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Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Hotels try to cope with rival Airbnb and other news

Is Airbnb really a rival of the hotel industry?  In the past I would have said no.  That was until a conversation I had at a holiday party.  The conversation was with a woman who is a well known (in the industry), well reviewed, legit B&B owner.  We'd spoken about Airbnb a year and a half ago, shortly after I started hosting.

This time when we spoke she asked if August had been slow for me.  No, actually, it was one of my busiest months ever. She went on to say that her business was very slow with few bookings.  Things were so bad for conventional lodgings that she even had some local hotels calling to see if she was as slow as they were.

I'd always guessed that my guests were people who only stayed in Philly because Airbnb made it affordable. Wrong.  Looks like Airbnb is starting to siphon business off the hotels.  That could spell big trouble.

Airbnb takes a bite out of the hotel market
A Boston University study finds that low-end hotels are especially vulnerable to being replaced by Airbnb accommodations, while hotels that cater to business and luxury travelers have less to worry about.

Hotels 'disadvantaged’ by web rivals, claims IHG boss
Richard Solomons says startups such as Airbnb should be regulated in the same way as traditional firms

The Hotelier’s Invisible Enemy
Many hoteliers assume that only backpackers or very budget-conscious consumers will consider using these sites, but they would be incorrect. 

In other news

Top 5 Ways to Protect Yourself When Renting Your Home to Airbnb Users

As Airbnb scales, the traveler experience needs work
Now that Airbnb has grown up, has a huge valuation, and is causing fear in the hotel lobby in cities across the world, can the traveler experience get a little better, please?

To Airbnb or not Airbnb?
In the end, it comes down to cost. Going "off-piste" is cheaper. But, sometimes, you get what you pay for. Hotels are predictable. Reliable. Certain.


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