Articles tagged “san francisco”

Selling off two of its most prized and iconic properties will help Starwood in its asset-light pursuit as it prepares to merge with Marriott by mid-year.

Airbnb is doing all it can to become legalized in cities like New York and Los Angeles by saying it'll pay occupancy taxes, just like hotels do. But if you look at the math and the overall economic impact, is that money really enough to have a positive net impact on those cities?

Does regulating short-term rental platforms like Airbnb really work? Well if Airbnb and its peers would cooperate instead of passing the buck to taxpayers regulation could have a fighting chance.

Cracking down on Airbnb "Super Hosts," or those who use the platform on a "professional" full-time basis to operate illegal hotels, is becoming a serious hot button issue. If Airbnb wants to become more widely accepted, it has to assure local and state governments that its platform isn't becoming a front for illegal hotels.

San Francisco is at the forefront of showing how tourism bureaus, which rely on hotel bed taxes for funding, can collaborate with room-sharing companies that are in direct competition with hotels.

San Francisco housing is a disaster created by city leaders who have failed to plan, greedy residents who are out for a buck, and an economy that's granting outsize salaries to young people without much sense. Airbnb is only part of the problem, and Prop F is only part of the solution.

By emphasizing how San Francisco is integrating the highest levels of sustainability, technology, inclusiveness, charity and local cuisine into Super Bowl 50, the city is really emphasizing its forward-thinking value proposition as a tourism destination.

The City of Portland, Oregon recently proposed similar amendments to its short-term rental law but was slow to impose any penalties. Since Airbnb is headquartered in San Francisco you can only imagine how much bloodier this battle has become.

The number of Airbnb guests will continuing rising in cities as travelers become more comfortable with the site but across the board it's still in the minority for accommodation types people choose.

There are holes in the arguments of both the City of San Francisco and HomeAway. The new short-term rental law would indeed put HomeAway in the new position of collecting taxes from renters, and HomeAway could find a way in its business model to make that happen. Still, the new law does appear to favor Airbnb, which already collects fees from guests.