Get Paid For Your Pad | Airbnb Hosting | Vacation Rentals | STR Revenue Management EP148: This Week in the World of Airbnb
Apr 27, 2017
28:07
Conventional wisdom tells us to ‘expect the unexpected,’ and Airbnb news certainly delivered this week, most notably when a guest in Los Angeles received a surprise visit from a SWAT team!
Margot Lee Shmorak, CEO and Co-founder of Hostfully, joins Jasper (our homeless host) to discuss that incident as well as the unexpected negative view of Airbnb presented by a few high-profile Democrats on the national stage in the US.
They also cover the story of a couple who was pleasantly surprised by Airbnb’s new payment options as they planned their honeymoon trip, and an op-ed explaining why Airbnb’s growth in China is sluggish despite their best efforts. Listen in to understand why anything more than modest growth is unexpected in the Chinese market.
Topics Covered
Article #1: Hotel Industry Details Plans to Fight Airbnb
•High-profile Democrats raised concerns about Airbnb
•Questioned housing costs, racial discrimination, and consumer protection and safety w/ FTC
•Accused Airbnb of evading local tax laws
•First time issue raised at national level
•Hotel lobby gave $1.3M to congressional candidates during past election cycle
•Airbnb spent $485,000 on lobbying in 2016
•Polarizing stance is surprising
Article #2: Why Airbnb’s China Expansion is Stumbling
•Name rebrand ‘Airbiying’ is awkward
•Homesharing not part of Chinese culture
•Only 19% motivated by social aspect
•Only 6.5% of Chinese trust strangers
•Price difference between Airbnb and hotels is much smaller
•Competition is much bigger
•Tujia boasts 10 times the number of listings
•Regulations make it difficult for foreign companies to do business
•The city of Paris has roughly the same number of Airbnb listings as all of China
Article #3: Airbnb Guest Surprised by SWAT Team Looking for Fugitive
•New Yorker staying at Airbnb in Los Angeles
•Overwhelmed by officers looking for ‘Ashley’
•Shot video of the incident
•Nervous that local regulations might prohibit Airbnb, he initially claimed to know the fugitive
•Later admitted that he did not
Article #4: Airbnb is Quietly Testing Flexible Payment Plans for Guests
•Airbnb is testing a feature that allows guests to put down a 50% deposit to reserve a luxury property
•Remaining balance is due two weeks prior to arrival
•Invented other systems in regions where paying with an international credit card isn’t an option, i.e.: Cuba and Brazil
•Demonstrates Airbnb’s willingness to experiment
Resources Mentioned
Article #1: thehill.com/policy/technology/329120-the-hotel-industry-is-planning-a-washington-showdown-with-airbnb
Article #2: techinasia.com/talk/airbnb-china-expansion-stumble
Article #3: news.com.au/finance/business/travel/airbnb-guest-surprised-by-swat-team-looking-for-fugitive/news-story/0e0d2ee58092d045e8915466a30a59cb
Article #4: fastcompany.com/40410787/airbnb-is-quietly-testing-flexible-payment-options-for-guests
Connect with Jasper
Email: jasper@getpaidforyourpad.com
Twitter: @GetPaidForUrPad
Instagram: @GetPaidForYourPad
Facebook: www.facebook.com/getpaidforyourpad
This episode is sponsored by Aviva IQ. Aviva IQ automates messages to your Airbnb guests. It's also free!
Margot Lee Shmorak, CEO and Co-founder of Hostfully, joins Jasper (our homeless host) to discuss that incident as well as the unexpected negative view of Airbnb presented by a few high-profile Democrats on the national stage in the US.
They also cover the story of a couple who was pleasantly surprised by Airbnb’s new payment options as they planned their honeymoon trip, and an op-ed explaining why Airbnb’s growth in China is sluggish despite their best efforts. Listen in to understand why anything more than modest growth is unexpected in the Chinese market.
Topics Covered
Article #1: Hotel Industry Details Plans to Fight Airbnb
•High-profile Democrats raised concerns about Airbnb
•Questioned housing costs, racial discrimination, and consumer protection and safety w/ FTC
•Accused Airbnb of evading local tax laws
•First time issue raised at national level
•Hotel lobby gave $1.3M to congressional candidates during past election cycle
•Airbnb spent $485,000 on lobbying in 2016
•Polarizing stance is surprising
Article #2: Why Airbnb’s China Expansion is Stumbling
•Name rebrand ‘Airbiying’ is awkward
•Homesharing not part of Chinese culture
•Only 19% motivated by social aspect
•Only 6.5% of Chinese trust strangers
•Price difference between Airbnb and hotels is much smaller
•Competition is much bigger
•Tujia boasts 10 times the number of listings
•Regulations make it difficult for foreign companies to do business
•The city of Paris has roughly the same number of Airbnb listings as all of China
Article #3: Airbnb Guest Surprised by SWAT Team Looking for Fugitive
•New Yorker staying at Airbnb in Los Angeles
•Overwhelmed by officers looking for ‘Ashley’
•Shot video of the incident
•Nervous that local regulations might prohibit Airbnb, he initially claimed to know the fugitive
•Later admitted that he did not
Article #4: Airbnb is Quietly Testing Flexible Payment Plans for Guests
•Airbnb is testing a feature that allows guests to put down a 50% deposit to reserve a luxury property
•Remaining balance is due two weeks prior to arrival
•Invented other systems in regions where paying with an international credit card isn’t an option, i.e.: Cuba and Brazil
•Demonstrates Airbnb’s willingness to experiment
Resources Mentioned
Article #1: thehill.com/policy/technology/329120-the-hotel-industry-is-planning-a-washington-showdown-with-airbnb
Article #2: techinasia.com/talk/airbnb-china-expansion-stumble
Article #3: news.com.au/finance/business/travel/airbnb-guest-surprised-by-swat-team-looking-for-fugitive/news-story/0e0d2ee58092d045e8915466a30a59cb
Article #4: fastcompany.com/40410787/airbnb-is-quietly-testing-flexible-payment-options-for-guests
Connect with Jasper
Email: jasper@getpaidforyourpad.com
Twitter: @GetPaidForUrPad
Instagram: @GetPaidForYourPad
Facebook: www.facebook.com/getpaidforyourpad
This episode is sponsored by Aviva IQ. Aviva IQ automates messages to your Airbnb guests. It's also free!
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