There are competitors- VRBO, for example. AirBnB have a significant share, but hardly a monopoly.
If Airbnb were just an aggregator, it'd be pretty worthless. For myself and my wife, finding superhosts on Airbnb is one of the indicators we use to feel comfortable that we probably aren't getting ripped off.
The relatively simple interface for scheduling, requesting changes, paying, seeing up front what taxes and surcharges will be applied etc. are all things the hotel industry has had decades to implement, and they didn't.
In fact, they still haven't. If hotels and guesthouses formed such a cooperative with all the same features, I would use it- especially if they didn't add on their own service charge like Airbnb.
The boom of renting rooms and houses may have come with its downsides, but from the consumer point of view, AirBnB has been a godsend for those of us who don't like hotels, travel with pets, and go to out-of-the-way places that don't otherwise tend to attract a lot of online presence.
If Airbnb were just an aggregator, it'd be pretty worthless. For myself and my wife, finding superhosts on Airbnb is one of the indicators we use to feel comfortable that we probably aren't getting ripped off.
The relatively simple interface for scheduling, requesting changes, paying, seeing up front what taxes and surcharges will be applied etc. are all things the hotel industry has had decades to implement, and they didn't.
In fact, they still haven't. If hotels and guesthouses formed such a cooperative with all the same features, I would use it- especially if they didn't add on their own service charge like Airbnb.
The boom of renting rooms and houses may have come with its downsides, but from the consumer point of view, AirBnB has been a godsend for those of us who don't like hotels, travel with pets, and go to out-of-the-way places that don't otherwise tend to attract a lot of online presence.