Branded Short Term Rentals

Airbnb has paved the way for a new generation of travelers that are tech-savvy and accustomed to types accommodations that differ from traditional hotels. This new sector termed ‘Short Term Rentals’ or STRs has gradually matured and tech-enabled branded STR companies have emerged to fill a void in this new ecosystem. This book provides a comprehensive first look at these technology-driven branded STRs. It explores how their hybrid business model can be considered a flexible new asset class in times of economic uncertainty and how the characteristics of branded STRs represent an increased competitive threat to hotels. In this context this study assesses their disruptive impact on the basis of: 1) the available literature relevant to the impact that short-term rentals have had on hotels 2) the research that has been conducted on the theory of disruptive innovation as well as 3) a deep-dive analysis of one of the emerging players 'Mint House'. The findings demonstrate how branded STRs represent the next step in the disruptive trajectory of short-term rentals and thereby increasing the potential threat of substitution of traditional models of hotel operations.