Requirements
1. Requirements for guests
We ask everyone who uses LOKO for a few pieces of information before they book on LOKO. Guests need to have this info completely filled out before they can make a reservation request. This info helps make sure hosts know who to expect, and how to contact the guest.
LOKO’s requirements for guests include:
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Full name
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Email address
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Confirmed phone number
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Introductory message
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Agreement to house rules
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Payment information
Guests are encouraged, but not required, to have a profile photo. Hosts won’t see guest’s real email addresses, even after they book. Instead, hosts will see a temporary LOKO email address that forwards their messages to the guest.
Some hosts may also ask guests to provide ID before booking their space.
2. Requirements for hosts
2.1 Basic requirements
To help create comfortable, reliable stays for guests, we ask all hosts to meet these basic requirements for each listing:
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Be responsive: Maintain a high response rate by replying to booking inquiries and reservation requests within 24 hours.
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Accept reservation requests: Make guests feel welcome by accepting requests whenever you’re available.
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Avoid cancellations: We take cancellations seriously and ask all hosts to avoid cancelling on guests–their travel plans depend on it.
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Maintain a high overall rating: Guests like to know they can expect a consistent level of quality, no matter where they book.
Your performance is tracked against the average level of performance for all hosts on LOKO. Listings that consistently fall below the average could be subject to penalties.
Providing essential amenities
We strongly encourage hosts to provide essential amenities in all their listings, as these are the items guests tell us they consider important for a comfortable stay.
Essential amenities are the basic items that a guest expects in order to have a comfortable stay. These include:
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Toilet paper
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Soap (for hands and body)
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One towel per guest
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One pillow per guest
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Linens for each guest bed
Recommended quantities of each item depends on the number of guests and the length of their stay. For longer stays, if you provide extras of each amenity, this ensures guests have everything they need.
You can decide whether you want to make each guest bed or leave the bed linens neatly stacked. We encourage hosts to communicate with your guests during the booking process to get their preference.
We strongly encourage hosts to provide essential amenities in all their listings.
2.2 Standards for hotels and other hospitality businesses
We welcome listings hosted by professional hospitality businesses on LOKO that offer unique spaces and personal hospitality to the LOKO community.
LOKO has some guidelines for the types of hotels and professional hospitality
businesses.
By listing as a hotel or professional hospitality business you represent that:
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Your properties have appropriate business licenses (where applicable)
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You are legally responsible for property management and authorized to sell rooms within the property (as a hotel or professional hospitality business) directly to the public
Properties should have a unique, independent environment and style (for example, boutique or lifestyle hotels, not mass-market chains). Some of the qualities that make these properties a particularly good fit for LOKO include:
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Vibrant common gathering spaces and/or events
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Guest rooms with personal touches that are individually unique and/or local in design
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High-quality photos on the listing page that showcase the design of the property and what guests can expect
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Accessibility features that are helpful to guests with limited mobility
Along with our basic requirements for hosts, these standards for hotels and unique spaces help ensure that we’re meeting guests’ expectations.
Affected property types
LOKO's standards for hotels and other hospitality businesses apply to the following property types:
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Boutique hotel
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Hotel
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Bed & breakfast
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Serviced apartment
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Casa particular
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Heritage hotel
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Hostel
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Nature lodge
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Pension
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Resort
For new listings, the review will begin once a listing is published. We also conduct a retroactive review of all existing listings. You can continue hosting as usual during the review process.
If a listing doesn’t meet our standards
You’ll receive an email letting you know that the listing does not meet our standards.
If your listing does not meet our standards because it’s not categorized correctly within the new categorization system, you can update the property type. To do this:
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Click the link in the email or go directly to your listings
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Choose a different property type
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Publish the listing
If you choose another property type that requires a review, the process will start again.
If a listing meets all our standards and is correctly categorized, you can add your business info so that we can confirm your details.
Listings that don’t meet our standards may be permanently removed from LOKO.