Another Traveller’s Tale: The Air B&B Concept

Sliabh Liag in Co Donegal, Ireland

When writing travel blogs, people try to keep them general or generic as opposed to being critical of or praising individuals or specific places, hotels or destinations. I am no exception to that. I realise most people do their best and while that might not always reach people’s expectations, it’s best not to individualize criticism of it.

It is therefore with some caution that I’m writing this article. There is no criticism of any individuals but it’s an objective look at a travel concept which does contain any number of individuals. What I’m looking at is the Air B&B concept.

As far as I know, the idea started in California in 2008. Obviously, the provision of bed and breakfast to travelers is as old as travelling itself, but no one organized it centrally or globally until Air B&B. The idea was good or even arguably great. As a long time traveler, I can recall that hotels were expensive and in many cases, didn’t offer much more than a basic service. Many charged extra for breakfast and others didn’t provide it at all. Agencies like booking.com were around but not many people used them. Other collectives like Trivago had not yet surfaced. So the idea of staying in someone’s spare room in their home for a relatively inexpensive price was good. I remember the first time I used the service, it was excellent in terms of convenience, location and price.

My recall is that this continued for a number of years until more and more people began entering the market as ‘hosts’ and began ‘stretching’ the concept. Let me explain – in my experience, the concept was good but never perfect. Since first using Air B&B in 2010 to my latest experience in 2024, I have never, ever, been served a breakfast in any of their properties. I have at times made my own breakfast but that is not the same thing. I have never even been offered a cup of tea or coffee. By contrast, businesses that advertise themselves as simply B&B’s invariably offer this and also provide a good breakfast. So, while the concept was good, it was never perfect.

So, why call it Air B&B? Surely it should be called Air B? To revert to my view that the concept was ‘stretched,’ the initial idea was to stay in a person’s spare room. Nowadays, most accommodation is independent of the host’s home. People treat Air B&B as a business, often renting numerous apartments or rooms therein. Needless to say, these provide a bed, period. That would be fine if they adhered to the original concept of convenience, location and value for money. The reality is that many do not and are often more expensive than hotels. Owners or ‘hosts’ may argue that they are providing a superior product and that is for the customer to judge. I am merely describing my own experience.

But that's not the point I'm trying to make here. The problem to me appears to be the presence of the third party, i.e.: Air B&B Corporate. Let me explain again – when you make a reservation on booking or hotels.com, the price you are quoted is the price you will pay. The hotels have their own arrangements with the booking websites. When you book with Air B&B, the price you are quoted is considerably below the final price. Added to it are cleaning fees, Air B&B fees and taxes. For example, on a recent trip to New York, I was quoted a price of $800 for a five night stay. When the fees were added, the total came to over $1,200. But not only that – Air B&B insisted on payment of the full amount up front, even before the accommodation was confirmed. They also insisted on a debit card payment so the money was taken straight out of my bank account. As I was trying to book multiple locations, I had paid Air B&B over $1,800 up front before I even knew if any of my accommodation was available. In the event, neither of the places I had tried to book was available on the dates I wanted so the $1,800 was eventually returned to my bank account. The salient fact though is that Air B&B had my money for a period of time free gratis. If you estimate as to how many booking requests are in motion at any one time, the total of client’s money held by the corporation must run into millions of dollars. As far as I am aware, the original founders of Air B&B are now multi billionaires. I don’t begrudge them this at all; I applaud their creativity. I merely point out that they have strayed from the original concept, i.e.: to provide quality, value for money accommodation for travelers.

In relation to the breakdown of the charges, more than $250 of the $1,800 was Air B&B fees – for what, I ask? I am aware of the American practice of quoting prices without the tax added but that is an article for another day. Cleaning fees were $160. Again, how much cleaning does a bedroom need and surely it is cleaned regularly? I could also ask, how much of these fees find their way to the host?

So it seems to me that from an idea that started out as a great business concept which provided quality and value, it now seems that Air B&B is just a vehicle or a cash machine that generates funds for an invisible corporate. It’s a shame really. But don’t get me wrong, I’m no socialist, power-to-the-people type of person. I’m as much of a businessman as anyone else and there’s nothing wrong with making profits. But one thing I have always advised both my colleagues and my clients – if you have a goose that’s laying golden eggs for you, don’t kill it. I’ve seen it happen countless times – unfortunately, greed gets the better of some people and most corporations. Air B&B, as far as I know, is still extremely profitable and may remain so for some time.

But I have now gone back to staying in hotels. They are in the main cheaper, far more accessible (easier to find), offer a better product and in the majority of cases, they don’t charge you until you arrive at the property. Incidentally, most hotels have gone back to providing breakfast; it’s not always haute cuisine but it’s better than nothing.

So if there’s anyone listening out there in California, think about this and consider going back to the original concept. Until you do, I’ll be staying in hotels.