Great news for the service. I've used it a couple of times (both domestically and abroad) and have an upcoming trip abroad planned with them.
Execution in this realm is key. It has both users and hosts motivated and engaged. The recommendation system allows for visible feedback both on the places and the people looking for places, and for me, this is key.
I won't book a place that doesn't have existing good feedback. In my last international trip, I skipped a more convenient venue that had no comments and the host indicated "if anyone asks, you are a friend" for a couple that had an established good track record a bit farther away. The additional information is very helpful.
Despite the good feedback system there's still a bit of a psychological barrier for a lot of people when it comes to the main premise of the company--because as you eluded to in your comment, there are some sketchy accommodations in the world and I'm very interested in seeing how with this new money the guys will attempt to combat that issue and why it wasn't a slight hitch in the investment process--as you said the additional information is helpful but for a 1 billion dollar company, I don't think it's useful enough to escape generations of non-altruistic living where we trust no one and sleep with one eye open. They deserve everything they've gotten, and they're certainly going to earn their money when tackling this specific problem.
Comments
Great news for the service. I've used it a couple of times (both domestically and abroad) and have an upcoming trip abroad planned with them.
Execution in this realm is key. It has both users and hosts motivated and engaged. The recommendation system allows for visible feedback both on the places and the people looking for places, and for me, this is key.
I won't book a place that doesn't have existing good feedback. In my last international trip, I skipped a more convenient venue that had no comments and the host indicated "if anyone asks, you are a friend" for a couple that had an established good track record a bit farther away. The additional information is very helpful.
I hope the guys prosper.
Despite the good feedback system there's still a bit of a psychological barrier for a lot of people when it comes to the main premise of the company--because as you eluded to in your comment, there are some sketchy accommodations in the world and I'm very interested in seeing how with this new money the guys will attempt to combat that issue and why it wasn't a slight hitch in the investment process--as you said the additional information is helpful but for a 1 billion dollar company, I don't think it's useful enough to escape generations of non-altruistic living where we trust no one and sleep with one eye open. They deserve everything they've gotten, and they're certainly going to earn their money when tackling this specific problem.