How Marriott Rewards is convincing me to use airbnb (rant)
Apr 16, 2018, 2:22 pm
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: bay area, ca
Programs: UA plat, , aa plat, marriott LT titanium
Posts: 4,833
Yes, it is a different animal - but I can buy a lot of food, booze, etc to make up for lack of lounge/breakfast. Different strokes.............
Apr 16, 2018, 2:28 pm
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: bay area, ca
Programs: UA plat, , aa plat, marriott LT titanium
Posts: 4,833
Sure they are different creatures, but the competitors don't offer me what I get from choosing a different animal - I'm not the only one who knows the "other" style of booking is a concern to the hotel industry. I just chose airbnb as an example - if I give a hotel chain my loyalty (LT Plat) and they give me consistently lousy service (as others have mentioned this seems to be a new problem), then I make other choices!
Customer service issues are one thing, but the Airbnb issue is another.
If you are getting bad customer service with Marriott, the direct competitors are there -- IHG, Hyatt, Hilton, etc.
Airbnb is a different sort of set-up altogether. Its a different type of accommodation (one in which customer service goals are much different, and in most ways, more limited). The impact of Airbnb on the industry is worth watching, but ultimately, there is a different market for both. Anyways, my point is that if you are moving to Airbnb, you should be doing so because you prefer to stay in typically larger accommodations that are individually owned and maintained and varied, and without typical amenities or service (typically no front desk agents, concierges, bellmen, workout facilities, club lounges, room service, housekeeping). Not because Marriott doesn't know how to help you in a timely manner.
If you are getting bad customer service with Marriott, the direct competitors are there -- IHG, Hyatt, Hilton, etc.
Airbnb is a different sort of set-up altogether. Its a different type of accommodation (one in which customer service goals are much different, and in most ways, more limited). The impact of Airbnb on the industry is worth watching, but ultimately, there is a different market for both. Anyways, my point is that if you are moving to Airbnb, you should be doing so because you prefer to stay in typically larger accommodations that are individually owned and maintained and varied, and without typical amenities or service (typically no front desk agents, concierges, bellmen, workout facilities, club lounges, room service, housekeeping). Not because Marriott doesn't know how to help you in a timely manner.
Apr 16, 2018, 2:32 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: bay area, ca
Programs: UA plat, , aa plat, marriott LT titanium
Posts: 4,833
I quite agree.....only chose airbnb as an example - meant the concept not necessarily the specific company 
There are things about Airbnb - the company - that bug me. When I want this type of stay, I try to use VRBO (U.S., so far, mostly full houses) or Booking.com (Europe, mostly apartments).
But as the big chains really drive hard for business travelers - driving leisure travelers out as much as possible - it's causing me to think harder about Airbnb and similar options for a greater mix of my stays. I still think of myself as a "hotel guy" - usually - but it really feels like Marriott (and Hilton, last year) are beginning to try to push me towards Airbnb.
But as the big chains really drive hard for business travelers - driving leisure travelers out as much as possible - it's causing me to think harder about Airbnb and similar options for a greater mix of my stays. I still think of myself as a "hotel guy" - usually - but it really feels like Marriott (and Hilton, last year) are beginning to try to push me towards Airbnb.
Apr 16, 2018, 2:53 pm
#20
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Somewhere in Florida
Posts: 2,616
Not an AirBNB fan... but I do use VRBO & Booking.com. At the same time, you'll find me in Marriotts more often than any of those accommodations.
AirBNB has a real problem, at least in Florida, with illegal, unpermitted listings. At one of my condo complexes, it's a constant game of whack-a-mole with people putting their units up on AirBNB for nightly rentals. Minimum rental is 1 month per condo rules. We've found that AirBNB guests aren't always the most respectful of people, putting it politely. Many localities also have requirements and inspections needed for rentals, all which AirBNB ignores.
I recently used VRBO for a central London mews flat where the prevailing hotel prices were running 3x as much for a standard room as the VRBO accommodation was for a 2 bedroom flat with kitchen and wash machine. Yes, the flat was in absolutely rough shape with threadbare carpets, badly-patched walls, and feeble shower. BUT the photos showed this up-front, and the location was 250m from Victoria Station and the price was fantastic.
This past weekend I was in a Fairfield in Orlando. Price was right, location was good, staff were surprisingly helpful. A maintenance man saw me starting to bring back the luggage cart to the lobby and offered to do it without me asking. Room service (yes, the Fairfield even had room service) was amazingly affordable.
There's an overall predictability when booking with a chain hotel. Sure, points and rewards are nice, but after I've been up for >24 hours and arriving in a city I've not been in before, I'm glad to see the hotel. I know the property really exists, employees are vetted, and there's a chain of command. If something goes wrong, there's someone there to help. Unknown check-in/check-out times are no problem for hotels. Even though cancellation policies are getting less generous, it's still worlds better than dealing with an AirBNB. And remember, AirBNBs can and do cancel your reservations without penalty to them. I've seen it happen.
AirBNB has a real problem, at least in Florida, with illegal, unpermitted listings. At one of my condo complexes, it's a constant game of whack-a-mole with people putting their units up on AirBNB for nightly rentals. Minimum rental is 1 month per condo rules. We've found that AirBNB guests aren't always the most respectful of people, putting it politely. Many localities also have requirements and inspections needed for rentals, all which AirBNB ignores.
I recently used VRBO for a central London mews flat where the prevailing hotel prices were running 3x as much for a standard room as the VRBO accommodation was for a 2 bedroom flat with kitchen and wash machine. Yes, the flat was in absolutely rough shape with threadbare carpets, badly-patched walls, and feeble shower. BUT the photos showed this up-front, and the location was 250m from Victoria Station and the price was fantastic.
This past weekend I was in a Fairfield in Orlando. Price was right, location was good, staff were surprisingly helpful. A maintenance man saw me starting to bring back the luggage cart to the lobby and offered to do it without me asking. Room service (yes, the Fairfield even had room service) was amazingly affordable.
There's an overall predictability when booking with a chain hotel. Sure, points and rewards are nice, but after I've been up for >24 hours and arriving in a city I've not been in before, I'm glad to see the hotel. I know the property really exists, employees are vetted, and there's a chain of command. If something goes wrong, there's someone there to help. Unknown check-in/check-out times are no problem for hotels. Even though cancellation policies are getting less generous, it's still worlds better than dealing with an AirBNB. And remember, AirBNBs can and do cancel your reservations without penalty to them. I've seen it happen.