Fascination with AirBnB? (cost, rentals, hotel, hotels)

[kyle19125]

I'm just wondering what it is given the presence of sites like VRBO and HomeAway (which existed well before) yet somehow AirBnB comes off like the best invention sliced bread, not to mention usage of company name as slang for vacation rentals now? Just one of those things that make you go "hmmmm" I suppose. I get that AirBnB has the option for staying with a host while they're living there (VRBO and HomeAway don't), but it seems the vast majority utilize it for traditional home rentals.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

but it seems the vast majority utilize it for traditional home rentals.

This has been a minority of times, from what I've seen, and that's a big difference. I, and most people I know, use it to crash for a night or two (at most) in high cost areas, and it's made a huge difference in being able to travel.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by timberline742

This has been a minority of times, from what I've seen, and that's a big difference. I, and most people I know, use it to crash for a night or two (at most) in high cost areas, and it's made a huge difference in being able to travel.

In expensive big city metros like NYC and SF perhaps but in the grand scheme of the much bigger world around them....not so much.

[projectmaximus]

I have heard numbers very different although that has been starting to turn slightly. (That is, the majority of uses are folks staying in a single room or in someone's actual home while that person stays elsewhere. It is a small share that is devoted specifically to rental income, though that percentage has been increasing)

And therein is the difference. Airbnb exploded through that early growth as the call for extra income within your normal home and long long ago eclipsed the other sites in user numbers. Perhaps if current trends continue, there will come a day where there is no significant difference between vrbo, homeaway etc and airbnb, but the fact remains that Airbnb captured the market this way.

Airbnb's story is a really interesting one. The founders and the path they forged is one of the more unique and memorable tech stories imo. If you get a chance to read/watch/listen to their interviews. Joe Gebbia in particular.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

In expensive big city metros like NYC and SF perhaps but in the grand scheme of the much bigger world around them....not so much.

I am fascinated that Air B&B has been able to get rates near or above hotel rates.

My Air B&B stays (overnights) have been pretty terrible. (Homeaway and VRBO have been ok, as expected)

I will stick with free to $20 / night worldwide provided by hosts with a hospitality mindset. (not income focused)

1,000s of great stays / new friends / vast help in traveling during last 25 yrs.

If Air B&B centric... a traditional B&B that is a member of an accountable organization will provide you a safer / regulated, value added stay.

I understand the Air B&B benefit in remote areas, or for those who don't desire or have a clue about hospitality lodging, or where to find it.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

In expensive big city metros like NYC and SF perhaps but in the grand scheme of the much bigger world around them....not so much.

Bay Area and NYC and DC are places I often go. It's also a much better bargain in places like Burlington VT, Madison, WI, etc etc where I go often. Often 40% or less than a cheap hotel. Cheaper, and better locations. We used it for Vermont (NEK) this past weekend and saved tons of money over the cheapest hotel option available.

[BrianGC]

Airbnb offers the best bang for your buck in many (but not all) situations where you want to spend the night in prime locations, whereas that same price hotel will get you a roach motel or way out in the suburbs. For example, we spent New Years weekend in Philly and our Airbnb was only $206 total for 3 nights, walking distance to Center City. Similar hotels would've been at least double or triple that.

VRBO only offers you to rent an entire home - very pricey and unnecessary unless you have a decent group size. I'm not familiar with HomeAway to be honest.

We've had good experiences with Airbnb save for infrequent minor hiccups, but I only ever book places that have many reviews, averaging 4.5/5 or higher. We don't care about being pampered or other luxury lodging crap when we travel, because we want to spend more money on the destination's experience rather than spending a bunch of time in a hotel room.

I guess our fascination is that it beats the pants out of the hotel industry for most of our travels, and a lot of cities don't have hostels (or when travelling with my fiance, the private rooms end up more costly at the hostel vs Airbnb).

[barneyg]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

I'm just wondering what it is given the presence of sites like VRBO and HomeAway (which existed well before) yet somehow AirBnB comes off like the best invention sliced bread, not to mention usage of company name as slang for vacation rentals now? Just one of those things that make you go "hmmmm" I suppose. I get that AirBnB has the option for staying with a host while they're living there (VRBO and HomeAway don't), but it seems the vast majority utilize it for traditional home rentals.

Probably for the same reason the Mac, iPod and iPhone became hugely popular despite Apple initially inventing very little. Marketing and the perception of something a bit different go a long way.

We have rented many times with Homeaway, VRBO, Airbnb and booking.com (which in many countries has a vast number of apartments and houses) and would be hard-pressed to find something systematically better or worse with either platform, although quite frankly the VRBO interface was horrendous for a long time. We need good pics and good reviews and then compare the all-in price across properties. In our frequent trips to Europe we found Homeaway and VRBO lacking for a very long time (not many listings).

[GeoffD]

I use AirBnB to rent investment apartments in Europe. Doing Florence and Venice that way in May. We did 8 nights in the Alfalfa neighborhood of Lisbon last May. We like having a kitchen rather than being forced into restaurants for all our meals. I stick with the professionally managed ones with top ratings.

In October, we’re returning to a larger vacation home with a pool and killer view in Sanxenxo, Galicia Spain we originally found via VRBO. This time, I emailed the owner directly.

[evening sun]

I don't get all the hype, anytime I have checked the prices, it is more expensive than a hotel room. On one occasion, I found a cottage we wanted to stay in, but the owner did not respond to my requests for info, so I prefer hotels.