Hotels come with helpful services. Photo / Unsplash
In this week’s Travel Hot Take, travel writer Arundhati Hazra gets real about why she’s ditching short-term homestays for hotel chains.
A few years ago, I was visiting Barcelona for five days with my partner and his family, and we chose to book an Airbnb over springing for hotel rooms. The cost differential was certainly an advantage, but we were also keen to experience living in a local’s home in the heart of the city. My partner’s parents are vegetarian, and we looked forward to cooking an occasional meal together as a family, even as we explored Barcelona’s food scene.
Reality, however, hit differently. The home was on the fourth floor of an apartment complex with a shoebox-sized lift that could fit just one person. Traipsing up the winding staircase in the evening became a chore after 20000 steps exploring the city, as did cooking. Also, it isn’t the best experience to whisk eggs for breakfast and then realise, as we did, the kitchen had no salt. By day three, we were yearning for the creature comforts of a hotel – a breakfast spread beyond eggs and toast, a fresh set of towels, a spacious lift. And this was before the checkout requirements came – washing dishes, taking out trash, putting sheets in the wash – even while we paid cleaning fees.
In the heyday of Airbnb, the proposition of discovering a home away from home held endless possibilities. Treehouses in verdant forests, cottages on mountaintops, apartments with a view of the Eiffel Tower, all were available at the click of a button. However, what the platform’s lyrical descriptions didn’t tell you was that there were no taxis or public transport for a radius of five kilometres around the treehouse, the cottage required a half-hour drive to the closest shop as no meals were served there, and the Eiffel view was on the fifth floor of a walk-up. In the early days, the novelty of the experiences seemed to excuse the pain.
In recent years though, Airbnb has transformed from Dr Jekyll to Mr Hyde for travellers, with endless fees, a checkout chore list resembling something a parent wrote for their slacker teen and onerous cancellation terms. The platform is awash in low-quality listings, despite efforts by the company to remove them, as reported by The Economic Times. There are many five-star properties to choose from, but there is also a reported phenomenon of hosts rejecting guests with ratings below five stars.
I began reconsidering Airbnbs after realising I was doing as many chores during my vacation as I did during my regular days. I also missed the individual character of early Airbnb homes, when you could sit down with the host for breakfast and have them tell you about their favourite restaurants. With Airbnb going from a side hustle to money-spinner, hosts often manage multiple properties, resulting in cookie-cutter homes with the same minimalist furniture and sunset paintings, and instructions delivered over email.
In comparison, hotels, especially chain-brand ones, have stepped up their offerings. While luxury hotels have always provided distinctive experiences, mid-range and budget hotels are now moving beyond stock standard offerings. Many tailor their design aesthetic to their location (for example, artwork by local artists) and invest in quality chefs and well-stocked bars. Budget brands are often price competitive with Airbnb’s properties, offering basic standards of service (housekeeping, water bottles, toiletries) and common facilities like snack bars and foosball tables, which also serve as community spaces to meet fellow travellers.
An unsung but important benefit for me is the flexibility of a hotel. If I have a late flight, I don’t have to sit with my suitcases in a Starbucks after checking out, but can have them stored at the hotel and squeeze in some last-minute shopping. Getting off a very early flight and having your hotel agree to early check-in at no cost, or getting in very late and finding a room service menu to order from (or raiding the minibar fridge at worst), are small wins that have big impacts on your vacation. Also, when I travelled solo, I felt safer staying at a hotel, rather than in an apartment tucked into a foreign city.
To me, however, one of the biggest benefits of chain-brand hotels are their loyalty programmes. Room upgrades, free breakfast, lounge access – there is a flywheel effect on benefits with each night you stay. People who travel frequently for work can build up their profile with a hotel’s loyalty programme, and leverage the earned status for perks during vacations. Additionally, many major hotel chains have tie-ups with credit card companies, and let you convert your card points into hotel points, which you can redeem for free stays and other perks.
The Barcelona trip was the last time I stayed in an Airbnb. Be it family trips or solo travel, I always look for hotel chains wherever I go – the extra money is worth the comfort and peace of mind. And there is always a spare toothbrush at hand if I forget mine.