What Hotels Can Learn From the Recent Twitter Storm Surrounding Airbnb

Leisure travel rebounded this summer, with many travelers confronting thousands of airline delays, cancellations, and attendant social media activity detailing passenger concerns.

The lodging end hasn’t been spared. What started off as a cautionary tweet from a Philadelphia Airbnb guest quickly turned into a viral twitter storm – receiving more than 61,0000 retweets and nearly 300,000 likes within hours – setting off a wave of privacy concerns for short-term vacation rental guests.

BE CAUTIOUS BOOKING AIR BNBs! My friend & I recently stayed at an air bnb in Philadelphia with over 10 hidden cameras all over the house. Including the showers and bedrooms. Some were disguised as sprinkler systems but it has a camera lens. — 🍒 (@foxytaughtyou) June 12, 2022.

While the Philadelphia PD’s investigation found no evidence of hidden cameras hidden in the home, the social media damage had already been done.

The stream of tweets seem to be aimed at the hosts, rather than the accommodations, citing high cleaning fees, last minute cancellations, enforced chore lists, and strict accommodation rules.

Hotels and traditional properties should take this as a cautionary tale. Guest expectations are rising across the board, with both leisure and business travelers looking for premium hotel experiences with feature regular room-cleaning, fully-staffed food and beverage options, and the complete slate of amenities offered before the pandemic.

While the significant challenges of the current recovery period may seem overwhelming, it is critical to seek a competitive advantage to attract guests and convert them into long-term, loyal customers.

To avoid a potential Twitterstorm, hotels need to ensure that they have the staff that are able to service rooms, deliver optimal customer service, and ensure safe operations.

HSS offers a range of contingent staffing solutions. In order to help hotels devise successful staffing strategies, we have recently created a comprehensive resources page, with a selection of eBooks, workbooks, podcasts, and easy-to-use guides. All of these are designed to offer insights and plans that GMs, management companies, and brands can productively implement to meet the staffing challenges of this year and beyond.