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Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide

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Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide

#11

Post by ProllyInfamous »

tromp wrote: post #6
mohsen1 wrote: post #5

Archive article

Correct article: https://archive.is/ByOCT

Thank you both.

Unrelated note to publishing platforms: Instead of using Archive to read your stuff, I'd rather pay for your content; but until a mechanism to send microtransactions to one-off view individual articles, I'm not going to ever sign up monthly (e.g. send 0.0001 XMR to address 1MADEup5649879846513216547, which then creates a machine-local cookie to allow viewing of content indefinitely/timed). Perhaps a GUI similar to the old .RSS feeds, with a central CC/crypto processor which pays per article?

Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide

#12

Post by busterarm »

attendant3446 wrote: post #10
busterarm wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is why I have always just gotten a hotel. Everyone I know who AirBNBs has horror stories. I've never had a hotel horror story. I've had minor disappointments but always the hotel went out of their accommodate me or my credit card company would have if they failed to meet their obligations. Even for the niche reasons some people AirBNB for (large groups, extended stays), I've always found niche hotels offering th…

I mostly agree. But I have a couple of horror stories about staying in hotels too. The main thing about hotels is that you rarely book them for a week or a month. So if it's bad, it's usually easy to leave. Also, it's a business, so sometimes they care about their reputation. Airbnb used to be good, but it's been awful for a while now. I'm not saying it's all bad, but it's mostly bad. If property rating is plummeting…

I view a horror story as a situation where I have no recourse. Like a prepaid non-refundable booking. In most hotel booking situations the most that you can lose is a day. If it's truly the hotel's fault they will either comp this or you can easily claw it back via chargeback.

I pretty commonly book week stays in hotels and the only real friction I've found there is that I can't book some places online and have to call to make the reservation. I know how difficult that is for recent generations.

The thing about the long-term bookings that people don't understand is that there's risk on the property side. No-shows for bookings are unfortunately more common than you think and having a room locked out and not making money for multiple days is a major problem. Calling helps and sometimes I do it anyway because they'll give me a better rate than online...

Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide

#13

Post by [deleted] »

garciasn wrote: post #7
toomuchtodo wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because these platforms competed with hotels and other commercial lodging, not couch surfing. Cost of capital has gone up, short term renters don’t want to offer any amenities to renters (because lodging is both a real estate and services biz), and here we are. Another casualty of ZIRP ending, resulting in the stretch for returns through decline in quality provided. They see their customers as sponges to squeeze, bec…

No; because it's late-stage capitalism. People are looking to make a buck and you can't maximize your return unless you nickle and dime everyone, especially when you need to take on the risk of renting your place out to random assholes. I do Rover on the side; largely because I went through a divorce and I can't really afford a dog of my own--I might as well get paid to watch someone else's, right? The good thing abo…

[deleted]

Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide

#14

Post by v5v3 »

A lot are no longer private owners renting out, it's professional management companies managing a large number of properties.

So now there are middle men salaries to be paid and so they need to find ways to maximise profits.

Good for startups and software Devs as there is a resulting demand for tech platforms and integrations

An example of one of their conferences https://barcelona.scalerentals.show/

Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide

#15

Post by homefree »

busterarm wrote: post #8
techpineapple wrote: post #2

> Now? I can’t remember when we were actually in somebody’s home. It’s always somebody’s side hustle. They own 10 of them and live six hours away and they don’t give a dead rodent about you. The decor is always Early Target. You got a complaint? Send an email and we’ll get back to you. Maybe by Thanksgiving. > And while they’re penny-pinching on what you get, they’re dollar-grubbing on what you have to pay. You need…

This is why I have always just gotten a hotel. Everyone I know who AirBNBs has horror stories. I've never had a hotel horror story. I've had minor disappointments but always the hotel went out of their accommodate me or my credit card company would have if they failed to meet their obligations. Even for the niche reasons some people AirBNB for (large groups, extended stays), I've always found niche hotels offering th…

I also prefer hotels, but Airbnbs are a better niche for groups.

If you have a large family or a group of ten friends, you can get a much better option for much less money via Airbnb than if you try to do the same thing at a hotel.

That said, I find the hotel experience generally better and I hate the Airbnb list of rules and chores.

Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide

#16

Post by nottorp »

ProllyInfamous wrote: post #11
tromp wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correct article: https://archive.is/ByOCT

Thank you both. Unrelated note to publishing platforms: Instead of using Archive to read your stuff, I'd rather pay for your content; but until a mechanism to send microtransactions to one-off view individual articles, I'm not going to ever sign up monthly (e.g. send 0.0001 XMR to address 1MADEup5649879846513216547, which then creates a machine-local cookie to allow viewing of content indefinitely/timed). Perhaps a G…

No one's interested in getting our 0.0001 whatever coin sadly. They're chasing the whales who are willing to commit to a 10 year subscription.

Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide

#17

Post by stronglikedan »

krunck wrote: post #9

The problem is owners rent out their space and try to do all the work from afar. Cleaners are rented and just do what their told. No one really inspects the place between guests. No one maintains anything. It's just maximal profit extraction which turns everything into crap. I would never rent out my home or extra dwelling without greeting the guests in person, being available for assistance, and maybe even showing u…

You say that now, but if you put yourself in the shoes of someone who had been doing that for a while, and likely has multiple properties, then you would very likely be singing a different tune.

Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide

#19

Post by bawolff »

techpineapple wrote: post #2

> Now? I can’t remember when we were actually in somebody’s home. It’s always somebody’s side hustle. They own 10 of them and live six hours away and they don’t give a dead rodent about you. The decor is always Early Target. You got a complaint? Send an email and we’ll get back to you. Maybe by Thanksgiving. > And while they’re penny-pinching on what you get, they’re dollar-grubbing on what you have to pay. You need…

> Why is the market failing here? Why is it that people with spare bedrooms or in-law suites aren’t beating the prices of professional - essentially mini-hotel owners? Or are they they just get booked to quickly.

Because most consumers of these services want a mini hotel. People don't want to stay in someone's spare bedroom.

And on the other side, hell of a lot more risk to put up a random stranger in your spare bedroom in the property you actually live in, than having some second property.

Re: Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide

#20

Post by Mistletoe »

busterarm wrote: post #8
techpineapple wrote: post #2

> Now? I can’t remember when we were actually in somebody’s home. It’s always somebody’s side hustle. They own 10 of them and live six hours away and they don’t give a dead rodent about you. The decor is always Early Target. You got a complaint? Send an email and we’ll get back to you. Maybe by Thanksgiving. > And while they’re penny-pinching on what you get, they’re dollar-grubbing on what you have to pay. You need…

This is why I have always just gotten a hotel. Everyone I know who AirBNBs has horror stories. I've never had a hotel horror story. I've had minor disappointments but always the hotel went out of their accommodate me or my credit card company would have if they failed to meet their obligations. Even for the niche reasons some people AirBNB for (large groups, extended stays), I've always found niche hotels offering th…

Hotel every time for me. Let a professional clean it, I’m not traveling to do someone’s chores for them.
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