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Comment by lexandstuff | Hacker News Reader

I've seen this rhetoric only in tech circles that people are "moving back to hotels," and I don't understand it. Last time I checked, hotels still don't offer kitchens. Hell, most of them, disgustingly, don't even provide a toilet brush. A hotel is not an alternative to staying in a fully furnished home with complete amenities.

Isn't the reason Airbnb bookings are down because interest rates are sky-high worldwide to combat inflation? Travel, in general, should be down if the reserved banks worldwide are doing their job.

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Speaking as someone that currently spends ~10% of their days in some kind of short-term housing or another, neither of the things you mentioned are something I care about in a hotel room.

Toilet brush? Maybe I'm a weirdo, but if I see a problem with the toilet, or any other part of the room, I go down to the front desk and smile a nice smile and say, "hey, can you send someone up to sort this out?", and then they do -- for free. I also get infinite towels, a pool (often), a gym (sometimes), access to people who are familiar with the area, no hinky cleaning fees or other surprises on my bill, points and rewards, and a reasonable certainty that there are no hidden cameras in my room and anybody I have to deal with is sane enough most days to keep a job in hospitality.

Aside from people who are traveling in groups of three or more or just have a desire to set some money on fire, I don't understand why people use AirBnBs.

For me and my family, we only use AirBnbs when we’re traveling with another family or friends and we all want to stay in the same place so we can hang out and carpool easily. It can be cheaper compared to getting separate hotel rooms and if we’re traveling with another family with kids we’re much more likely to eat at the house 1-2 times a day.

If it’s just me or just me and the family, we’ll typically just get a hotel for all the reasons you mentioned. Less hassle about cleaning, points and such, no dealing with wacky policies from an over zealous host telling you how to use the A/C unit or something like that.

As far as the toilet brush, I think that maybe more a region or cultural thing, but I’m only kind of guessing. I saw a Reddit thread asking Americans why there aren’t toilet brushes in public restrooms (I believe the OP was Spanish) and they said it’s common courtesy to scrub away anything that may not have been flushed away. Again, only a guess.

Wait...in the USA you just leave waste at the base of the toilet bowl? Even if you're sharing a toilet with friends and family?

Most toilets in the US, especially commercial ones, flush with sufficient water and power to remove any residuals from the bowl. Depending on circumstances, a second flush is occasionally necessary. I have monstrous digestion and have never needed a brush to finish the job; toilet brushes here are just used for periodic maintenance, to keep things shiny.

Interesting! This article confirms what you're saying: toilets in the USA generally use higher water pressure, making residual less of an issue. The more you know...

[1] https://newyork.forumdaily.com/en/pochemu-amerikancy-ne-polz...

And likewise, your comment about toilet brushes was bizarre until now. TIL, indeed. :-)

Yea I'm mow super confused as to Why there is a difference.... it seems so illogical to have a toilet that can't empty itself completely when flushed...

I think most people on vacation would rather not cook, and therefore don't value kitchens. There are some long-stay brands that cater to people who want kitchens but that doesn't seem to be the mid/high-end leisure travel market.

Toilet brush, I mean, they have people who will clean the toilet daily. Not a perfect substitute I agree, but also not something I've ever really thought about.

[edited to add] > Isn't the reason Airbnb bookings are down because interest rates are sky-high worldwide to combat inflation? Travel, in general, should be down if the reserved banks worldwide are doing their job.

Other way around. Prices are high because a lot of people are traveling, which is being folded into inflation numbers. Prices are high because demand is high relative to supply, for lots of things, but especially for travel where the market is still riding the post-pandemic rebound.

You are right that reserve banks are hoping to reduce demand for things like travel, but that will yield lower prices. Consensus is that rates at current levels are not doing that yet, and I think in past recessions, layoffs led demand drops.

Note also that Airbnb bookings are down but hotel occupancy is right below its 2019 peak. [1]

[1] https://www.ahla.com/sites/default/files/SOTI_report_Oxford_...

Nearly ever time I see a comment that I think “that’s just what I would have written”, I see that it’s you, arcticbull.

I think we probably have similar interest areas, haha.

Plenty of suite style hotels (and even motels) that have kitchens.

Why would you need a toilet brush?

Why do you need a toilet brush for a bathroom that should be cleaned before your arrival?

To clean feces off the base of the toilet post-defecation.

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