Is there a category for community/hostel stays

[Laura2714]

I recently had a guest who was accustomed to the European hostel scene. He explained to me that he was interested in finding an Airbnb that had the international traveler community feel of hostel. A place where Airbnb guests could meet up with other travellers around the camp fire or swimming pool. 

I spent years living in international hostels and understood that my listing could not provide that level of community interaction. 

I was wondering if there was a distinct category for this kind of community building Airbnb. An Airbnb where like at an international hostel, you might meet a new hiking Buddy while hanging out around the campfire. 

and, what would you call that category of stay ? 

[Anonymous]

@Laura2714  I'm sure there are some exceptions to the rule out there, but honestly I don't think Airbnb is the right platform for what this guest is looking for. He could use the search filters to find "Shared Room" listings, as they are the closest you can get to the hostel experience, but in all likelihood the results will just be a mix of a) bare-bones legal hostels, b) terrible illegal hostels that are just bunk beds crammed into residential flats in popular cities like Paris, and c) the living room sofa of a host who lives alone, and might be awesome company, but who doesn't have access to a pool or a campfire.

There's an economy of scale involved with doing those cool hostels with a fun social vibe - you really need a full-time staff looking after those campfires and pools, 24-hour security, and vastly more liability insurance than "AirCover" against all that can go horribly wrong. Airbnb's listing management software is not nearly sophisticated enough to fit the needs of a really good hostel, and its service fee structure can't possibly compete with the more established hostel booking platforms like Hostelz and HostelBooker. These awesome places your guest visited are not listing on Airbnb for a reason.

One "category" that I think would be great on Airbnb is something like "Social Stays," in which a booking organically includes some interactive experiences. I pitched the idea directly to Brian the one time we met. I could tell it was never going to happen.

[Huma0]

@Anonymous 

Interesting... Everything you say makes sense.

I spent a lot of time backpacking and staying at hostels when I was younger and loved it. I also ran a little restaurant/bar in one for a while in Cape Town. So much fun! For sure, there is a big market for that type of thing even now, especially 'hip hostels', but the Airbnb pricing structure with the fees just doesn't work for that.

Once you add on the guest fees, it's not really so affordable/competitive for that market. The host would have to discount to a point where it's not viable for them.

The only way I could see it working is if there was a small booking fee rather than what Airbnb currently charges guests. They would need to reduce the percentage considerably and, like you said, that ain't ever going to happen...

[Laura2714]

I understand. Self-Checkin is a much more legally easy answer. When you start interacting directly with people and their deals, unexpected things can happen. 

It is a sad lose of community for travellers.

[Anonymous]

@Laura2714  The hostel scene was hit terribly hard by the pandemic, but the places that survived are doing really well now. Those community-building places are still very much in the mix for travelers. But Airbnb is not their home; it's become much more a short-term real-estate brand than a hospitality product.

[Laura2714]

I live in Arizona and tourists often want to meet a real Native American. I always respond,

”you could talk to the women who cleaned your hotel room or the man who washed your dishes at the restaurant. They are Native American…”

They stare at me, with a look that says, “I don’t want to speak to the maid…”

Airbnb has become a place where people check themselves into empty homes.

Airbnb is not a place to meet locals, anymore. Too bad because that was fun. 

[Anonymous]

@Laura2714  It's true, I meet whole grownups who still think Native Americans are all mystical creatures who live in the wilderness and spend their days dancing with wolves and painting with the colors of the wind. The fact that they are modern people with apartments and jobs just does not compute. 

[Laura2714]

Those folks are tourists. They have been the butter on my bread for 20 years. The surprise they display when they learn new and exciting facts about the local peoples; never gets boring. 

As far as Airbnb being a real estate company- so is McDonald’s. McDonalds doesn’t make their profits on food, they make their profits on rent & real estate.

Are you saying Airbnb has become McDonalds ?

[Laura2714]

Andrew0, I want to personally ask you to stop by my home in Arizona for a cup of tea. I feel, we have a lot to talk about from how Airbnb can improve, how Bayern Munich can improve and much more. 

if you are ever in the area, stop by for some tea & chatting. 

[Anonymous]

@Laura2714  I'd be delighted to meet you if I'm ever passing through Arizona! I haven't been since I was about 9 years old, but I remember it as a really beautiful state. Alas, it's been even longer since I watched a football match, so I have no insights to share there 🙂

[Dawn241]

There are several hostel type hotels in Bisbee because turn of the century either didn’t have indoor plumbing or they shared bathrooms. They post under hotel rooms, but this would be a good new addition to categories.