Five homestay-style Asian hotels offering the personal touch
Accommodation websites such as AirBnB have prompted some in the hospitality industry to change their game. We look at places offering that little bit more
The rapid rise of home rental websites such as Airbnb and VRBO, which offer a more local experience, is having a huge impact on the hotel industry. Air BnB recently announced that more than 500,000 people use the service every night — they hope that number will hit 800,000 by this summer — so the hospitality sector has to up its game.
Hospitality expert Alexis de Suremain says there is a gap in the market for wealthy chains to snap up top spots in cities across the globe and put them on the site. "It's an untapped market. I would do it if I had the investment," he says.
"People have gained confidence in planning trips independently," says de Suremain, founder of Maads, which owns a string of boutique hotels and other ventures in Cambodia. "They want to go that one step further and experience more destination authenticity. They don't want mainstream places any more."
For de Suremain, this shift means hoteliers cannot afford to remain complacent. "The industry needs to be smarter; it has to engage more with potential clients and offer them more of a personal touch," he says.
