Why Big Hotel Brands Need to Act More Like Airbnb
Photo Credit: Even though big brand hotels typically aren't located in local neighborhoods, they should promote local events and experiences like Airbnb hosts do. Airbnb
Skift Take
Big brand hotels have evolved a long way to being more locally connected, but they should look toward the sharing brands to align themselves better with guest expectations.
The big hotel brands can do a lot more to elevate the whole “local” trend by recommending apps and web-based platforms that guide guests to local neighborhoods, just like Airbnb hosts do.
The concept of the next generation hotel acting as a hyper-connected knowledge hub in its immediate community is compelling, but for the most part unrealized. The industry has talked at length about the potential role of hotels as gateways into their neighborhood, but in reality, it’s been mostly actualized via hotel associates acting as insider sources, partnerships with local restaurant/bar owners, and maybe a generic list on a hotel website somewhere. That was interesting five years ago.
For the average person booking a guest room at a major chain, the direct connectivity to the local community that so many travelers want is random and remote, for all intents and purposes.
There are exceptions of course. At the Columbia Marriott Hotel in South Carolina, the Soda City Farmer’s
