Sean O'Neill, Skift
For years, Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia's HomeAway, and TripAdvisor have been scrambling for market share in vacation rentals to drive consolidation. But TripAdvisor says it is now focused on "quality" listings, rather than quantity.
2 years ago
Jeff Weiner, Associated Press
City, county, state, provincial, and national regulations on Airbnb, HomeAway, and countless other short-term rental companies are almost as diverse as the rentals themselves. Oh, for some standardization -- but that won't happen anytime soon.
2 years ago
Luke Bujarski, Skift
The U.S. alternative accommodations market remains a one-horse race with Airbnb leading its rivals, but the brand's smart first-mover advantage has also turned it into the whipping boy for local tax authorities and hotel lobbies. This turbulent landscape leaves plenty of room for new consumer-facing brands but also opportunities across the broader alternative accommodations ecosystem.
3 years ago
Deanna Ting, Skift
Can such a thing exist? Yes, but if we want it to work, we need short-term rental platforms and local governments to cooperate with each other.
3 years ago
Deanna Ting, Skift
Does regulating short-term rental platforms like Airbnb really work? Well if Airbnb and its peers would cooperate instead of passing the buck to taxpayers regulation could have a fighting chance.
3 years ago
Julie VerHage, Bloomberg
We don't think the situation is as grim as the author of this article states: Consumers in each category prefer hotels over peer-to-peer options.
3 years ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
It is very attractive for Booking.com to abstain from charging travelers a booking fee on vacation rentals. But the lack thereof means Booking.com's commissions may not be competitive and shareholders will likely demand that Booking.com maximize the revenue opportunity and impose the booking fee.
3 years ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
Given their size, TripAdvisor and its FlipKey brand will weather this storm but they have some serious fence-mending to do with vacation rental property managers. It's not just airlines that sometimes cause a lot of pain when they make big technology changes.
3 years ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
TripAdvisor/FlipKey's challenges with the vacation rental industry aren't only technical ones. They also reflect increased supply available from individual homeowners and apartment renters. TripAdvisor, Booking.com and Airbnb are going after this sector and professionally managed properties are feeling the lumps.
4 years ago
Dan Peltier, Skift
While hosts have to shell out the permit fee, it's sites like Airbnb who stand to lose more, at least for now, from hosts' unwillingness to comply as these sites face fines unless they force hosts to obey local laws.
4 years ago
Jason Clampet, Skift
Always read the fine print.
4 years ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
Property managers using Flipkey have three business models to choose from: pay per lead, pay an annual subscription fee for an unlimited quantity of leads, or pay a commission per confirmed booking. Lots of choice, depending on each owner's situation.
4 years ago