Um… okay. Marriott doesn't own the property I'm sitting in either. That doesn't mean it's not a hotel. I worked for Wyndham Hotel Group and The Leading Hotels of the World for over a decade. Neither owned a single property. They each were — and remain — "hotel companies" (I believe Wyndham now owns two properties; when compared with their roughly 7,700 franchised hotels, that really won't undermine my point).
But here's the thing. Gebbia's telling the truth.
We're seeing lots of change in the industry, largely driven by technology — or more appropriately, by consumer adoption of technology. You're feeling the effects of that change every day, whether in operations, marketing, distribution, revenue management, what-have-you. Those changes will continue to shape the hospitality industry for years. Change happens. Get over it.
The problem we often have in this industry comes down to verbiage. Airbnb may not be a hotel company, but they're certainly a hospitality company.
So the question is, which business are you in? The "hotel" business? Or the "hospitality" business? Getting the answer to that question matters. Because as Airbnb keeps proving every day, only one of them has a future.
OTA's vs. Brands: OTA's Say Hotel Companies Are Just as Bad for Consumers As… OTA's? What?