Why we are heading back to hotels

But hotels are making a strong comeback now vaccination rates have increased and COVID restrictions removed. Boston University’s Makarand Mody says hotel occupancy levels and rates are back to, or higher than, pre-COVID levels.

“Our research shows that all things being equal, people are more likely to choose a hotel room over sharing site accommodation,” he says.

Dolnicar says it depends on the type of tourist – families want more space and the capacity to cook.

“Different types of accommodation for different needs – you can’t go to a Hilton off the beaten track. And there is no doubt now that reviews are super influential,” she says.

Reviews can take a turn for the worse in the weeks before your much-anticipated trip. Kerri Sackville got her money back after seeking written assurance that all the problems in the recent reviews had been addressed.

But Dolnicar of UQ says not everyone is so lucky. When we book through platforms like Airbnb and Stayz, we aren’t dealing with just one policy or process. Every provider has its own rules and regulations and hosts can choose how tough they want to be.

She also says we should have different expectations of homes rented through accommodation platforms compared to the expectations we have of hotels.

“Holiday homes can’t be commercial and flawless,” she says. “If the customer expectation is that holiday homes should be the same standard as hotels, that’s never going to happen. These are people’s homes and sometimes the oven breaks. No concierge will come and fix the oven for you in the next 20 minutes.”

Property owners and managers are genuinely struggling to keep their houses up to scratch. Nancy Navarrete, property management business development executive at Ray White, said it was almost impossible to get tradespeople in regional areas on rental properties.

“It’s been like this since the start of COVID-19. [Tradespeople] have so much work and so many options. Prices have also gone up for materials making it expensive for work to take place. We’ve also been hearing that a lot of tradespeople have moved closer to metro areas to take advantage of the influx of work,” she said.

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Dolnicar of UQ says some of us like to book a last-minute spontaneous getaway, although that’s harder with relatives in tow.

For those who have problems, a spokesperson for Choice says: “In NSW accommodation providers, booking platforms, hosts and guests must follow the mandatory Code of Conduct for the Short-term Rental Accommodation Industry.”

That’s pretty general but here are the nuts and bolts. If your hot water fails or the door falls off on the house, “take photos and write down what happened immediately.”

“When you speak to the booking platform, accommodation provider or host about the issue, make sure to take notes on who you spoke to, what you discussed and the relevant dates. This can be helpful down the track if you’re not happy with the solution. If possible, address your complaint via email or in writing, so there’s a record of the issue and the provider’s response.”

“If you think your host has breached the Code of Conduct and you can’t resolve the issue directly, you can lodge a complaint with NSW Fair Trading.”

– Jenna Price

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