Hacker News Reader

Comment by theGnuMe | Hacker News Reader

Here is how it should work. When people go on vacation they want an Apple like experience where it all just works. That is what AirBnB needs to sell. The only other person who probably understands this is Richard Branson (and Disney)... call it AirBnB Concierge (or even AirBnB vacations) to blend in the AmEx style angle. It's easy peasy Chesky, make it happen.

View on HN

That's exactly where Airbnb's business model collapses. They don't own or run the properties. They'll never be able to offer "it all just works" at any meaningful scale.

I think they can. It is pretty easy to start simply and experiment: AirBnB San Francisco. AirBnb Paris. AirBnB London. I'll give you an example. My wife is going to France with friends and we can pay money for a good experience but they are going 5-star and we can only afford 3-4 star which is where an AirBnB is also competitive. This sub-luxe market is wide open. If AirBnB isn't interested this is a YC startup for anyone who is.

You've not really addressed the core problem: they don't own the stuff. They are facilitating a transaction between you and the owner of the listing. It's very difficult to ensure any level of experience, especially without adding a ton of cost.

> they don't own the stuff. They are facilitating a transaction between you and the owner of the listing.

Hey, that sounds like AmEx Concierge.

People want a hotel like experience where it all just works.

Airbnb had novelty, inventory, and savings as its special sauce.

Nowadays we all know what a sub-par, overpriced Airbnb is like and it’s worse than a hotel because it’s usually far more inconvenient.

So we’re back to a hotel like experienced as the desire: convenience, available, and competitively priced.

AirBnB allows you to find a temporary dwelling in places where hotels are few, or absent.

AirBnB also provides extra capacity when a city or town gets overcrowded due to an event (matches, concerts, convents, etc). Building a proper hotel is much more capital intensive than converting a house or an apartment into an AirBnB place, and back into a normal long-term rent unit, or your own abode, when needed.

FWIW I’ve probably stayed in 30+ airbnbs over more than a decade and the experience has been almost universally superior to hotels. Not denying others have had different experience, but always find these threads surprising.

I’ve had great experiences renting houses when that is what the situation calls for, but the most of my travel is to cities. In cities the main challenge is inventory and price and today I’m quite willing to spend a little more for staff and a free breakfast, after countless hassles trying to spend a little less on Airbnbs. That said I’ve recently stayed in nice hotels in NYC for $150/night which you can’t touch on Airbnb.

I would like a pony and a million dollars, but the real world is full of tradeoffs.

Vacation rental fulfil a niche that hotels do not, and I don't understand people who view them as substitutes. The fewer people use them the better. More for me and at better prices.

That said, Im probably not the median consumer. When I vacation, hotels cover almost none of my needs.

Im looking for a private beachfront Jacuzzi, hobbit hut in the forest, or someplace to party with family and kids.

I cant imagine using one as a hotel substitute.

I think https://www.wander.com beat them to it! Wander is what I think AirBnB should've become.

USA only?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com