Sure Travel Journey Vol 3.3 Winter 2017 | Page 17

© ADOBESTOCK
explains that major hotels offer
negotiated rates, corporate agreements
and loyalty programmes to corporates,
which can make hotel stays far more cost
effective.
© AIRBNB
“THAT’S THE CRUX OF AIRBNB’S PROBLEM, AND
THE ONE WEAPON HOTELS HAVE AGAINST THE
START-UP: CONSISTENCY”
“Some happily provide toiletries. Others,
you’re not sure if the toiletries in the
shower are yours to use or if they belong
to the host. Hair dryers are nonstandard
and hangers in closets are rare. Depending
on the place, I’ve been asked to do
everything from taking out the trash to
doing the dishes.”
COST VS CHOICE
For the individual business traveller Airbnb
is often the more affordable option. Tatum
Dunnett, who booked an apartment in
Mouille Point, and Gideon Nieuwoudt, who
travelled to Phoenix for a conference, both
opted for Airbnb because of significant
cost savings. Add to this perks such as
free WiFi, Netflix, extra space and flexible
check-out times and the choice was easy.
“I really enjoyed the comfort of the
accommodation and the ease with which
you can make the booking. The phone
app is also very handy and it’s really easy
to communicate with the owner,” says
Nieuwoudt. “The owner was quick to
respond to any issues we had – the WiFi
was on the blink when we got there, but
he sorted it out within minutes of us
contacting him via the app.”
But if you and your colleagues travel
often for work, Airbnb may not always
be the most cost-effective option,
notes corporate travel specialist Rachael
Penaluna of Sure Maritime Travel. She
SAFETY VS STREET SMARTS
While clean sheets may be considered
a nice-to-have, security is a must-have,
especially in remote or dangerous regions.
This isn’t negotiable for companies,
which are under increasing pressure to
provide the best Duty of Care – the safety
precautions a company is expected to
take to protect its staff while they travel
for business. The Airbnb spokesperson
asserts that in some cases, where hotels
are seen as foreigner-rich targets, home
stays may actually be the safer option. He
adds that a global Trust and Safety team
is on call to offer help should a problem
occur. But it may prove difficult for Airbnb
to match the safety checks and balances
put in place by hotels.
“For most of our corporate clients,
security and associated responsibilities
are only available with reputable hotel
brands,” Penaluna points out. “One of our
US oil companies will not let any of its
employees stay at a hotel until it has been
physically vetted by a security officer.”
Hoteliers canvassed said these rigorous
safety and security checks include
everything from whether a sample of
every meal served is kept for tests in
the event of food poisoning (a standard
procedure at reputable hotels) to ensuring
fire escapes are in working order and
CCTV cameras are in place. “There’s a
long list of checks that we go through,”
said Lucy Macridis, sales and marketing
director of dustitD2 Nairobi that caters
mainly to the corporate market.
Another factor for corporate travellers
to consider is how they will be accounted
for in the event of a natural disaster
or a terror attack. Hotels with disaster
management protocol in place are able to
quickly account for guests’ whereabouts,
whereas a company may struggle to track
down staff scattered at various Aribnbs.
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 17