Yes. When we first purchased our home it was under contract with this management company and we decided to keep them to finish out the remainder of their bookings. They would charge us $400 to fix a dishwasher and require that we keep televisions in every bedroom (totally unnecessary, not contemporary). When the contract expired, I took over management and doubled the home’s bookings and revenue. And got rid of half the televisions.
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I would have told them to pound sand. Not up to them.
They have a presence here, I am just up the hill from you (Idyllwild) They are a hot mess.
RR
Airbnb is already acquiring vacation management companies as well. They boost those listings in our area under LUXE, which looks like the PLUS category.
There’s a lack of consistency in guest standards too. Airbnb is a great opportunity for guests with low standards to stay with hosts who have similar standards. Or for guests of distinguishing taste to meet up with hosts who appreciate a meticulous attention to detail. If we set one standard level we might be lowering the bar too much for our distinguished guests or raising the bar too much for our lovable dirtballs. I think the guests who expect more know better than to book the cheapest place and expect it to be comfortable because they can tell its not as nice as their home. And the guests who have low standards usually don’t care beyond it being cheap because its probably nicer than ‘home’.
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The problem is that Airbnb doesn’t represent the standard but they want to. They need to have at least a minimum standard, imo. And they have tried to add them. But unlike a hotel with a staff that can be fired, there’s no one but guest to “inspect and report” on the rooms. Air hosts don’t even have the licensing and safety inspection (although those are laughable in most places) procedures that other businesses do.
Discerning guests can pick a hotel brand that meets their standard. I’m not shocked to go in a Motel 6 and find one bar of soap, no blow drier, no shampoo, no bath mat. I’d be shocked if my Hyatt was missing those things. I was shocked when my Hyatt didn’t have a pillow protector and the corner of the pillow looked like it had been sucked on all night by a 45 year old.
Maybe Airbnb should add more categories: Airbnb for work, Airbnb for students, Airbnb for women, Airbnb for pet owners. Instead of kicking people off the platform make a site called 4 star Airbnb.
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Marriot has a large number of “suite” hotels. The suites have 1 or 2 bedrooms, a living room, and a small kitchen.
I am sure that Marriott has a lot of everything. But I also believe I said “most hotels”. Big planet, you know.
Lol, Marriot has the most hotels in the world…
RR
Ok, teacher KKC here. A pet peeve of mine is the misuse of the word “most.” Plurality is probably the word needed here.
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I will take your word for that. But not all hotels are Marriott. And not all Marriott’s have kitchens. Long term suites, sure. But most people stay in rooms, don’t you agree?
I was just poking fun at you:) pointing out that Marriot is the largest hotel chain.
RR
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And I am a humorless twit today. Time for
…a mental Margarita!
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Thank you for this ,
I am sure there will be more rental interventions to corner this market.
I do like being with Air BNB so far, but great to keep up with what’s new, and what’s gong on .
I have heard that some cities requires a license to run AIR BNB with inspections for safety reasons.
AIR BNB guest are the only ones to inspect our places unless you are (a plus)!!!
and I do find that very unfair to us, who are not in that catagori YET.
Again, hat tip from my eagle-eyed brother:
Morningstar: (WSJ reprint) Airbnb, Marriott Vie With Newcomers – WSJ
In the niche between Airbnb Inc.'s home rentals and traditional hotel rooms, a new breed of startup is offering a hybrid option aiming to merge the best of both worlds.
Companies like Domio, Lyric and Sonder lease a number of floors in commercial or residential buildings, stock them with comfy furnishings, then rent them out for short-term stays.
These companies are betting that some guests are growing wary of Airbnb, where experiences and services can vary depending on the host and in some cases can run afoul of local laws. But they also believe many travelers would prefer the comfort of an apartment over a standardized hotel room.
The unpredictability of small-time hosts is a “problem that doesn’t improve over time like an algorithm,” said Jay Roberts, Domio’s chief executive officer.
An Airbnb spokeswoman said the company has been working on partnerships with real estate owners across the country. The company has also been expanding its offerings, in part to ensure high-quality stays, for example with a program that includes only top-rated hosts.
These startups won’t have the field to themselves for long. Big hotel operators are also starting to offer so-called apartment hotels – professionally managed accommodations in private residences or commercial buildings – as alternatives to the individual host model popularized by Airbnb and Expedia Group Inc.'s HomeAway.
Marriott International Inc. announced a new home-rental business last week that would include 2,000 high-end homes in 100 markets across the U.S., Europe and Latin America. The company says it is working with property managers to ensure hotel standards for safety and service.
Even Airbnb is experimenting with a similar approach. The company recently announced a partnership with real estate owner RXR Realty to turn 10 floors near the top of a Rockefeller Center office tower into hotel-like accommodations, the first of what the partners hope will be several in New York.
New York City-based Domio, meanwhile, recently opened its first location in New Orleans, in a venture with investment firm Upper90. Units look like conventional apartments but are rented out by the night at rates starting at $149. Perks include a kitchen and access to washing machines and a rooftop pool, along with hotel-room staples like cable TV and free toiletries. Founded in 2016, the company is in negotiations to open another 15 apartment hotels, with more in the pipeline.
Sonder, which like Airbnb is based in San Francisco, has raised $135 million in venture capital and is close to raising more in a new round at a valuation of around $1 billion, The Wall Street Journal recently reported. The company recently opened a short-term rental location in Manhattan’s financial district.