Fascinating.
I really, really hope this is not a way for Airbnb to increase their cut from each transaction.
I always thought their cut was 12% from guest + 3% from hosts. 17.1% would be higher. Just my impression....
I kind of like that the hosts pay the fee. It always has been a transaction fee - not a guest fee or a host fee. But each person loses money.
So however Airbnb presents this fee is "the same". My thinking the guest will like it more. Better that the host pays, in his mind (although everybody truly pays...)
The other upside is that it will limit competition. When I started, I had no experience with paying a management/marketing/agent fee to anyone. No way would I sign up to willingly give airbnb a 15% commision, without the experience I now have of what they can do.