it would be hard to quantify the service up front and start getting first guests based on a profile focused on that.
Positioning
Just taking a quick look at the page we can quickly see that Rikiya isn`t trying to sell anyone on the idea of the bunkbed in one of his shared rooms.
Camaraderie.
Drinking buddies.
Good times.
He`s selling an experience.
It`s the dominant theme of the page, and demonstrated clearly in the text he writes, and the pictures he`s chosen.
In almost every picture, he showcases the current or past people who live at the share house having fun with previous guests, instead of sterile pictures of the space itself.
He’s not positioning his Airbnb as a place to stay.
He communicates the unique strengths of the Airbnb and doesn’t leave the experience of the stay up to the imagination of the prospective guest.
By positioning his Airbnb as a fun experience for young people, he managed to get only customers he wanted, and keep an Airbnb fully booked in an area where most barely scrape by with a few guests a month.
Don’t be afraid to stand out.
Don’t be afraid to alienate people who aren’t interested in what you actually offer.
Position your business to reach people you actually want to work with.
Full disclosure: I live with Rikiya and am one of the long term members of “Hakuna Matata”.
I`d invite you to stay with us if you`re visiting Tokyo, but because of the new “Minpaku laws” in Japan, we can only take in guests for a month or longer stays.
I visited last year in May, and half-joked that I`d move in when I came back to stay in Tokyo long term later in the year. Half a year later I had moved in, a testament to the way that Rikiya treats people who stay there through Airbnb; as friends. (He’s even gotten me freelance clients.)
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