Airbnb's Global Growth
airbnb.com
airbnb.com
The more popular AirBNB gets, the more likely it seems that this sort of reaction will become the defacto one in popular areas.
This is already the case with large developments like Stuytown in NYC: http://www.betabeat.com/2011/05/31/airbnb-takes-manhattan-wi...
AirBNB is rapidly turning into the best market for small, independent, professional hoteliers. There are a lot of them, and Craigslist used to be the only option for these folks.
Renting out an individual apartment -- even 'professionally' -- is not necessarily unusual, but increasingly difficult due to the spotlight AirBNB has brought to the process.
I tried a similar thing at TripAdvisor, using data from the Cities I've Visited(tm) FB app. One of the interesting results was that folks who visited Yellowstone disproportionately visited Zanzibar, compared to everyone else. Both off-the-beaten-path parks, but still, it was fascinating to see data backing up the hunch.
the airbnbees have been busy.
There was a lot of negative press, and some serious concerns.
It's great to see that they've overcome that hurdle, and are growing like crazy.
It shouldn't be one or the other, it should work in unison. Design includes aesthetics and user interaction. Airbnb wouldn't successful if the user flow wasn't well crafted and a far superior experience than using Craigslist.
I completely agree. That's why I prefaced my comment by saying that I wasn't siding. Most people talking about the subject will be strongly supporting one particular side.