NPR was running a piece on a new website that connected travelers with homeowners renting out rooms. Air B&B they called them selves. It seemed interesting, and apparently successful. One Air B&B user reported she had a waiting list, and was making enough money that she could give up waitressing and do B&B full time. Sounds cool, money can be made. What's not to like?
Then NPR rained on the parade. B&B owners were being required to obtain hotelier licenses, pay a rooms tax, suffer inspection, and generally get regulated to death. Arrg.
3 comments:
Mindy and I use airbnb a lot. Its far cheaper than a hotel and almost always better.
It self regulates as guests leave reviews of the places and people they stay with.
Used airbnb for every night in London and Amsterdam and paid about $100/night. The very last night we stayed in a hotel that I bid for $100 on priceline at the last minute.
Having stayed at a lot of really crummy motels over the years, I have no trouble believing that just about any private house would be better.
airbnb even has insurance for the people renting out their place, so its not like its a fly by night operation.
NYC tried shutting them down earlier this year and failed. I think they'll be fine, its a type of business that couldn't exist without the internet.
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