Homecoming is less than a day away, and like any big weekend, Homecoming brings to mind traditions, parties and — perhaps less immediately — packed hotels and inns.
An increasingly popular alternative to traditional lodgings is Airbnb, originally Air Bed and Breakfast. Airbnb is a startup that allows anyone who has a free room in their home, possibly due to an extended travel plan or a vacant guest room, to rent that room out for a short period of time. The model operates much like a typical bed and breakfast, except the location of lodging is usually the owner’s personal home and renters often behave more like temporary roommates than customers.
Communications project manager of alumni relations Rachel Hastings said that the department lists Airbnb among their recommended lodgings for alumni when returning to campus. She said she is not sure if any particular alumni are using the service, but due to the little vacancy left in local hotels, it is likely that many people are using the website.
She mentioned that people will likely be using Airbnb during reunion weekends this year as well.
Hastings said, though, that alumni should proceed with caution if they choose to use Airbnb as a place to stay.
“We specifically give alums a list that includes hotels, things like that, and we do list Airbnb as an option, but kind of with a caveat that it’s at the user’s own risk,” Hastings said.
Hastings explained that Airbnb is not as heavily regulated as traditional hotels and inns, which can make it a potentially riskier place to spend the night. She said people’s experiences with their lodgings are largely contingent upon their hosts.
“An Airbnb isn’t as closely monitored as a hotel, obviously, and your experience is going to vary depending on your host,” Hastings said. “But it is definitely an option we share.”
Pembroke, Vermont, resident Bob Dunkle uses Airbnb to find occasional renters for rooms in his home, which he opened up recently after his children left the house and he realized how much space he had. It is a good way to make money with the extra space, he said, and he has always favored less traditional jobs.
“I’ve never been one who liked working nine-to-five, plus the Airbnb seemed like a great way to meet people and have money on the side,” Dunkle said.
Deedee Tracy is another local Airbnb renter in Randolph, Vermont. She opened up her home for the same reason — when her children moved out, she had four empty bedrooms. After having success with renting out the space through Airbnb, she saw that it was a profitable way to meet people. She said she has loved meeting people from all over the world, including China and Thailand, in the past year alone.
“It offers a really unique experience other than your standard, sterile hotel room stay — you get personality and unique art and different things to look at,” she said. “And you get to meet and learn about the life stories of other people.”
Dunkle said traditional lodgings can sometimes feel impersonal, while staying at an Airbnb is a much more authentic and personal experience that can be fun for both the lodgers and the host. Rather than being placed into a single hotel room for their stay, those who choose Airbnb generally find themselves staying in a home, complete with their hosts’ family, decor and pets.
“It’s more personal. You get to know the host, things about their family,” he said. “It’s definitely a lot more personal and more interactive. It’s also very flexible — if someone arrives today and I’m eating dinner, they can just sit down and eat, too.”
Hastings said that the flexible eating times of Airbnb can also have their advantages. Especially since the restaurants in Hanover and the surrounding area are likely to be packed, she said it is beneficial to have the option to eat in an intimate setting in someone’s home as opposed to waiting in line for a restaurant table.
Dunkle and Tracy — whose respective Airbnbs are each within about a half hour from Hanover — said they have both seen a spike in business this weekend.
Dunkle said he has never been this booked, and that although he does not inquire with his residents about their reason for traveling, he suspects many are coming for the College’s Homecoming weekend as they have been asking about his distance from Hanover.
Tracy added that she is typically busy during this time of year due to people coming to see the fall foliage as well.
Hastings said ultimately people are not “as sure what they’re going to get” with Airbnb as they would be while staying in a more traditional hotel setting. She added, however, that Airbnb might be a more sensible option for people who are looking to stay with a larger group of people, such as a family or large group of alumni.
