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Business hotels are not "cubicles" in most cases, they're perfectly adequate for 95% of travelers, and there's a wide range of size/quality/budget tradeoffs. S

Business hotels are not "cubicles" in most cases, they're perfectly adequate for 95% of travelers, and there's a wide range of size/quality/budget tradeoffs. Sure if you're a traveling circus and need room to set up your trapeze, then maybe you need more room—but so what? In that case, you pay a bit more and get a somewhat larger room. Options exist, even for odd cases like yours. The cool thing in places like Japan is that you actually have a choice whereas in places like NYC, you have far less. For that reason I dread visiting the states anytime I don't have a friend I can stay with or something. The U.S., especially, could really do with a big shakeup of its dysfunctional hotel culture. And its dysfunctional transportation culture. And ... well you get the idea...

jpatokal 13y ago
My "odd case", also known as family travel (adults travelling with children), represents 30% of all travel worldwide. Did I mention I used to work for Lonely Planet? Regarding my apparently plentiful options, can you point me to a business hotel near Tokyo Station which has rooms for four people at a price that's a "bit" more than the standard under-Y10k business hotel cubicle? Go ahead, I'm waiting. And Airbnb seems to be doing a pretty good job of shaking up that dysfunctional hotel culture...
- venus 13y ago
  > 30% of all travel worldwide Lonely Planet or not, that is very hard to believe. I know anecdotes != data but this is so different from my normal experience that I just can't accept it. I do not think I have ever been on a plane where 30% of pax are vacationing families. Business travel outweighs vacations 10 to 1, or it feels like it. Anyway, of course you're not going to get a family-sized suite for 1万円 at a proper hotel. You wouldn't get an apartment, either. I am not sure what you are expecting here. A four-person suite is going to cost way more no matter how you cut it. And if you claim four-person suites make up 30% of hotel bookings, then you are hallucinating. I hadn't really perceived that AirBNB was evolving into a short-term apartment rental system, but if that works for you, great! My point was simply that, since I don't have all these dependents, I would never think of using it in a country with good business hotels.
  - dagw 13y ago
    I do not think I have ever been on a plane where 30% of pax are vacationing families I don't think I have either, but I have been on flights where 95+% where vacationing families, so I wouldn't be surprised if it balances out. Most routes are either business focused or vacation focused, so depending on what routes you travel you probably won't be sharing your flight with many from the other group.

jpatokal 13y ago

My "odd case", also known as family travel (adults travelling with children), represents 30% of all travel worldwide. Did I mention I used to work for Lonely Planet? Regarding my apparently plentiful options, can you point me to a business hotel near Tokyo Station which has rooms for four people at a price that's a "bit" more than the standard under-Y10k business hotel cubicle? Go ahead, I'm waiting. And Airbnb seems to be doing a pretty good job of shaking up that dysfunctional hotel culture...

venus 13y ago
> 30% of all travel worldwide Lonely Planet or not, that is very hard to believe. I know anecdotes != data but this is so different from my normal experience that I just can't accept it. I do not think I have ever been on a plane where 30% of pax are vacationing families. Business travel outweighs vacations 10 to 1, or it feels like it. Anyway, of course you're not going to get a family-sized suite for 1万円 at a proper hotel. You wouldn't get an apartment, either. I am not sure what you are expecting here. A four-person suite is going to cost way more no matter how you cut it. And if you claim four-person suites make up 30% of hotel bookings, then you are hallucinating. I hadn't really perceived that AirBNB was evolving into a short-term apartment rental system, but if that works for you, great! My point was simply that, since I don't have all these dependents, I would never think of using it in a country with good business hotels.
- dagw 13y ago
  I do not think I have ever been on a plane where 30% of pax are vacationing families I don't think I have either, but I have been on flights where 95+% where vacationing families, so I wouldn't be surprised if it balances out. Most routes are either business focused or vacation focused, so depending on what routes you travel you probably won't be sharing your flight with many from the other group.