Chicago In Top 25 World Destinations (Traveler's Choice) on Trip Advisor

[emathias]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Occupancy rates could be much better. I suspect too many "travelers" are using the dubious services of AirBnB. Conventions used to pack the hotels.

Btw Vacancy rates in the burbs are even worse -- blame that mostly on folks preferring to fly home or just use web conferences... Hotel building has long been an exercise in over supply : Chicago near term hotel occupancy recovery OK, planned building could be troubling

And for record anyone that is looking for hotel in eastern DuPage Co is going to be out of luck if they look anywhere near the BNSF or UP-W lines. Frankly the only kind of rail service that gets people near any hotels outside the Loop is the O'Hare Blue line...

Nice ignorance, Chet. Active Airbnb availability in the entirety of Chicagoland accounts for less than 1,000 rooms. If 1,000 rooms decimates the Chicago hospitality industry things are much, much worse than we all believe. And the ACTUAL impact of Airbnb on hotel stays in the Chicago area is almost certainly more like 250-350 rooms on any given night - at most - and possibly as little as 150 rooms.

[Chicago60614]

Interesting list, and totally agree that Istanbul is AMAZING. I've been to 16 of the 25 on vacations. The ones I haven't are the Asian cities.

Surprised Chicago made it, since it's such a random list.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by MassVt

I never mentioned Istanbul...

Well now it doesn't matter You were too general in your statement..I have assumed you've been to Chicago, and Istanbul is the only other city I mentioned there.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by emathias

Nice ignorance, Chet. Active Airbnb availability in the entirety of Chicagoland accounts for less than 1,000 rooms. If 1,000 rooms decimates the Chicago hospitality industry things are much, much worse than we all believe. And the ACTUAL impact of Airbnb on hotel stays in the Chicago area is almost certainly more like 250-350 rooms on any given night - at most - and possibly as little as 150 rooms.

Yep. It's a very, very small piece of the hotel pie in Chicago and pretty much any US city...actually for most major world cities for that matter. While they may losing 250 rooms a night, let's say, it's a free market system and if that's the case that a superior hotel is losing out, perhaps they should look into why and some hotels could probably do something to gain back those users.

[MassVt]

Airbnb is still very, very risky, especially for the rentee, who may have no idea whatsoever who the renter is, and what he may have in mind. it would only be (partially) foolproof if the owner remained on the premises for the entire stay..

Recently, there was a stand-up-comedian in NYC who rented out one of his rooms to someone while he was away, with disatrous results ( many thousands in damage, eviction, ruined reputation, etc)....

[edsg25]

Originally Posted by Firststop

I was singing that song as soon as I read Marothisu's Istanbul post.

just keep in mind that old new york was once new amsterdam
why'd they change it, i can't say
perhaps they liked it better that way

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by MassVt

Airbnb is still very, very risky, especially for the rentee, who may have no idea whatsoever who the renter is, and what he may have in mind. it would only be (partially) foolproof if the owner remained on the premises for the entire stay..

Recently, there was a stand-up-comedian in NYC who rented out one of his rooms to someone while he was away, with disatrous results ( many thousands in damage, eviction, ruined reputation, etc)....

It is risky, but that's why they have the ratings system and give you money in case anything major happens. That thing in NYC is the first I've heard of anything like that happening and AirBNB gave the guy something like $20,000 for damages.

I've used AirBnb, once in Europe, and it was good. I have a friend who also lives in Aqua who rents her place out for 2 weeks a year when she goes to NYC and has never had a problem. It is risky, but in the end as the person renting a place out, I believe you can deny someone who requests to stay at your place if you don't like the reviews they've gotten.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by MassVt

Airbnb is still very, very risky, especially for the rentee, who may have no idea whatsoever who the renter is, and what he may have in mind. it would only be (partially) foolproof if the owner remained on the premises for the entire stay..

Recently, there was a stand-up-comedian in NYC who rented out one of his rooms to someone while he was away, with disatrous results ( many thousands in damage, eviction, ruined reputation, etc)....

Originally Posted by marothisu

It is risky, but that's why they have the ratings system and give you money in case anything major happens. That thing in NYC is the first I've heard of anything like that happening and AirBNB gave the guy something like $20,000 for damages.

I've used AirBnb, once in Europe, and it was good. I have a friend who also lives in Aqua who rents her place out for 2 weeks a year when she goes to NYC and has never had a problem. It is risky, but in the end as the person renting a place out, I believe you can deny someone who requests to stay at your place if you don't like the reviews they've gotten.

I'm an active Airbnb host in Chicago and, in fact, have the Chicago Airbnb listing with the most reviews - over 200 reviews (almost all positive) from over 300 reservations with booking revenue in excess of $65,000 over a 3 1/2 year period. And, yes, I have reported and paid taxes on my Airbnb income - contrary to what some people think, if you're an American host and don't report your income the IRS will likely discover that and audit you.

Out of the nearly 300 guests who've stayed so far (there are 20+ bookings in the future at any given point usually), none have been malicious or even just accidentally terrible. A few have been annoying, but not terrible.

And there have been some spectacularly great guests, and guests who have brought current events home to me in ways that have really made the experience rewarding far beyond simply the monetary benefit. I had the distinct pleasure to host a West Point cadet who happened to be gay just weeks after DADT was repealed. I hosted a gay couple from Moscow around the time Russia imposed stringently anti-gay laws. I hosted a Japanese woman who was literally flying back to Japan from Chicago and over the Pacific when the tsunami happened (she and her family were ok, but her parents were stuck far from home for about a week while the rail system was in disarray). I've hosted professional comedians in town for shows. I've hosted physicians, lawyers, students, tourists, even newlyweds. Researches on research trips to the Art Institute and the Field Museum. I've hosted filmmakers in town for film festivals. Musicians in town for auditions or gigs. I've hosted artists in town to display their work. Food bloggers in town to report on Chicago's food scene, from craft beers to Alinea. I've hosted people from every populated continent from over 35 different countries from Saudi Arabia to Zimbabwe to Venezuela to Australia to Kazakhstan to Belgium to the suburbs of Cincinnati and many others. I've had guests who spoke very little English and guests who held multiple doctoral degrees from top ten U.S. universities.

Being an Airbnb host has been a fantastic experience that goes far beyond what, for me, started simply as letting out a room to pay for grad school. Are there some risks? Of course. But every time I've needed Airbnb to step up to fix a problem, they've done so, and I think they really understand the need to generate and keep trust for their business to succeed.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by emathias

I'm an active Airbnb host in Chicago and, in fact, have the Chicago Airbnb listing with the most reviews - over 200 reviews (almost all positive) from over 300 reservations with booking revenue in excess of $65,000 over a 3 1/2 year period. And, yes, I have reported and paid taxes on my Airbnb income - contrary to what some people think, if you're an American host and don't report your income the IRS will likely discover that and audit you.

Out of the nearly 300 guests who've stayed so far (there are 20+ bookings in the future at any given point usually), none have been malicious or even just accidentally terrible. A few have been annoying, but not terrible.

And there have been some spectacularly great guests, and guests who have brought current events home to me in ways that have really made the experience rewarding far beyond simply the monetary benefit. I had the distinct pleasure to host a West Point cadet who happened to be gay just weeks after DADT was repealed. I hosted a gay couple from Moscow around the time Russia imposed stringently anti-gay laws. I hosted a Japanese woman who was literally flying back to Japan from Chicago and over the Pacific when the tsunami happened (she and her family were ok, but her parents were stuck far from home for about a week while the rail system was in disarray). I've hosted professional comedians in town for shows. I've hosted physicians, lawyers, students, tourists, even newlyweds. Researches on research trips to the Art Institute and the Field Museum. I've hosted filmmakers in town for film festivals. Musicians in town for auditions or gigs. I've hosted artists in town to display their work. Food bloggers in town to report on Chicago's food scene, from craft beers to Alinea. I've hosted people from every populated continent from over 35 different countries from Saudi Arabia to Zimbabwe to Venezuela to Australia to Kazakhstan to Belgium to the suburbs of Cincinnati and many others. I've had guests who spoke very little English and guests who held multiple doctoral degrees from top ten U.S. universities.

Being an Airbnb host has been a fantastic experience that goes far beyond what, for me, started simply as letting out a room to pay for grad school. Are there some risks? Of course. But every time I've needed Airbnb to step up to fix a problem, they've done so, and I think they really understand the need to generate and keep trust for their business to succeed.

Awesome post and great stuff. This is what I've heard from my friends too - they have had all good experiences being hosts and pay their taxes too.

[PJSaturn]

Folks, this thread is now closed. It was far off topic, and I've deleted a number of off-topic posts. This is not the Politics forum.
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