Design standardization by Airbnb multi-unit hosts

Multi-level differentiation of short-term rental properties: A deep learning-based analysis of aesthetic design

“…In a highly concentrated market, we also find that conformity is more profitable. Thus, if several big players dominate a market, an aesthetic design consistency among listings of the same host enhances operation efficiency (H. Zhang et al, 2023). Last, by comparing high versus low market concentration, we draw the opposite conclusion to the hotel industry: the overall short-term rental listing performance excels in a less concentrated market (Pan, 2005).…”

“…Following previous studies, a log transformation is applied to RevPAR to avoid regression assumption violation caused by skewness . To avoid multicollinearity in estimating interaction effects, we standardize all continuous variables for further regression analysis (H. Zhang et al, 2023). The interpretation of coefficients for these variables will be that, when a predicting factor varies by one standard deviation, the RevPAR changes by corresponding percentages.…”

“…Aesthetic design is an extensively studied topic in many disciplines, including architecture, psychology, management, as well as tourism and hospitality (Cross, 1982;Ravasi & Stigliani, 2012). It refers to the visual elements of products, which often constitute style, color, theme, layout, and symbols (H. Zhang et al, 2023). Previous studies concerning lodging property aesthetic design mainly focus on the impacts of specific aesthetic elements or perceived aesthetic quality on customer satisfaction and behavioral intention.…”

“…On the Airbnb platform, after travelers choose a destination and travel dates, they are shown a gallery of listing cover photos rather than more specific information, such as listing descriptions or amenities. As such, visual cues reflected by photos of short-term rental properties are critical for customer decision-making and host strategizing (H. Zhang, Zach, & Xiang, 2023;S. Zhang, Lee, Singh, & Srinivasan, 2022).…”

Embracing the paradox of customer experiences in the hospitality and tourism industry

“…At the Great Barrier Reef, the discreet use of ecologically friendly and non‐disruptive floating platforms, allows customers to undertake short exploratory dives to experience the amazing fauna of the underwater world, and to climb back swiftly onto the safety and comfort of the platform to enjoy the sumptuous buffet or even a glass of champagne. In recent years, the enactment of the Airbnb homestay infrastructure has ushered in a new type of touristic offering whereby the local community can actively participate in the organization of a tourist event (Zhang et al., 2023). This socio‐material digital infrastructure also enables the location of tourists within local neighbourhoods while they are also exposed to the unbranded sensations arising from their immersion into the social ecology of the destination community.…”