You may have heard of Airbnb and how it has grown and gathered momentum since its inception. Exactly how big is the threat from this relative newbie to the accommodation market? Can regular furnished apartments hold on to their share of bookings in the face of the competition? Some of the answers to these questions may not be able to be fully answered yet but we can certainly take a look at what is happening so far.
If you are unsure as to what Airbnb actually is, we are going to take a look at this latest accommodation option. We are going to consider how much of a threat it is and what benefits you can potentially get from staying in a regular furnished apartment as opposed to Airbnb accommodation.
What is Airbnb?
You may have heard it mentioned but what exactly is Airbnb? Staying in Airbnb accommodation is similar to staying in regular furnished accommodation, with one major difference; the accommodation is not provided by professionals in the industry. Airbnb is a service which enables people to rent out their home for a short period of time.
This means that they can make extra money simply by renting out their property, or having someone stay in their home. It also means that people searching for accommodation may be able to find somewhere to stay at a reduced cost. You can see how this sort of service may be seen as a threat to the regular furnished apartment market.
What can you get from a staying in a regular furnished apartment that you cannot get from Airbnb?
So far, much of the professional accommodation industry has appeared to be fairly relaxed about the threat of Airbnb; whether this is wise remains to be seen, but there are reasons behind this relaxed attitude. The main reason is that the accommodation you will find in regular furnished apartments in Los Angeles and other areas is generally of a high standard. The accommodation is provided by professional landlords who have been renting out furnished apartments for many years.
They know how to provide the standard of amenities that you expect in order to get that home away from home feel, with a little extra. If you choose the right provider you can be sure of having a stay that is as good as you expect it to be. This reduces any chance of stress that you may encounter if you have any problems. Although you can potentially make financial savings if you use Airbnb you do not have the same sort of guarantees of an enjoyable stay.
Do not forget you are dealing with people who are amateurs when it comes to providing accommodation. This is why many people who are more concerned with the quality of accommodation they are staying in, and the experience of the stay, will continue to choose regular furnished apartments ahead of Airbnb accommodation. It remains to be seen how this affects the battle between these two very different accommodation options.