AirBnB to launch new brand to compete with boutique hotels
The hotel industry’s arch-nemesis AirBnB is gearing up with a new initiative that will see the home sharing website provide upscale accommodation
The hotel industry's arch-nemesis AirBnB is gearing up to take on another slice of the hospitality sector's pie with a new initiative that will see the home sharing website provide upscale accommodation that is designed to target wealthier travelers, Bloomberg recently reported. AirBnB's reported new brand will match discerning clients, who have previously not used the online service because of an attachment to a quality standard and hotel amenities that are not guaranteed by the home sharing site, with quality tested accommodation. The site, which is expected to be launched in pilot form shortly, will offer a select range of apartments and homes that have been inspected by AirBnB staff and will have to follow certain guidelines and meet a checklist of certain standards set by the temporary accommodation giant. If they do not meet the requirements, they will not be listed on the website's premium section or on the AirBnB premium app.
The new scheme is part of an effort by AirBnB to corner another part of the hotel market. Initially, AirBnB was popular with budget travelers who wanted a local, no frills experience, but as the business model has grown, higher quality apartments that offer the same local experience are being sought after by more discerning travelers. However, there is still a fair share of business and leisure travelers who would choose a hotel over AirBnB, and would probably not even consider the latter option. This is the demographic which AirBnB is aiming to reel in with the premium proposal: older, wealthier travelers who have previously not bothered using the site. This demographic would provide a whole new source of income for the hospitality start up, and undoubtedly put a dent in the pool of guests that established hotel chains rely on, those who have continued to stay in hotels despite the rise of short term accommodation and home sharing. AirBnB will be encouraging managers of their "Select", or premium, properties to operate a service more akin to that of a hotel, and initially will be aiming to align this standard of service with that of boutique hotels.
Let´s take a look at 3 boutique hotels currently under construction:
Bangkok Boutique Edition Hotel
The luxury mixed-use retail project Maha-Nahkon, a 77-storey building that will house the Edition hotel as well as Ritz-Carlton residences and about 10,000-sq.ft. of retail space will be constructed. Ritz-Carlton will operate the Edition Hotel. Both brands are owned by parent company Marriott Hotels.
Jumeirah Saraya Bandar Jissah Boutique Hotel
The resort will consist of two hotel components, one consisting of 206 rooms and the other of 106 rooms, located in the picturesque cove of Bandar Jissah, near Qantab, nestled between the Hajjar Mountains and the Gulf of Oman.
Expected for completion in fall 2016, $million renovation will expand the hotel's existing five-story, 45-room building with a new tower that will have 84 additional guest rooms, a lobby, lobby bar, exterior gathering areas, a 7,000 square-foot rooftop pool deck and 1,400 square feet of meeting space.
More information on boutique and big brand hotels can be found on TOPHOTELPROJECTS
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Jule Grass
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