Quote:
Originally Posted by sopas ej
To each their own, of course. I can understand wanting to rent a 3-bedroom or something if you're vacationing with a large family or group or whatever.
I guess it's just my partner and me; our idea of a vacation isn't staying somewhere and cooking for ourselves and tidying up our own rooms like we actually lived there. We like to rent hotel rooms, and the hotel is strictly just for sleeping and showering while the rest of the day, we are out and about exploring wherever it is we traveled to, and then coming back to a room where the bed is made already, and we have fresh towels and a freshly cleaned bathroom. We like to eat out when we're on vacation. On longer-term stays, we've used hotel laundry service (at some of the better hotels that provide it). And we're not too picky about accommodations, so long as it's clean, in a quiet (or at least safe) area... We're usually on a budget so we don't mind staying at cheap motels, either. Again, we just use the hotel/motel to sleep and shower at.
Even when I was a kid, and my family would sometimes rent a cabin in the mountains or something, my parents never cooked at the cabin, we would always go into town for meals. That was part of the fun; after all you're on vacation, right?
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I've stayed at a Hilton Hotel 128 days so far this year (I do a lot of travel for my job). I've also stayed in an AirBnB about 10 days this year. I much prefer hotels, but just because I personally don't use AirBnB as often, it doesn't mean I don't recognize it fulfills a need for the people that do.
What I like about AirBnB over hotels, is that the space is more unique and has character. Trust me, you've been in one Hilton room, you've been to them all (with a few exceptions). The other thing I like is I can often times get a better location with AirBnB than a hotel. If I wanted to stay in a specific neighborhood or residential skyscraper - I can do that with AirBnB. There may be no hotels in a particular neighborhood that I want to be in. Or the hotels are all in touristy area that bastardize the cultural experience of an area. Also, if hotels are sold out or $500 a night, there is a good chance I can get a whole apartment on AirBnB for much less.
But I prefer hotels or AirBnB, because as you stated, I like the convenience and predictability of what to expect when I check in - when I'm on work travel anyway. I'm a little more adventurous when it's leisure. My whole point for bringing all this is that I acknowledge AirBnB serves a need. It may not be for me, but there are many others who use and appreciate it.
I think cities should tax AirBnB revenue at the same rate of a hotel to make things equitable, but to those saying that it's eating up housing the solution is simple: build more housing and hotel rooms. It's all a function of supply and demand. Traditional BnB's where never a problem. The internet just made it more readily available.
On the topic of Uber/Lift - here is an interesting article from one of the Shark Tank personalities why it's time to ditch the car. I could not agree more, especially in an urban environment.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ke...of2&yptr=yahoo