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PaperclipPerfector  14hr ago (text post)   636 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for August 14, 2026

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It occurred to me the other day that there might well be people who don't know what "BnB" in the name "Airbnb" means.

It’s a dumb term since I’ve never heard of an AirBnB providing breakfast, if it did it would just be a small hotel (or, indeed, a bnb).

My sister went to one out in the New Mexico desert that did.

Unusual, yes, but the exceptions can be amazing. We stayed in an AirBnB in a small town in the middle of Missouri (pop. >5000), where the couple rented out three bedrooms of their enormous farmhouse, and everyone was expected to a shared sit-down breakfast of bacon, sausages, fried potatoes, and fresh-baked bread.

That's just a regular BnB.

I think initially the model was something like couchsurfing but for money. So you literally were supposed to stay at someone's house while it's being occupied as a temporary roommate, in which case sharing the breakfast is only polite. Of course, once it took off it basically turned into less-regulated apartments for (short-term) rent. And now it's just differently-regulated apartments for rent.

The BnB made more sense when people were renting out rooms in their apartment. I know someone renting out rooms in his place in LaTam and well he does provide espresso and usually a weekly barbecue. His dad died and inherited some money so he’s building a new house, but his existing residence his dream is to raise his prices and offer more. The issue is Airbnb people filter out shared spaces and I think it’s hard to raise prices to even equivalent of a standard 1br with kitchen. Not really sure how you would market it but he wants to go more towards I guess the bed and breakfast model.

I once stayed in an Airbnb where the host provided coffee and freshly baked scones every morning, probably the nicest Airbnb I've ever stayed in. But in general, you're right.

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