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