With the pandemic in the rearview mirror, we have been seeing a huge demand and uptick in people going on vacations and moving around again for business engagements. Believe it or not, Airbnb has been around for almost 15 years. The company was started to allow homeowners and tenants to make extra money by renting a room or a whole apartment when they were away.
This type of accommodation still fits well with some types of leisure travel like renting a cottage, trying out a unique experience, or for large city apartments for a family or group travelling together. Airbnb has attempted to enter the corporate travel market but as a harder time competing with hotels..
Here are 6 reasons why a hotel is a better choice for business travel
1. Check-In Is Easy with a Hotel
Simply walk into the hotel, anytime; walk up the front desk and get your room key. If there is availability, you may be able to check in earlier. With Airbnb, you may have to meet someone (at a specific time) or get into a lockbox with specific instructions to settle into your accommodation.
2. Hotel Rooms Are Predictably More Comfortable
Hoteliers run a full-time business to sell hotel room inventory and to earn repeat business through customer loyalty incentives. Everything about a hotel and its rooms needs to be consistent and predictable. For example, if you stay at a well-known chain, you can be confident that the mattress is changed frequently. You can also order room service and get a reliable internet connection and shampoo if you didn’t bring any! Airbnb can be unpredictable with descriptions and pictures that are not accurate. Clean can be relative and even some reviews can be misleading that can lead to disappointment when you arrive.
3. Hotels Have Concierges and Other Amenities
You get what you pay for holds true here. Many hotels have concierges to provide up to date advice, dining reservations and/or hold onto your bags if you arrive early. They are also the point person for any room issues. Your Airbnb Host may or may not address issues right away or provide any help. Hotels normally have a range of amenities, some included with your stay; some at an extra cost. Airbnb amenities will vary widely and you really cannot rely on your host to enhance your stay like you can with a short call down to the lobby.
4. Hotel and Airbnb Can Be Close in Cost
When you add together the Airbnb rental cost, occupancy tax, guest service fee and/or cleaning fee, you get very close to the cost of a hotel room and in some cases it may even cost more! The actual savings for a regular room can be minimal. Plus the cleaning charges always seem to go up though do not enhance the overall experience in any way. The burden to pay for the fee is passed onto the customer whereas it is included in the fees at a hotel. The range can be huge.
5. Hotel Reservations Are More Reliable and Less Flakey
Airbnb Hosts can cancel and sometimes without notice leaving you stranded to find another option. In addition, the platform’s cancellation policies for guests aren’t particularly flexible favouring the host and not the guest. Hotel reservation policies vary by hotel and rate type, but the hotel won’t cancel, and most reservations can be easily changed. If you lose your reservation due to a host’s cancellation, you may find that it is very expensive to find a replacement if you are staying in a place that has high demand for accommodations such as Toronto.
6. Hotels Are Safer and More Secure
The most important point from a company perspective is safety. Hotels are required to exercise a reasonable duty of care to ensure the safety and privacy of their guests. Airbnb is not held to the same standard. Have you ever stayed at one and ran into an angry neighbor that is not impressed that you are staying as an AirBnB guest? Every organization/employer is obligated to exercise a reasonable standard of care to protect the health, safety and security of employees while on company business. Hotels are insured and overall a better and safer choice.
Did you know that Plus Travel Group can help negotiate special rates for hotels? Reach out to inquiry@plustravelgroup.com to set up a consultation to discuss your upcoming travel plans.
Thanks for explaining how a lot of hotels have concierges that will hold your bags for you if you show up ahead of time. My wife and I are planning on going on a road trip for our anniversary and need to find a hotel that will hold our bags for us so that we can safely find a nearby restaurant without carrying our luggage around once we’re done driving for the day. We will consider finding a hotel that will ensure that our visit is comfortable.
It’s great that you talked about how staying at a hotel is a safe accommodation option when traveling. My wife and I want to start planning our next vacation. We want to get away from our city environment for a while, so we thought about going someplace with a beach view. That’s why we think your article will help us select the best hotel for us. Thanks for the tips about the benefits of staying in a hotel.
You made a good point when you shared that hotels are expected to practice the right level of care to assure the safety and privacy of their guests. My wife and I are thinking of taking our kids for a vacation during the long break since we want to celebrate their success in getting all As in their final examinations. I will keep in mind to look for a nice and secure hotel to accommodate us during our trip.