4 ms·

I just did my first AirBNB experience (actually am still in the middle of it) and I can say that it's actually been surprisingly smooth. It's almost like a paid

by randall 16y ago

I just did my first AirBNB experience (actually am still in the middle of it) and I can say that it's actually been surprisingly smooth. It's almost like a paid way to make friends. The hosts who I'm staying with are so cool, and since I'm pretty public online, it was easy for them to feel comfortable with me staying at their pad. They've set it up as much like a hotel as I could ask for. It's really great, and it's paying half their rent (they have about 100% occupancy, believe it or not).

joshcrews 16y ago
I like Airbnb. I've hosted 8ish times and stayed with people once. Why I think the people on Airbnb are 'cool' is that its a small population that has a lot in common (young or young-at-heart, singles and couples without kids, internet natives, own a macbook, would love to hitchhike Europe while submitting correspond reports for the NYTimes). As it grows, I'm worried that everyone's not going to find everyone else 'cool' on Airbnb. I wasn't around for the early days of Craigslist, but I imagine it was easy to like people you found on Craigslist because they were probably very similar people to be on Craigslist so early. But now, after scale and popularity, that's gone. I wonder if Airbnb might lose the 'cool' people edge after scaling.
- thedaveoflife 16y ago
  Good question but I think they will always have the 'cool' crowd simply because allowing a weary stanger to stay in your apartment is inherently a cool thing to do. also money talks in this case. As has been brought up elsewhere in this thread, there is a huge market here for unused space that AirBnB is exploiting. Even cool people like saving/making money.
- Eliezer 16y ago
  What Airbnb would need to do is allow renters to rate rentees. Two-way system like eBay used to be.
  - brianchesky 16y ago
    We do.
- code_duck 16y ago
  Like Craigslist, there's also the "everyone was really cool until someone raped and murdered a client" angle.
- sage_joch 16y ago
  I would be afraid of being the uncool person in this equation :-)
robobenjie 16y ago
Aww shucks, Thanks, Randall. We really enjoy hosting, and it seems like an even better deal for us (we get paid to make friends). About the only downside Iv'e experienced so far is that I have to wash sheets all the time (most people stay with us for 2-3 days and since we now have between 70%-100% occupancy thats a lot of sheet washing. I'm also about to go to Paris and the value proposition of airbnb there is even better (try hipmunk's hotel search in Paris). We are staying in a private entire apartment on the seine with a view of the eiffel tower for about $130 a night.
- nolanbrown23 16y ago
  My wife and I used AirBnB to stay in paris on our honeymoon, we had an entire apartment (a studio) in a nice part of town for a fraction of the cost of hotel. It was great experience that we couldn't have had without AirBnB.
- modoc 16y ago
  If you're renting out your spare room 70-100% of the time, why don't you just get a roommate? Seems like it would be safer, less work, and you'd ideally have a better long term relationship.
  - willgodfrey 16y ago
    Well, to look at it from solely a financial point of view, a room in an apartment is worth much more if you rent it out by the night or week rather than by the year (like you would with a roommate). Here in my neighborhood, in Chicago, one can find a room for about $40/night; 15 nights and I already have half my rent. So yes, having a roommate might be less work (but that depends on what you consider "work") but I can make more money renting a room out by the night.
  - tansey 16y ago
    They can probably charge a premium to the short term guests.
  - robobenjie 16y ago
    Well, we like meeting new people, we probably would have to charge the roommate less and there are different social obligations for a roommate. (For example a guest that stays for a few days is unlikely to leave a mess in the kitchen). In addition any little annoying habits don't have enough time to become tiresome. Lastly, we can have the room available for our friends and family when they come and visit (which is the point of having a guest room in the first place). My parent stay there (for free, of course) about 2 nights a month.
vgurgov 16y ago
'It's almost like a paid way to make friends.' - love this :)) I stayed in like 4 airbn places in SV and learned: 1) That it certainly not for everyone, some ppl just dont need all this fun and pretty happy with avg hotel room. 2) If you think that its not for you, still please give it a try, there is a very serious chance that you will absolutely love it. (I was super skeptical too) 3) I dont pay Airbnb fee on second stay and just contact my 'paid friends' directly. They need to consider this and if its a problem in scale. 4) I absolutely love it and will only stay in hotel in worst case scenario if all my "paid friends" in area cant host me.
- CamperBob 16y ago
  3) I dont pay Airbnb fee on second stay and just contact my 'paid friends' directly. They need to consider this and if its a problem in scale. That's a really good point. A common theme in Paul's argument is that "AirBnB could be the next eBay." But eBay's worst nightmare is buyers and sellers communicating directly, saving each other money while cutting the company out of the revenue loop. AirBnB is almost more like a dating service than a marketplace... a 'buyer' and 'seller' who prove compatible with each other will never need to use the service again, at least not in the same city.

by randall 16y ago

joshcrews 16y ago

I like Airbnb. I've hosted 8ish times and stayed with people once. Why I think the people on Airbnb are 'cool' is that its a small population that has a lot in common (young or young-at-heart, singles and couples without kids, internet natives, own a macbook, would love to hitchhike Europe while submitting correspond reports for the NYTimes). As it grows, I'm worried that everyone's not going to find everyone else 'cool' on Airbnb. I wasn't around for the early days of Craigslist, but I imagine it was easy to like people you found on Craigslist because they were probably very similar people to be on Craigslist so early. But now, after scale and popularity, that's gone. I wonder if Airbnb might lose the 'cool' people edge after scaling.

thedaveoflife 16y ago
Good question but I think they will always have the 'cool' crowd simply because allowing a weary stanger to stay in your apartment is inherently a cool thing to do. also money talks in this case. As has been brought up elsewhere in this thread, there is a huge market here for unused space that AirBnB is exploiting. Even cool people like saving/making money.
Eliezer 16y ago
What Airbnb would need to do is allow renters to rate rentees. Two-way system like eBay used to be.
- brianchesky 16y ago
  We do.
code_duck 16y ago
Like Craigslist, there's also the "everyone was really cool until someone raped and murdered a client" angle.
sage_joch 16y ago
I would be afraid of being the uncool person in this equation :-)

robobenjie 16y ago

Aww shucks, Thanks, Randall. We really enjoy hosting, and it seems like an even better deal for us (we get paid to make friends). About the only downside Iv'e experienced so far is that I have to wash sheets all the time (most people stay with us for 2-3 days and since we now have between 70%-100% occupancy thats a lot of sheet washing. I'm also about to go to Paris and the value proposition of airbnb there is even better (try hipmunk's hotel search in Paris). We are staying in a private entire apartment on the seine with a view of the eiffel tower for about $130 a night.

nolanbrown23 16y ago
My wife and I used AirBnB to stay in paris on our honeymoon, we had an entire apartment (a studio) in a nice part of town for a fraction of the cost of hotel. It was great experience that we couldn't have had without AirBnB.
modoc 16y ago
If you're renting out your spare room 70-100% of the time, why don't you just get a roommate? Seems like it would be safer, less work, and you'd ideally have a better long term relationship.
- willgodfrey 16y ago
  Well, to look at it from solely a financial point of view, a room in an apartment is worth much more if you rent it out by the night or week rather than by the year (like you would with a roommate). Here in my neighborhood, in Chicago, one can find a room for about $40/night; 15 nights and I already have half my rent. So yes, having a roommate might be less work (but that depends on what you consider "work") but I can make more money renting a room out by the night.
- tansey 16y ago
  They can probably charge a premium to the short term guests.
- robobenjie 16y ago
  Well, we like meeting new people, we probably would have to charge the roommate less and there are different social obligations for a roommate. (For example a guest that stays for a few days is unlikely to leave a mess in the kitchen). In addition any little annoying habits don't have enough time to become tiresome. Lastly, we can have the room available for our friends and family when they come and visit (which is the point of having a guest room in the first place). My parent stay there (for free, of course) about 2 nights a month.

vgurgov 16y ago

'It's almost like a paid way to make friends.' - love this :)) I stayed in like 4 airbn places in SV and learned: 1) That it certainly not for everyone, some ppl just dont need all this fun and pretty happy with avg hotel room. 2) If you think that its not for you, still please give it a try, there is a very serious chance that you will absolutely love it. (I was super skeptical too) 3) I dont pay Airbnb fee on second stay and just contact my 'paid friends' directly. They need to consider this and if its a problem in scale. 4) I absolutely love it and will only stay in hotel in worst case scenario if all my "paid friends" in area cant host me.

CamperBob 16y ago
3) I dont pay Airbnb fee on second stay and just contact my 'paid friends' directly. They need to consider this and if its a problem in scale. That's a really good point. A common theme in Paul's argument is that "AirBnB could be the next eBay." But eBay's worst nightmare is buyers and sellers communicating directly, saving each other money while cutting the company out of the revenue loop. AirBnB is almost more like a dating service than a marketplace... a 'buyer' and 'seller' who prove compatible with each other will never need to use the service again, at least not in the same city.