I'm at my second Airbnb. I'm renting a room in Malibu with an oceanfront view and balcony for roughly 1/4 of what a night's stay at a hotel would cost me in the area. No, it does not come with a bellhop, but I don't have to pay for parking, and the Getty Villa is within walking distance.
Last month, I rented a gorgeous mountain cabin when I wanted to escape the inland CA heat for a few days. Quiet street, full kitchen, and with a huge wood-burning fireplace if I so desired to use it.
Both of these were booked the same day of my visit in about 5 minutes. Will Airbnb do to hotels what Uber/Lyft have done to the taxi industry?
Don't know but looking to try out a couple in Europe later this year. They seem really prevalent in the backpacking crowd.
Yeah. Stayed in one in Boston this year for the Marathon, when most hotels were A) sold out or B) $$$$$$$$
Woody
MegaDork
9/28/15 8:41 a.m.
My nephew and his wife are currently traveling through Spain and Italy using AirBNB. They have had nothing but good things to say about the places he's stayed.
Stayed in a few and all have been good deals and nice spaces to stay in. I do think that the taxes and fees that hotels pay that AirBnB locations don't will eventually come to AirBnB locations as well.
There's also some issues with how many apartments in cities like New York are not being used as normal homes but as AirBnB spaces instead. It's screwing up rent valuations and general cost of living there which will probably fuel increasing backlash.
Not AirBNB, but Homeaway's Vacation Rental By Owner. When we were at Nationals in Kershaw, SC, we had trouble finding a room that wasn't listed as "scary" on all the travel sites. Ended up in a 4 bedroom, 3 story house on a lake about 15 minutes from the track. Split between 6 people, it was cheaper than the local motel. I don't know how I'd feel about staying in someone's room while they're there, but will definitely use it again.
I don't know that it'll take away from regular hotels because I assume the bulk of their business are business travelers and not vacation travelers.
-Rob
Used one to stay near London last summer, worked great. Wife and I are doing a B&B through them this coming weekend for our anniversary trip. So for loving it.
PHeller
PowerDork
9/28/15 9:35 a.m.
i hope that permitting and taxation doesn't kill it because it seems like a great way to meet people (or not) and get a few extra bucks.
while hotels do provide lots of jobs, they also leave eyesores when they go out of business. In my home town of Lancaster, PA a massive hotel sat mostly vacant in the center of downtown. To raze it would cost millions, to remodel it would cost millions, and it wouldn't change the dates design of the entire area of the city.
Used them quite a few times.
Got an awesome Brownstone on Commonwealth Ave in Boston for half the price of a hotel that was 2 buildings down.
Picked up a last minute lake house in New Hampshire when our relatives place fell through.
Ended up at a private tour guide's house in Flagstaff, Arizona on our Route 66/Grand Canyon road trip. He hooked us up with a route that took us in to some great parks and hidden trails.
I think I'm done with Hotels when we travel now.
We've been hosts for over two years and have been guests at half a dozen other properties. It's an awesome resource to have when traveling.
We did a house this past June for a week in Laguna Beach, CA. It was impressive and cheap.
The odd thing is that it was a guys house and it wasn't clear what we could eat/drink/use. He told us to help ourselves and since we don't drink booze the only damage was the 100 gum balls my 12 year old ate out of the cool gum ball machine.
