Page 34 - RLI June 2019

RLI LEISURE INSIGHT

What are you paying for?

AIRbNb HAS SURGEd IN popULARITy ANd IS Now compETING wITH
THE HoSpITALITy INdUSTRy. bUT, compAREd To A pRofESSIoNAL HoTEL
Room, AIRbNb’S SEcURITy foR ITS GUESTS ANd HoSTS RELIES oN TRUST.
IN THIS ARTIcLE, coURTESy of pETER moRALEE, dIREcToR AT bREAmISH
VALLEy wHIcH pRoVIdES coTTAGES IN NoRTHUmbERLANd, HE
ExpLoRES THE dIffERENcE bETwEEN AN AIRbNb ANd A TRAdITIoNAL
HoTEL bookING, ANd wHAT ExAcTLy yoU ARE pAyING foR.

The basics — airbnb If the guest’s property is entrusted to the hotel, the hotel may be
First, let’s look at Airbnb’s list of basic requirements ‘asked’ of a host: liable for any damage.
• Essentials should be provided. “Essentials” are: toilet paper, soap, “[…] the proprietor of a hotel shall not be liable [for] any loss of
linens, and at least one towel and pillow per booked guest. or damage to such property except where a) at the time of the loss
• Enquiries should be responded to within 24 hours. or damage sleeping accommodation at the hotel had been engaged
•Reservation requests should be accepted whenever available. for the traveller; and b) the loss or damage occurred during the period
•Avoid cancelling a booking. commencing with the midnight immediately preceding, and ending with
•Maintaining a high overall rating. the midnight immediately following, a period for which the traveller was
guest at the hotel and entitled to use the accommodation so engaged.”
The basics — direcT booking wiTh hoTels The hotel is not liable for damage or loss to a guest’s property
We can compare these basic requirements to the minimum unless it occurred when the guest was sleeping at the property.
requirements of a hotel in order to gain the lowest AA star rating: Where the hotel would be liable for damage or loss, there’s a few
• Five bedrooms minimum. more laws and regulations:
• En suite or private facilities. “…his liability to any one guest shall not exceed fifty pounds in
• Guests must have access to the hotel at all times. Staff must be, respect to any one article, or one hundred pounds in aggregate, except
at least, on call all day and night for the guests. where: a) the property was stolen, lost or damaged through the default,
• Must have a dining room, restaurant, or eating area serving a neglect or wilful act of the proprietor or some servant of his;…”
cooked breakfast all week, and serving evening meals at least The hotel only has to pay £50 maximum to the guest for one lost
five days a week. or damaged item, or £100 in total, unless the property was stolen,
• An area with a Liquor Licence lost, or damaged directly by the hotel owner or hotel workers.
• Open all week during operating season “…or b) The property was deposited by or on behalf of the guest
• A clear reception area expressly for safe custody with the proprietor or some servant of his
• Meet all statutory obligations and provide Public Liability authorised, […]”
insurance cover The maximum liability amount is also waived if the guest’s property
It’s clear then that an Airbnb host doing the bare minimum would was given to the hotel staff for safe keeping in a locked container
not meet the requirement of a one-star hotel. (for example, valuables in a safe).
“…or c) At a time after the guest had arrived at the hotel either
ProTecTion for guesTs — hoTels and the property in question was offered for deposit as aforesaid and the
accommodaTion proprietor or his servant refused to receive it, […]”
The basic liability requirements of a hotel or guesthouse outlined The hotel is also liable to pay out more to the guest if the goods lost
by the Hotel Proprietors Act 1956 covers what happens if a or damaged were requested to be locked somewhere safe, and the
guest’s property is lost or damaged: hotel staff either refused to do so or did not have the facility to do so.
“The proprietor of a hotel shall, as an innkeeper, be under the The hotel can, however, be liable only for the £50 charge if they
like liability, if any, to make good to any guest of his any damage to have a clear notice from the Schedule of the Hotel Proprietors
property brought to the hotel […].” Act 1956 printed and clearly visible to the guests, except in the
three scenarios outlined from a-c above.

ProTecTion for guesTs – airbnb
But what about if a guest has their items lost, stolen, or damaged
while staying with an Airbnb host? Hosts have Airbnb’s Host
Protection Insurance, but what about guests?
Well, your booking, (if it is paid for through Airbnb) is protected,
but your items aren’t. As Airbnb itself states, “There’s nearly 5
million listings in 191 countries to choose from […] What makes all
of that possible? Trust.”

whaT you’re Paying for
At the end of the day, you really do get what you pay for. An
Airbnb booking may well be the cheaper option, and if you’re not
fussy about having access to a private bathroom area or dining
area, then it can be appealing. But it is vital to keep in mind that
you’re not just paying a little more in direct booking for a plusher
hotel experience — you’re also paying for safety and security. In
this digital day and age, that is certainly something to keep in mind.

34 reTail & leisure inTernaTional JUNE 2019