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Unbundling Airbnb

peterfabor.com

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Re: Unbundling Airbnb

#41

Post by peterfa »

mg wrote: post #18

Every time I travel, I spend insane amounts of time browsing AirBnB to find a suitable place. For example, I miss a "good table" option on AirBnB. I have to manually discard over 90% of the listings after looking at the images because there is no table suitable for work. That is so time-consuming. It's not that I want to work at home all the time, but still I need a proper table to put my laptop on. A proper chair an…

I used to go through a very similar process while booking longer stays for remote work trips. Now it gets even more complex as I have a baby, what means more parameters to consider.

What I found useful is this Chrome plugin that automatically searches in reviews keywords like "wifi": https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/roamer-airbnb-inte...

Curating Airbnb listings ideal for work (desk, office chair, good internet) in interesting travel destination can be actually a good MVP. Something like crowdsourced (and cheaper) version of https://wander.com/

Re: Unbundling Airbnb

#42

Post by breakfastduck »

baxtr wrote: post #38
breakfastduck wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's hilarious to me how many people deep in tech think they've come up with a new idea but it's literally the entire proposition the new tech destroyed.

Nah, not true. Travel agencies controlled the access to the booking systems. That was their only role in the value chain. So basically, they would put in your dates, look for options and then make a booking with your detailed info. Help, guidance, recommendations, curation were MOSTLY off the table. They are and were of course exceptions. But in the end, quality selection IS a new proposition.

I don't think this is the case at all. Curation was the entire purpose of a travel agency.

Re: Unbundling Airbnb

#43

Post by peterfa »

zdkl wrote: post #21
mg wrote: post #18

Every time I travel, I spend insane amounts of time browsing AirBnB to find a suitable place. For example, I miss a "good table" option on AirBnB. I have to manually discard over 90% of the listings after looking at the images because there is no table suitable for work. That is so time-consuming. It's not that I want to work at home all the time, but still I need a proper table to put my laptop on. A proper chair an…

> I often wonder if one could build a business by creating a site that lists a small subset of AirBnBs that are manually vetted like this. s/AirBnB/lodging --> A travel agency?

I've seen many of these curates websites. Hard for them to get significant traffic that would attract supply (hosts).

Recently saw a little project from Czech Republic curating cottages with workspace: https://pracujvprirode.cz/

Re: Unbundling Airbnb

#44

Post by peterfa »

postsantum wrote: post #20
mg wrote: post #18

Every time I travel, I spend insane amounts of time browsing AirBnB to find a suitable place. For example, I miss a "good table" option on AirBnB. I have to manually discard over 90% of the listings after looking at the images because there is no table suitable for work. That is so time-consuming. It's not that I want to work at home all the time, but still I need a proper table to put my laptop on. A proper chair an…

I think it could be implemented as a browser extension. 8/10 people found this property has a suitable workplace. The lenght of the average comment is 56% shorter than usual

Great idea. You should submit it here: https://twitter.com/bchesky/status/1477764672640073728

Re: Unbundling Airbnb

#45

Post by [deleted] »

zdkl wrote: post #21
mg wrote: post #18

Every time I travel, I spend insane amounts of time browsing AirBnB to find a suitable place. For example, I miss a "good table" option on AirBnB. I have to manually discard over 90% of the listings after looking at the images because there is no table suitable for work. That is so time-consuming. It's not that I want to work at home all the time, but still I need a proper table to put my laptop on. A proper chair an…

> I often wonder if one could build a business by creating a site that lists a small subset of AirBnBs that are manually vetted like this. s/AirBnB/lodging --> A travel agency?

[deleted]

Re: Unbundling Airbnb

#46

Post by peterfa »

rjh29 wrote: post #24
mg wrote: post #18

Every time I travel, I spend insane amounts of time browsing AirBnB to find a suitable place. For example, I miss a "good table" option on AirBnB. I have to manually discard over 90% of the listings after looking at the images because there is no table suitable for work. That is so time-consuming. It's not that I want to work at home all the time, but still I need a proper table to put my laptop on. A proper chair an…

There is 'laptop-friendly workspace' as a checkbox, but not always accurate.

Would be actually a useful filter if a kitchen table doesn't count as 'laptop-friendly workspace'

Re: Unbundling Airbnb

#47

Post by peterfa »

jdrc wrote: post #3

or you can up-bundle airbnb. I would like to be able to pick "2 years in " as a package that includes everything from home to food/gym/car etc

There are a few companies doing this. The most established one is probably Remote Year.

Re: Unbundling Airbnb

#48

Post by peterfa »

dazc wrote: post #11
jdrc wrote: post #3

or you can up-bundle airbnb. I would like to be able to pick "2 years in " as a package that includes everything from home to food/gym/car etc

I tried this via Airbnb in Spain and ended up moving from place to place instead. I never actually found a location where I could work properly, to the extent that I rented a separate office some of the time. Patchy internet almost always, cheap furniture, base level electricity that would trip out if you had two appliances running at the same time, and #1 problem NOISE all of the time. I'm not sure that Airbnb is th…

There is a couple of very nice coliving+coworking spaces in Spain in case you would like to try this experience again.

My favorite are Sun & Co (https://sun-and-co.com/) and Sende (https://www.sende.co/)

Re: Unbundling Airbnb

#49

Post by vlovich123 »

I think I missed how the article’s initial premise is worked around by Wander. How is it avoiding competing with AirBnB unbundling itself (ie Luxe)? Isn’t that basically what the author says not to do? Is the only difference that Wander managed to acquire a large VC round?

Re: Unbundling Airbnb

#50

Post by [deleted] »

breakfastduck wrote: post #42
baxtr wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah, not true. Travel agencies controlled the access to the booking systems. That was their only role in the value chain. So basically, they would put in your dates, look for options and then make a booking with your detailed info. Help, guidance, recommendations, curation were MOSTLY off the table. They are and were of course exceptions. But in the end, quality selection IS a new proposition.

I don't think this is the case at all. Curation was the entire purpose of a travel agency.

[deleted]
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