Colliers cites advantages of hotels over Airbnb

CEBU, Philippines — Amid the rise of Airbnb in the accommodation business, hotels still have certain advantages over it, global realtor Colliers International said.

In a newly released report, Colliers pointed out that while it would be almost impossible for majority of hotel chains to rival the affordability and personalised experience by Airbnb, hotels do have certain advantages over a typical Airbnb listing.

Airbnb is an online community marketplace that bridges people looking to rent out their homes with people seeking accommodation.

"One aspect that hotels have an edge over is in terms of amenities," the property consultancy company said in the report.

Hotels, according to Colliers, have a wide range of amenities such as restaurants, bars, spas, gyms and function rooms onsite.

The ease of access to such amenities would be what certain travellers are looking for, it explained.

"Another major advantage that hotels have is the structured services it provides. Guests can walk into a hotel knowing exactly what is being offered due to the standardised service provided," the Colliers report further pointed out.

Furthermore, the consulting firm also cited advantages such as hotel staff are on duty round the clock to tend to their needs and requests; and getting a fresh towel or a change of sheets in the middle of the night would not be an issue.

"This convenience ensures a comfortable and luxurious experience every single time," Colliers said, noting that Airbnb accommodation quality is highly reliant on each individual host.

"Friend or foe, like online travel agents, Airbnb is here to stay. The advantage is knowing that its formula will only be successful in markets that are either mature or imperfect," Colliers said.

Airbnb started off in 2008 primarily as a couch-surfing site for people to make some extra cash renting out a spare room and over the years, it has transformed and grown its appeal from budget-minded tourists to savvy business travellers.

According to Airbnb, it currently has over 5,000,000 listings for lodging available across 81,000 cities in 191 countries. (FREEMAN)