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This would reduce the hotel's value proposition to a commodity. It would only work for the most impersonal of hotels, the hotel equivalent of McDonalds, competi

This would reduce the hotel's value proposition to a commodity. It would only work for the most impersonal of hotels, the hotel equivalent of McDonalds, competing on price and standardized features. The kinds of hotel you wouldn't want to stay at, if you had a choice.

ceejayoz 9y ago
Plenty of people choose McDonalds for the reliable consistency of the experience. Sure, it's a mediocre hamburger, but you're virtually guaranteed it won't be a horrible one. The same thing is appealing for hotels, IMO.
Helmet 9y ago
I love staying at those hotels. In fact, I wish hotel rooms were commodities that competed on two factors: cleanliness and quietness. Everything else to me is frivolous, as I'm not interested at all in spending any time in a hotel outside of the time it takes me to get ready in the morning and sleep at night.
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  > In fact, I wish hotel rooms were commodities that competed on two factors: cleanliness and quietness. A commoditized market has products, by definition, that compete on one factor, price. If you care about cleanliness, quietness, or other qualitative features being areas of active competition, you don't want a commoditized market.
  - Retric 9y ago
    Commoditized market does not mean lack of options or low quality goods. It just means the differences are predefined aka it's X octane gas without lead and a bunch of other things that you don't need to see on the pump. People don't just buy generic meat they buy Grade A (means something) Prime Rib (means something) Angus Beef (means something).
    - dragonwriter 9y ago
      > Commoditized market does not mean lack of options or low quality goods. No, but it does mean that goods are perfect substitutes that compete only on price, although it is a condition which in practice is approximated more often than actually attained. > People don't just buy generic meat they buy Grade A (means something) Prime Rib (means something) Angus Beef (means something). Right. "Meat" isn't even approximately a commodity. A particular cut and grade might be approximately a commodity (though makers will actively seeking to decommoditize it by building brands; no one wants to sell into a commodity market, since basic economics mean that competitive factors will drive market prices in such a market down to producer costs and eliminate profits.)
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- kmonsen 9y ago
  Safety as well!
GVIrish 9y ago
I don't think that would be the case at all. People choose hotels based on price, location, amenities, and reviews. Making it easier to compare vacancy listings isn't all of a sudden going to make the customer seeking a 4 star hotel, choose a $50/night motel because of the price differential.
mindcrime 9y ago
I no longer travel frequently for business, but when I was a consultant I was constantly traveling around the US and staying in various hotels. I would say that to a large extent, I always saw them as just commodities. I only had one or two pet issues that occasionally cropped up, but 99% of the time I didn't care a lick about the "brand" of the hotel, nor did I want to. Maybe it's different for recreational travelers, but for at least one business traveler my hotel room was just a place to park my clothes and stuff during the day, and to sleep at night. As long as the AC worked, and the bed was anything close to reasonable, the rest was moot.
- secabeen 9y ago
  And this is the fundamental issue with the traditional hotel industry, and why AirBNB has found a successful niche. When I travel with my family, I care greatly about the space I will be in. I desire a living room space, multiple bedrooms, a kitchen, maybe even an outdoor or backyard space, and I don't want to pay to rent two attached hotel rooms at twice the price. Hotels seem to aim their products at their primary customers (business travelers), and the product they sell is designed to primarily meet their needs. They compete on non-room amenities (bar quality, workout rooms, etc.) and on loyalty points, which frequent business travelers can use to make personal trips to vacation destinations. None of these things have any value to a family that makes 1-2 trips a year. AirBNB does target my needs, with detailed pictures of exactly the space I'll be living in, diverse housing options, with many of the amenities that I desire above. I also care a lot less about cleanliness when I'm traveling with family. Yes, I want clean sheets, towels and other personal items. However, I don't care about a little dust in the kitchen cabinets, some spots on the windows, aging/peeling paint, or a few spiderwebs in the corners. My kids are going to make a mess no-matter what, and I certainly don't clean my home to hotel-standards every night. I have seen a few mainline hotel chains offer family-focused properties (The Hyatt House in Anaheim is one.) However, the family-focused ones aren't that common. An AirBNB apartment I can rent almost anywhere.
- nunez 9y ago
  I am currently a traveling consultant, and I now care very much about staying at Hilton properties because I have Diamond status and get better rooms at lower prices and free Wi-Fi. I know I could stay anywhere else and expense these expenses, but why would I?

ceejayoz 9y ago

Plenty of people choose McDonalds for the reliable consistency of the experience. Sure, it's a mediocre hamburger, but you're virtually guaranteed it won't be a horrible one. The same thing is appealing for hotels, IMO.

Helmet 9y ago

I love staying at those hotels. In fact, I wish hotel rooms were commodities that competed on two factors: cleanliness and quietness. Everything else to me is frivolous, as I'm not interested at all in spending any time in a hotel outside of the time it takes me to get ready in the morning and sleep at night.

dragonwriter 9y ago
> In fact, I wish hotel rooms were commodities that competed on two factors: cleanliness and quietness. A commoditized market has products, by definition, that compete on one factor, price. If you care about cleanliness, quietness, or other qualitative features being areas of active competition, you don't want a commoditized market.
- Retric 9y ago
  Commoditized market does not mean lack of options or low quality goods. It just means the differences are predefined aka it's X octane gas without lead and a bunch of other things that you don't need to see on the pump. People don't just buy generic meat they buy Grade A (means something) Prime Rib (means something) Angus Beef (means something).
  - dragonwriter 9y ago
    > Commoditized market does not mean lack of options or low quality goods. No, but it does mean that goods are perfect substitutes that compete only on price, although it is a condition which in practice is approximated more often than actually attained. > People don't just buy generic meat they buy Grade A (means something) Prime Rib (means something) Angus Beef (means something). Right. "Meat" isn't even approximately a commodity. A particular cut and grade might be approximately a commodity (though makers will actively seeking to decommoditize it by building brands; no one wants to sell into a commodity market, since basic economics mean that competitive factors will drive market prices in such a market down to producer costs and eliminate profits.)
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]
    - deleted 9y ago
      [deleted]
kmonsen 9y ago
Safety as well!

GVIrish 9y ago

I don't think that would be the case at all. People choose hotels based on price, location, amenities, and reviews. Making it easier to compare vacancy listings isn't all of a sudden going to make the customer seeking a 4 star hotel, choose a $50/night motel because of the price differential.

mindcrime 9y ago

I no longer travel frequently for business, but when I was a consultant I was constantly traveling around the US and staying in various hotels. I would say that to a large extent, I always saw them as just commodities. I only had one or two pet issues that occasionally cropped up, but 99% of the time I didn't care a lick about the "brand" of the hotel, nor did I want to. Maybe it's different for recreational travelers, but for at least one business traveler my hotel room was just a place to park my clothes and stuff during the day, and to sleep at night. As long as the AC worked, and the bed was anything close to reasonable, the rest was moot.

secabeen 9y ago
And this is the fundamental issue with the traditional hotel industry, and why AirBNB has found a successful niche. When I travel with my family, I care greatly about the space I will be in. I desire a living room space, multiple bedrooms, a kitchen, maybe even an outdoor or backyard space, and I don't want to pay to rent two attached hotel rooms at twice the price. Hotels seem to aim their products at their primary customers (business travelers), and the product they sell is designed to primarily meet their needs. They compete on non-room amenities (bar quality, workout rooms, etc.) and on loyalty points, which frequent business travelers can use to make personal trips to vacation destinations. None of these things have any value to a family that makes 1-2 trips a year. AirBNB does target my needs, with detailed pictures of exactly the space I'll be living in, diverse housing options, with many of the amenities that I desire above. I also care a lot less about cleanliness when I'm traveling with family. Yes, I want clean sheets, towels and other personal items. However, I don't care about a little dust in the kitchen cabinets, some spots on the windows, aging/peeling paint, or a few spiderwebs in the corners. My kids are going to make a mess no-matter what, and I certainly don't clean my home to hotel-standards every night. I have seen a few mainline hotel chains offer family-focused properties (The Hyatt House in Anaheim is one.) However, the family-focused ones aren't that common. An AirBNB apartment I can rent almost anywhere.
nunez 9y ago
I am currently a traveling consultant, and I now care very much about staying at Hilton properties because I have Diamond status and get better rooms at lower prices and free Wi-Fi. I know I could stay anywhere else and expense these expenses, but why would I?