In today’s world, it’d be hard not to notice the prevalence of app-based services that are bringing huge market shifts and increases in quality of life for consumers. You need only look to the likes of Uber/Lyft, UberEats/GrubHub, to see that there are many competing brands fighting for dominance over ride-sharing apps and delivery apps. In the hospitality world, Airbnb is the king of the roost.
What is Airbnb?
You probably already know what Airbnb is, but if you’ve somehow stumbled upon this article while searching for the best options for putting a roof over your head during your work relocation then put simply: Airbnb lets you rent a room or home that belongs to someone else. There are no rules on whether or not someone else is living there or not, it functions solely on what is advertised. You’ll be able to select “room type” when searching, which designates whether you are seeking a full accommodation (a whole home), a private room, or a shared room. Naturally, the price will vary based on these important parameters.
What is Corporate Housing?
Corporate housing, such as what Corporate Comforts provides in busy cities like El Paso, Texas is a premier luxury accommodation for traveling professionals who need a place to stay for an extended period of time. You will be afforded the best amenities, interior design, and location that is ideal for business professionals. This means that our locations are strategically placed so that you are never far away from the action.
We not only consider the commute that our patrons will have to make but also how accessible the most important parts of the city are for leisure purposes. We are often situated very close to major highways and roads that can get you from point a to b and back again very quickly. Our entire business model is predicated on your comfort and ease of access to what you need. We know that being away from home can be difficult and so we strive to provide the optimal experience for business professionals on the go.
Corporate Housing or Airbnb?
Airbnb’s can often be very cheap. They are highly appealing to tourists looking for a place to stay while they explore their destination and see what it has to offer. Many people would agree that hotel expenses have always been a necessary evil to travel. No one wants to stay in a lackluster place, but paying a lot of money for a hotel that you are only going to sleep in also seems unwise.
However, for those who travel a lot for work—often months at a time, a hotel is both impractical and incredibly expensive to stay for that length of time. Extended stay rentals and villas are a common recourse, but many of these places market to those who neither wish to own a home and need more space than an apartment for a time that may require renewal.
Airbnb Facing Continual Backlash
The benefit of an Airbnb is the ease of booking, the higher availability of locations, and the (sometimes) cheaper pricing. Airbnb is a great service for those who wish to book a room or home for a couple of days to stay in while they are on vacation. The service has arguably strayed away from its roots of being a couch-surfing app that let you stay with locals and get a taste of local life from people who opened their doors to strangers.
However, the reality is that Airbnb is changing quite rapidly. The hospitality industry has not taken kindly to what amounts to serious undercutting via the (then) underdog service. It might seem like a good thing for the consumer, and in some cases it is. However, based on statistics Airbnb is no longer the coach surfing app. Katherine Lugar, the CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association has gone on record to state that the home-sharing platform is really just encouraging hosts to run illegal hotels across the country. The linked study covers the fact that the majority of Airbnb’s revenue comes from full home rentals as opposed to room rentals. In other words, private rentals in which there is no host make up the large majority of revenue for the home-sharing giant.
The hospitality industry contends that it is not in the spirit of fairness that services like Airbnb do not have to abide by regulations that major hotels and other hospitality businesses would have to.
Increasingly, local and state regulations are cropping up surrounding short-term rentals and what is and is not allowed. It can be summed up by saying that the host must be present. Airbnb was aware of these changes and has moved on to promoting its sublets.
Corporate Housing is Superior to Airbnb for Work Professionals
Professional extended stays that operate under the hospitality industry’s best practices will always offer a superior staying experience over the long term. This is especially the case with Corporate Comforts locations. Whereas an Airbnb sublet will just be a place that is rented out for people who are momentarily traveling, you will find that those who must travel often for work—government TDY employees, corporate professionals, insurance adjusters, entertainment industry workers, etc, a more refined experience is expected.
Imagine if you are traveling for 25% or more of the year as is the case with many of the aforementioned industries, your standards for what you expect would be much different than someone who does not travel often. If you are seeking a turnkey rental, our corporate housing solutions are tailored to suit the needs of the traveling professional.
An Airbnb sublet is simply a house or apartment that an ordinary person has decided to rent out. Seldom will it have the touch of a professional interior designer, the resources and initiative to make sure that everything is properly maintained and cleaned between occupants as we would make sure of. They certainly would not offer additional amenities in the form of a clubhouse—pools, gym access, friendly and helpful wait staff.
It’s the difference between a place to stay and an experience. And if you had to stay at a place for a month or longer for work, which one would you choose?
Extended Stay in El Paso, Texas
Corporate Comforts is a premier provider of extended stay apartments for corporate professionals or other traveling workers. We do not simply provide you a place to stay, we provide a place you can call home for however long you choose to be with us.
In the analogy we gave above, staying with us is the difference between hailing an Uber and having a professional chauffeur drive you around.
If you have any questions about you can request information or give us a call at (800)-579-2550, we’d love to hear from you!