My friends and I have had great Airbnb hosts. Terri of Hendersonville, N.C., went above and beyond by making us breakfast: spiced apple muffins, organic almond butter, seven-grain toast, boiled eggs and strawberries. Alex taught us about French colonialism and took us to a house party in Montpelier. Jacques, from Barcelona, created a personalized map of the coastal city and told us where to buy tapas. The hospitality was fantastic, and the tapas were fine. Honestly, I just don’t understand Spanish food. Why have small plates when you could have big plates? Why have bad pastries when you could have good pastries? C’mon Spain, you’re right next to France. Try harder.
Spanish cuisine aside, Airbnb has treated me well. If you’re unfamiliar with Airbnb, it is a website that pairs people who have a place to stay with travelers who need a place to stay. Think of it as Couchsurfing’s more handsome and successful older brother. He’s smart, creative and financially stable. People love him. Airbnb is wildly popular right now for the same reason Uber and OrderUp are popular: people love convenience-based companies. People are willing to download an app, make an account and pay an additional few dollars just to get dumplings delivered to their house. I’m not trying to sound judgmental. It just comes across that way because our generation is so ridiculous.
That being said, not everybody is on board with Airbnb. In fact, there are authorities and groups across the world that oppose the website. The company has run into plenty of legal issues with landlords, tax evasion and housing regulations. I won’t bore you with the nitty-gritty details because, frankly, I don’t understand a lot of legal terms. If the characters in “Legally Blonde” or “Law and Order” don’t say it, I’m totally lost. Here is the gist of it: people do have good reason to be angry with Airbnb. Like many cool things, Airbnb is borderline illegal. You know, sort of illegal, like jaywalking and talking on your phone while driving. In addition to the legality problem, Airbnb has already taken a substantial amount of business away from the hotel industry.
Here’s my thing: I don’t care if the hospitality industry loses some business. You think Conrad Hilton is rolling around in his fancy, fancy grave? No! The hotel industry is fine. Also, if it isn’t, that’s too bad! This is capitalism, baby. You know how it works. You’ve played Monopoly. You definitely read “Atlas Shrugged.” If travelers prefer Airbnb to hotels, then hotel industry lobbyists should grow up and get used to it. This might be bad for hotels, but it’s good for us. Ideally, hotels will try to compete with Airbnb by lowering room prices or giving out more tiny shampoos.
Do you know how much a hotel room in Mechanicsville, Va., costs? A lot. Mind you, that is for Mechanicsville, Va. It’s not exactly a hot destination. Most people end up there by accident. So why are they able to charge so much? It’s because their only competition up until now has been other hotels and inns, which are equally expensive. I’m not accusing them of price fixing, but I’m not not accusing them of price fixing. Now there is a cool, new way to travel and hotels must adapt.
I’m pro-Airbnb because it is the most streamlined, efficient and economical way to find lodging. Welcome to the future. Everybody who wants something can be matched up with a person who needs something. Last night I thought, “I want a lava lamp.” I went on Craigslist and found a post that said, “I’m getting rid of my lava lamp.” Now I OWN a lava lamp. Huh, I guess trade really does create value. Thanks, ECON 2010. I hope Airbnb gets past all their legal issues and keeps making traveling easier, cheaper and more personal. Don’t be scared of changing industries. Airbnb will change hospitality for the better. Netflix changed the landscape of broadcast TV. And look how well that turned out! Now we’re all mindless layouts who can consume three seasons worth of “New Girl” in one night. The future is so bright, I can barely see!
Nancy-Wren Bradshaw is a Senior Associate Editor for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at n.bradshaw@cavalierdaily.com.
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