Airbnb News

Discrimination isn’t a problem limited to peer-to-peer platforms like Airbnb, and it’s not a problem with the sharing economy itself. It’s a problem that has to do with human behavior — how we interact with one another, whether online or in real life — and one that travel brands need to offer more than lip service to improve.

Guess it's back to Club Quarters for the New York business traveler who wants (a little) more space.

Both Airbnb and New York City have missed out on a real opportunity to set precedents for the business. If Airbnb would bend a bit, and if New York leaders didn't think it was pure evil we could have seen a solution similar to what then-Mayor Bloomberg's was able to do with smart rules for Uber and e-hailing. More fighting on the horizon.

Even as CEOs of major hotel chains argue that Airbnb doesn't threaten their bottom lines, the projection that some short-term rental companies will have higher room sales than some hotels by 2020 makes their footing less secure.

Improved automation, and the presence of more diverse travel products in corporate travel policies, has the potential to free up corporate travel professionals to better focus on travelers themselves.

Airbnb has now removed one of its most egregious limitations by now enabling third-parties to place business travel bookings. But travel agents and travel management companies are still left out of the picture.

With Airbnb apparently adversely impacting hotels much more than online travel agencies, Hotwire is poised to make some gains as hotels try to fill rooms. But Hotwire also has to fend off Priceline.com, which is emphasizing Express Deals that basically use the same model as Hotwire.

About half of business travelers say their company's travel policy doesn't address extended stay lodging, leading them to book on their own.

It's still a little too early to call this, but it's understandable why Airbnb and other alternative accommodations providers can have an advantage on peak nights: their supply is flexible, whereas the number of hotel rooms is not.

The big question on everyone's mind is what will happen if and when the market takes another downturn. And if it does, who will have the upper hand? Airbnb? The online travel agencies? Or the hotels?