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Airbnb is in midlife crisis mode

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341–350 of 573 posts

Re: Airbnb is in midlife crisis mode

#341

What needs consideration are the people that live near the places that are rented out for Airbnb or Booking. It destroys the social fabric by injecting a rotation of strangers into the community, sometimes those strangers are also very problematic by e.g. throwing loud parties. On top of that it drives up the prices pushing out normal people out of the better parts of the city.

For about seven years, I lived between two of Chattanooga's top tourist attractions / revenue generators. Although our city has banned new STRs, pre-existing properties are grandfathered (which conveys with deed). >It destroys the social fabric by injecting a rotation of strangers into the community. Absolutely this. Literally half on my former neighborhood was AirBNBs, mostly small-time couples (1 or 2 properties) b…

Yep, exactly what I meant. This is essentially privatizing profits, socializing costs. And it should be ended using the government.

If you want to play hotel owner then build one without exploiting people that want to live normal lives with their families.

Re: Airbnb is in midlife crisis mode

#342
Airbnb is brilliant in concept. It's finding value where there used to be essentially waste.

BUT then came the growing pains caused by investors and speculators. Both of which clashed with governments who were manipulating their housing markets.

This isnt a place you want your business competing; the governments will come take you out.

Toronto for example, airbnbs can only be your principal residence. You have to register and license. there's a 4% airbnb tax.

This wipes out the investors and speculators. toronto's housing pricing is down 5% across the board. There's now people selling and losing ~$400,000. We're at record highs for number of units unsold. # of Sales are down 20%

There has to be a correction, but how that doesnt pop the housing bubbles, i dunno. doesnt help that toronto's unemployment is at 10% which is worse than the financial crisis. Toronto's also losing their film industry shortly. Auto industry is suspended if not moving.

Re: Airbnb is in midlife crisis mode

#343
post #323

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My issue with Airbnb stays is privacy. I don’t trust that the vendors (they’re really not ‘hosts’ nowadays) have not placed cameras and microphones throughout the rooms. I do trust that most (not all!) hotel owners don’t.

is this even a widespread problem? kind of reminds me of the tiktoks of "hotel safety tips"[1]. Makes me think these levels of paranoia are unique to the US [1] https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/hotel-safety-hacks-t...

Agree. OP is weird. Google tells me:

    > Airbnb prohibits indoor security cameras and recording devices, including audio, in most listings globally.
It should not be difficult to find a security camera. (Microphone is a different matter.) If you find one, you can report to AirBnB, and I am sure the renter will be immediately delisted. And, it is probably just plan illegal in many jurisdictions.

Re: Airbnb is in midlife crisis mode

#344
post #279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't put a finger on it, but I have never used AirBnB, so I probably do not know what I am missing. I have kids now, and when we move around within the EU, I have always found the hotel experience predictable and reliable (and like many say here, perhaps more expensive, though I don't know by how much). Our daily life at home/base camp is filled with chores - laundry, cooking, cleaning etc. So going and staying at…

I'm very mixed on the subject. I, like you, prefer the hotel offering. Messing around with hosts and their rules is not on my list of things I want to care about, the fact that there are hidden fees and stuff leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Hotels, I know the rules. Don't destroy or steal, make life easier for the maid: done. With AirBNB, there's the cleaning fee, there's the self-replacement of items situation, ther…

IME, you can quite often get an iron and ironing board brought to your room (or to pick up somewhere) by asking for one at the reception. It's kinda standard in any hotel that gets business travelers, which is most of them.

Re: Airbnb is in midlife crisis mode

#345

Sorry, but what in gods name is this passage: > Despite never meeting Jobs, “I feel like I know him deeply, professionally, in a way that few people ever did As opposed to all the people that did actually met him, or worked for him? This is such a painfully gushing puff piece and this sentence is peak cringe that just makes the man sound mentally ill.

Reminds me of his “diary of a CEO” interview where he spends half of it reading out his own inspirational emails to the team.

omg I have to find this, do you know which one it is? I'm sure the office writers are kicking themselves they didn't think of this.

Re: Airbnb is in midlife crisis mode

#346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the people who say hotels are better than AirBnb aren't traveling with kids. Having an actual kitchen when you travel with kids is great. Having actual separate bedrooms so we don't have to go to sleep at 8pm when the kids go to sleep is great. Being able to do laundry without tracking down a laundromat or pay exorbitant hotel prices is great. Having a living room or similar area with at least a few square me…

> aren't traveling with kids Just as much as many parents think having had kids is one of the proudest decisions (or happiest accidents) they have made, I think not having them is one of my best decisions, travelling is one of my many reasons for that, and I find the assumption from some parents that we should bend around their choice is a little presumptuous. Furthermore, ignoring various other definitions of better…

People had to tolerate your existence when your parents decided to bring you into this world. Why not show the same courtesy?

Re: Airbnb is in midlife crisis mode

#347
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because the writing is sort of on the wall for airbnb's current business model. Local regulations are finally catching up to them, limiting new listings or applying the same taxes and fees applied to regular hotels. And airbnb's are not cheaper anymore, and many times not any more convenient than a hotel, due crappy hosts and their excessive fees and regulations. Airbnb is still a great option if the location is unde…

AirBNB forced hotels to MASSIVELY upgrade. There used to be very few hotels with kitchenettes, any space really beside just a bed. There's way more suite and kitchenette options. Lots of people travel for longer than just a night or two, or to travel beyond just business, where you might want to be able to actually enjoy being in your private space. Hotels weren't really designed for this. They wanted you to never be…

What? Appartment hotels have been a thing for as long I have been alive.

Re: Airbnb is in midlife crisis mode

#349

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There are plenty of hotels where you can get multiple rooms and a washing machine Ok... Can you show me some like that in the EU? > This is all not to mention being asked to strip beds, take out trash, etc, after you've paid thousands of dollars, including cleaning fees for the place. Just don't do that.

Most 4 start hotels and resorts have either connecting rooms or family rooms in Europe (the latter especially true for resorts). They are far less common on lower categories though. I suppose to book connecting room you might have to call sometimes rather than going through online platforms though. Hotel with kitchenette and washing are not that hard to find either. They certainly more common on location were people…

Got some links? And how do their prices compare to the typical AirBnB?

Re: Airbnb is in midlife crisis mode

#350

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Plenty of hotels have washers/dryers for guests to use, sometimes having a laundry room on each floor of the hotel.

I haven’t seen one on each floor, either, but that’s still not as convenient as one in the room that’s yours so you can run it while you’re out to dinner or overnight while you sleep. It’s shared so you have to plan around it.

I have stayed at many hotels of varying degrees of quality all over the U.S., and I have never, not once, seen the laundry being used. It’s always been available.
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