Breakfast

[Chris22452]

So a few years ago I made a post about airbnb's offering breakfast you know since the second b is breakfast. The angry responses I got calling me a troll and everything you would have thought I was summoning satan. But even then it wasn't super important because airbnbs were usually cheaper than hotels. That was the gimmick. It didn't matter as much because they were cheaper. Now most listings are twice as expensive as hotels. So now I think it's even more important that we honor the second b. That or I wish the company would just change the name to something else. One of the responses in the old forum was well the air stands for air mattress. Okay that's fine give me an air mattress a croissant and a cup of orange juice and I'll be a happy guy. A friend of mine just paid $200 a night for an Airbnb and she didn't know that you could stay at embassy suites for that much and get all you can eat breakfast buffet for free every morning. Do y'all think Airbnb is in any trouble of going under since they're charging more than hotels now and not offering the same amenities?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Chris22452 No I don't think Airbnb is in any trouble. You see there is a thing called market forces and this, along with Darwinian selection, will ensure overpriced under delivering hosts will fail and the better hosts will succeed.

Its interesting because I have just read a Daily Telegraph article purporting to show how much more expensive Airbnb is than hotels for a 1 night stay. Now if we offered 1 night stays we would be expensive relative to hotels because we use our cleaning fee to discourage people coming for 1 night. Not because we are greedy but because WE choose (in a democracy this is our right) to only offer a 3 night min stay.

What I think you also need to recognise is that many hosts offer things you cannot get even in high end hotels. We are in the countryside and yet only 5 minutes form the city of Derby - The cheap hotels are in the worst inner city areas. We offer free parking and it doesn't phase us when guests turn up with trailers as we can accommodate them (albeit with a bit of difficulty). We offer a fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher and utensils to allow healthy meals to be cooked - Something I would have killed for when I travelled in my job and craved beans on toast!

BUT, and this is fundamentally important, if you want a fully cooked or buffet breakfast and don't want the above then book a hotel not an Airbnb. They are different things and suit different people.

Oh and I should have said we are not licensed to serve food so no amount of whining about there being no B at our Airbnb will make us offer breakfast.

[Shelley159]

Hi @Chris22452 

The hotel landscape has also changed over the last few years. Hotels used to include breakfast, but in my area and in many that I have traveled to, it is now unusual for hotels to include a free breakfast. It is available, but when you book you usually have to choose between room only or room with breakfast. The difference is often  quite substantial, meaning many hotel guests opt for a cheaper breakfast at a restaurant.

[Zheng49]

I recently stayed at a Days Inn, and it claimed to offer a 'light breakfast'.

What I got in the end is essentially nothing. Individually wrapped Muffins, and coffee. 

Technically that's still breakfast, but no it's not a good breakfast, it's worse than even a McDonalds breakfast. It's not what I had in mind for sure. 

I think we need to pay attention to the wording now. There is a huge difference between so-called light breakfast and a continental breakfast.