Airbnb hosts revolt

[reader]

From  CNBC

Airbnb hosts are building their own direct booking websites in revolt

Short-term rental hosts are banding together and launching their own direct-booking websites in an effort to diversify their business after years of mounting frustration with Airbnb and other short-term rental providers.

Some of these websites were already in the works. But many hosts have recently prioritized their own direct-booking websites after a turbulent past two months, as the coronavirus pandemic spurred widespread cancellations and many grew unhappy with Airbnb’s reimbursement policies.

Although these independent websites lack the consumer base that comes with a large service such as Airbnb, they give hosts more power when it comes to how they brand and market their properties. Direct-booking websites also offer hosts an avenue where they can rent their properties to guests at a cheaper price while generating a higher profit than they can when a middleman such as Airbnb is involved. Additionally, they offer hosts more control over situations where guests request refunds, cause damage or complain about a property, according to numerous short-term rental hosts who spoke with CNBC. 

Competition from these new direct-booking websites represents the latest challenge for Airbnb, which has endured a tough 2020. The company had lined up bankers to lead a public offering, which would test whether Airbnb could live up to its $31 billion private market valuation from 2017. But as the coronavirus decimated travel around the world, the company instead raised $2 billion in new debt funding at a valuation of $18 billion and announced major cost-cutting initiatives, including plans to lay off 25% of its staff, or nearly 1,900 employees.

[Gaybutton]

Don't forget - no matter what AirBnB does, and I don't remember if this applies to all of Thailand, but in Pattaya short term rentals less than 1 month are only available at hotels and properties designated as hotels.  Other than that, in Pattaya short term rents have been made illegal.

There has been a great many complaints about this, but those complaints are falling on deaf ears.  In Pattaya, at least, that's the way it is.

[firecat69]

Like most things in Thailand , it really makes no difference what the supposed law is.  I had multiple choices available in Pattaya and Bangkok on Airbnb in January and Feb. In Pattaya I stayed in View Talay 6 and there were many many choices of apartments for short time as there were at many other high rise buildings!