5 ms·

That's the moment I'd recommend you to close the website and book a hotel. The whole pandemic reminded me I miss staying in hotels. Not having to worry about

by postit 5y ago

That's the moment I'd recommend you to close the website and book a hotel. The whole pandemic reminded me I miss staying in hotels. Not having to worry about groceries, lunch, cleaning ... A great hotel experience turns your holiday into a holiday experience. The older I get the whole bnb experience feels like a premium stressful hostel.

jack_pp 5y ago
I use airbnb and booking.com specifically for searching cheaper alternatives to hotels. If their value for money proposition wasn't better than a hotel I doubt they would even exist at all.
- dorchadas 5y ago
  Their value-to-money is better because the externalize all the cost to the local community where they remove supply and up the rent for what supply is left.
  - wink 5y ago
    The problem I see is that for certain trips a Hotel is simply bad. My last one was a Chaos Communication Congress where I knew I'd be in my room exactly 6h-8h per night for like 4 days. All I really need is a bed and a shower. In the end I chose a hostel for that but if I don't use 90% of the amenities of the hotel (not even storing my luggage there), why would I pay that high amount? Maybe it's too situational, maybe what I would have wanted was a capsule hotel with a tiny room with a bed (or something to put my sleeping bag on), and it wouldn't have to be the same one every night if I had a locker there. Disclaimer: Have never used AirBnb or alternatives before, but I think it has its uses. For example sharing a flat with 6 people is sometimes half the cost of 3-4 hotel rooms (depending on how you can split)
    - dorchadas 5y ago
      > For example sharing a flat with 6 people is sometimes half the cost of 3-4 hotel rooms (depending on how you can split) And, again, this is the whole problem. Because that's a flat that could have gone to someone who actually lives and works in the local area, not a tourist. It's cheaper because it externalizes that cost. I'm fine with hostels too, I see no problem with people choosing them. I'm not fine with converting residential homes into unlicensed hotels . It destroys the local community, and drives up prices for all the other people who are left trying to live there, and further feeds housing crises.
  - magicroot75 5y ago
    This sounds like a problem for local regulators and not Airbnb. We can't expect corporate actors to operate for much more than legally attained profits. They have a fiduciary duty to do so. And many localities do regulate Airbnb. In many cases locals vote for those regulators. Don't want corporate actors who optimize for wealth? Expect conditions far worse than a neighborhood with a bunch of Airbnb units.
- wraptile 5y ago
  I feel like airbnb is not as affordable these days. They started allowing extra fees (like electricity bills etc) for short stays and always pile up absurd cleaning/other fees so by the time you leave the apartment you end up spending more than a decent hotel would cost.
dorchadas 5y ago
Plus if you stay in a hotel you don't have to worry about taking housing away from the local residents of the place. I loathe AirBnB for multiple reasons, but that's the primary one.
- tome 5y ago
  > you don't have to worry about taking housing away from the local residents Why not? Isn't the hotel taking up space that could otherwise be housing?
  - dorchadas 5y ago
    No, because it's zoned for being a hotel. What's happening with AirBnB is completely different as you're having people (1) buy up existing housing to convert it to AirBnB and (2) it's not zoned for tourists. Believe it or not, tourists are considered in city planning, and that's why they have special zoning laws for hotels and hostels. What's happening is tourists now feel they have the right to 'live as a local', and that eats up the housing supply the locals would use, which is zoned for residential use. Thus forcing the locals out. To suggest hostels/hotels suffer from the same issues is to ignore the fact that they're often planned into the city to accommodate tourists, whereas residential housing is, well, for residents.
    - mikem170 5y ago
      Couldn't you say that city planners are to blame for not providing enough supply to meet the demand? Also, I wonder if maybe lots of people don't like existing hotels for some reason? It seems the locals get forced out wherever demand vastly exceeds supply, like in the beach town where I used to live, where so many people want to visit and there just isn't enough housing/hotels for them. The locals are opposed to more housing, so inevitably prices goes up and they eventually turn into weekly rentals.
      - dorchadas 5y ago
        > Couldn't you say that city planners are to blame for not providing enough supply to meet the demand? But there often is enough supply to meet the demand. The issue is tourists feeling entitled to living in a house, not the fact that all hotels are 100% booked all weekend. > Also, I wonder if maybe lots of people don't like existing hotels for some reason? I'm sure that's it, honestly. But when you're traveling away from home, well, don't expect to have a home waiting for you. That's the entitlement. > It seems the locals get forced out wherever demand vastly exceeds supply, like in the beach town where I used to live, where so many people want to visit and there just isn't enough housing/hotels for them. Or, just stop short-term rentals. Then the demand wouldn't exceed the supply (at least by the same margin). Or have specific areas designated for them (which most do, and which AirBnB conveniently ignores) > The locals are opposed to more housing, so inevitably prices goes up and they eventually turn into weekly rentals. I mean, I can understand why the locals would be opposed to more when there's enough for their demand, it's just the entitled tourists coming in and taking over things that makes it an issue. That said, there are some fundamental differences with beach condos and mountain cabins (usually built to be rent out, not for locals) as opposed to what goes on in most AirBnB situations (built for residential, then moved away). The former two are generally considered in city planning, whereas people taking over residential neighborhoods is not.
elondaits 5y ago
I like hotels just fine but: - AirBNB is better for extended stays, where being able to cook / heat food, or make breakfast is a necessity (for budgetary or dietary reasons… or the fact that having to constantly leave the place to eat can become stressful). - I work while traveling. Working from a hotel room is usually not nice (if possible at all), unless it’s an expensive room.
Jxl180 5y ago
You really can't compare. I've booked Airbnb for $99 for an entire week in a one bedroom apartment in a city where a single hotel room was $350/night.

by postit 5y ago

jack_pp 5y ago

I use airbnb and booking.com specifically for searching cheaper alternatives to hotels. If their value for money proposition wasn't better than a hotel I doubt they would even exist at all.

dorchadas 5y ago
Their value-to-money is better because the externalize all the cost to the local community where they remove supply and up the rent for what supply is left.
- wink 5y ago
  The problem I see is that for certain trips a Hotel is simply bad. My last one was a Chaos Communication Congress where I knew I'd be in my room exactly 6h-8h per night for like 4 days. All I really need is a bed and a shower. In the end I chose a hostel for that but if I don't use 90% of the amenities of the hotel (not even storing my luggage there), why would I pay that high amount? Maybe it's too situational, maybe what I would have wanted was a capsule hotel with a tiny room with a bed (or something to put my sleeping bag on), and it wouldn't have to be the same one every night if I had a locker there. Disclaimer: Have never used AirBnb or alternatives before, but I think it has its uses. For example sharing a flat with 6 people is sometimes half the cost of 3-4 hotel rooms (depending on how you can split)
  - dorchadas 5y ago
    > For example sharing a flat with 6 people is sometimes half the cost of 3-4 hotel rooms (depending on how you can split) And, again, this is the whole problem. Because that's a flat that could have gone to someone who actually lives and works in the local area, not a tourist. It's cheaper because it externalizes that cost. I'm fine with hostels too, I see no problem with people choosing them. I'm not fine with converting residential homes into unlicensed hotels . It destroys the local community, and drives up prices for all the other people who are left trying to live there, and further feeds housing crises.
- magicroot75 5y ago
  This sounds like a problem for local regulators and not Airbnb. We can't expect corporate actors to operate for much more than legally attained profits. They have a fiduciary duty to do so. And many localities do regulate Airbnb. In many cases locals vote for those regulators. Don't want corporate actors who optimize for wealth? Expect conditions far worse than a neighborhood with a bunch of Airbnb units.
wraptile 5y ago
I feel like airbnb is not as affordable these days. They started allowing extra fees (like electricity bills etc) for short stays and always pile up absurd cleaning/other fees so by the time you leave the apartment you end up spending more than a decent hotel would cost.

dorchadas 5y ago

Plus if you stay in a hotel you don't have to worry about taking housing away from the local residents of the place. I loathe AirBnB for multiple reasons, but that's the primary one.

tome 5y ago
> you don't have to worry about taking housing away from the local residents Why not? Isn't the hotel taking up space that could otherwise be housing?
- dorchadas 5y ago
  No, because it's zoned for being a hotel. What's happening with AirBnB is completely different as you're having people (1) buy up existing housing to convert it to AirBnB and (2) it's not zoned for tourists. Believe it or not, tourists are considered in city planning, and that's why they have special zoning laws for hotels and hostels. What's happening is tourists now feel they have the right to 'live as a local', and that eats up the housing supply the locals would use, which is zoned for residential use. Thus forcing the locals out. To suggest hostels/hotels suffer from the same issues is to ignore the fact that they're often planned into the city to accommodate tourists, whereas residential housing is, well, for residents.
  - mikem170 5y ago
    Couldn't you say that city planners are to blame for not providing enough supply to meet the demand? Also, I wonder if maybe lots of people don't like existing hotels for some reason? It seems the locals get forced out wherever demand vastly exceeds supply, like in the beach town where I used to live, where so many people want to visit and there just isn't enough housing/hotels for them. The locals are opposed to more housing, so inevitably prices goes up and they eventually turn into weekly rentals.
    - dorchadas 5y ago
      > Couldn't you say that city planners are to blame for not providing enough supply to meet the demand? But there often is enough supply to meet the demand. The issue is tourists feeling entitled to living in a house, not the fact that all hotels are 100% booked all weekend. > Also, I wonder if maybe lots of people don't like existing hotels for some reason? I'm sure that's it, honestly. But when you're traveling away from home, well, don't expect to have a home waiting for you. That's the entitlement. > It seems the locals get forced out wherever demand vastly exceeds supply, like in the beach town where I used to live, where so many people want to visit and there just isn't enough housing/hotels for them. Or, just stop short-term rentals. Then the demand wouldn't exceed the supply (at least by the same margin). Or have specific areas designated for them (which most do, and which AirBnB conveniently ignores) > The locals are opposed to more housing, so inevitably prices goes up and they eventually turn into weekly rentals. I mean, I can understand why the locals would be opposed to more when there's enough for their demand, it's just the entitled tourists coming in and taking over things that makes it an issue. That said, there are some fundamental differences with beach condos and mountain cabins (usually built to be rent out, not for locals) as opposed to what goes on in most AirBnB situations (built for residential, then moved away). The former two are generally considered in city planning, whereas people taking over residential neighborhoods is not.

elondaits 5y ago

I like hotels just fine but: - AirBNB is better for extended stays, where being able to cook / heat food, or make breakfast is a necessity (for budgetary or dietary reasons… or the fact that having to constantly leave the place to eat can become stressful). - I work while traveling. Working from a hotel room is usually not nice (if possible at all), unless it’s an expensive room.

Jxl180 5y ago

You really can't compare. I've booked Airbnb for $99 for an entire week in a one bedroom apartment in a city where a single hotel room was $350/night.