The shared-economy shook up the travel industry.
For years, and still to this day, hoteliers do not like AirBNB and the other home-sharing models. These home-sharing services are taking market share from hoteliers as preferred lodging for travelers. However, I think this could be a great opportunity for hotel brands to expand their footprint.
Hotels excel in the fact that they are predictable, and when you check-in, you have your own television, desk, room service, housekeeping and complete privacy. And now, hotels are investing in fitness equipment within the room, so the visitor can now workout in their room.
AirBNB and other home-sharing products excel, because they are situated in neighborhoods, giving travelers the convenience and feel of being a local, which is the experience all travelers are going for. These home-sharing products also tend to be more affordable when you have multiple people in your traveling party.
So, here’s my one idea: HOTELS SHOULD GET INTO THE SHARED-ECONOMY MODEL.
I can picture it now, “Homes by Hilton”!
Let me be clear, I am not in the real estate game, nor do I know much about real estate, but here’s how I think it could work.
What if a big-box hotel brand went into a community and purchased a block of homes and renovated them to their brand standards, while giving each house its own personality and feel. When a traveler goes to book a stay in a destination, they could choose the hotel with the standard built-in hotel amenities, or they could choose the house with the convenience and feel of being a local, with the high-quality amenities of a hotel.
Now the traveler has two options for accommodations from one hotel. It could help
the hotels stay relevant by providing more services to the ever-changing traveler, it could help shore up the issue on the remittance of bed tax dollars in communities who do not have agreements in place with AirBNB and other home-sharing services, and lastly it could help develop and re-develop designated areas within a community.
That’s it, that’s my idea. Who knows, maybe some of these hotels have already nixed this idea or maybe they are having these conversations as you read this. Or maybe it’s just a dumb idea…but I like it.
What do you think?
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