There actually are major hotel brands which do not charge a fee to use the internet if you are a loyalty program member and those programs are easy to join and are free. Hilton and Marriott come immediately to mind.

resort fees irk me too. But the worst kind are the ones that are a percentage of your room rate. So if I book a higher category room than the next guy, I end up paying a higher resort fee for the same amenities.

'I hadn't realized that consolidator sites were managing to put the combined price+fee out there in the search results'

I don't see that many of them do. They do however included some fine print regarding the fee. Unless you book a deal with something like hotwire or priceline, then you don't see the real cost until you've paid and find out what hotel you got.

You shouldn't "have to" do a lot of things including using a phone as an internet hotspot so you can avoid paying an internet fee.

"That is, there are next to zero expenses to hosting on AirBnB other than having some available space already."

Really? No wear and tear? No liability issues? Why don't more people do it?

schlegal1,
you should be able to get some very good rates in NY in January, and yes there are lots of hotels without a resort fee. There was no fee at the Giraffe when we stayed there but that was quite a few years ago so it's likely been implemented since then. But I'm sad to read that my favourite Omni Berkshire has started charging a $30/night fee, too.
:(

We went to NYC the second week in January a couple years ago and the rates were great. We lucked out with 50 degree weather, too. Then we went back last March and had windy and snowy weather. :)

I have frozen every time I have been to NYC with the exception of one August when I (gladly) sweltered. I'm sure we'll find something reasonably priced--mother-daughter weekend of going to see a show and having a special dinner.

I just spent time removing a resort fee tacked on to my reservation for the DC GTG. The Grand Hyatt hotel started a fee for new reservations as of June 1st then in my reminder the hotel tried to tack it on to the rate on the reservation I made in May.

There is a resort fee for the hotel where we are staying in NYC in a few weeks. It was supposed to include 10% off meals at the restaurant but the restaurant has closed since I made that reservation. I am going to ask them to remove or adjust the resort fee but am not holding my breath.

The Fodors website title page currently features an article about Vacation rentals plus Air B&B.
I am done. The reference.

Sure there is wear and tear. Not many people leave apartments sealed in pristine condition so as to avoid wear and tear. So rent or don't rent, that happens anyway.

Without trying to "sell" it, it does sound like you've made some assumptions about the AirBnB system. (which I get, in that you don't seem interested in using that sort of service).

Anyway, unlike the older vacation rental methods, AirBnB is sort of like a network, doing a similar sort of thing with available space that Uber does with people with cars. It acts not just as a booking site, but as a go-between and as a verification service for both sides.

So a potential host not only has a way to list his apartment, like VRBO was, but it also provides for an internal communications system between verified hosts and verified users. AirBnB also takes a service fee at the time of booking which is already built into the very first prices you see in the search results. That service fee, of course, is what makes the AirBnB company a profit. but also provides insurance coverage for the host's property. $1M in liability and $1M in property coverage.

FYI, there is no facility in the website for hosts to charge for extras beyond a cleaning fee, which is also part of the first price you see. If they're charging for the wi-fi, it's something they'll have to keep track of on the side for their own accounting purposes because AirBnB doesn't provide for ad hoc fees of any kind. A host that demanded them seperately at the time of stay would be kicked off the system. At least, nothing like that has ever happened in my stays.

I assume most people don't actually have extra apartments to let out and are not comfortable with strangers staying in their place while they're home (in the case of a room let) which is why more people don't do it. Which is why the idea that AirBnB is taking over neighbourhoods is one I don't buy into. Maybe in a heavily touristed place like Venice... but don't those places eventually become all about tourists anyway and thus filled with strangers sleeping there overnight?

And I do think there are limited numbers of hotel guests who will be interested as well. Because most good places to rent are also good places to live, the affordable leftovers are often unusual sort of places. I stayed over a optical shop on my last business trip. Let myself in with keys to the buildings front door but when up some stairs rather than have access to the shop itself. But a lot of people are just going to find the idea of that sort of thing kind of weird. :D

This weekend, it'll be more of just a two story condo thing. I've stayed there before so no surprises. Not sure who I might be freaking out next door by being a transient. lol

>>Not sure who I might be freaking out next door by being a transient. lol<<

CC, I doubt you would freak anyone out. Having met you, I can vouch for that. But who knows what the people before and after you are like. I don't think I am out of line by not wanting people next to me or across the hall renting out to people who will only be there for a vacation or business.

Laurie, never would pronounce you "out of line". More just that on this one, we have different view of it.

Of course, I already live next door to a bunch of young renters who come and go and life goes on. I couldn't tell you who belongs there and who doesn't *now*, whether they happen to have a one year lease or are just crashing at their friends for the night. If one of those units was suddenly an AirBnB, who'd know? Wouldn't change my life in the least, you know?

So if the neighbours on the other side came up with a petition to ban AirBnB in the area, honestly I'd turn them down. Even not mattering, I'm more likely to benefit from AirBnB as an (unlikelly) future host than I am by barring it for no reason.

CC. that must be annoying. It's even worse though in an apartment building since you are sharing walls and ceilings/floors. It can make life a living hell.

Eh, it's annoying if they're noisy out front or if they're having a really late party on the weekend. But honestly, just seeing people coming or going, I can't say I give it much thought.

Noise through the wall would be a problem though, that's true. I've had that a number of times over the years, though not in the sort of places where travellers rent for the night!

Dukey AirBNB's have become a problem in New Zealand, as in the very touristy areas of the country there is very little long term rental accommodation. Anyone who owns a rental is letting it out as an AirBNB, short term only. In Queenstown for example there is no worker accommodation available. Even in Nelson where I live which is a tourist area, there is a shortage of long term rentals.

schlegal, my friend got an unbelievable rate for the Hotel Mela in NY in January (under $100/night!). I've never stayed there but she has, many times, and she loves it. She says the room is very small but even if you get a bigger room it would cost more but might still be a great rate. And yes, they have a 'facilities fee' of about $30/night.