Hotels and shared economy accommodations: an analysis of business traveler preferences

Purpose The Lodging Shared Economy (e.g. Airbnb) has emerged in the past two decades. It was thought that generations participate differently in the Lodging Shared Economy (LSE) and their requirements for LSEs are different for hotels. The current study compares business travelers from three generations (Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y) and their lodging preferences using seven dimensions: Price/Value; Financial Information Security; Personal Safety; Location, Empathy, Amenities, and Cleanliness. Design/methodology/approach Using MTurk, 614 surveys were completed by two distinct groups of pre-qualified respondents who recently stayed for business in either a hotel or LSE (e.g. Airbnb). This study compared the perceptions of three generations on their responses to seven key lodging attributes. Findings This study’s results indicate little difference among business travelers from the three generations. Baby Boomers responded they value cleanliness more than Millennials. Boomers are more likely than Xers to tell others about their stay but overall, generational statistical differences were not revealed. Practical implications This study suggests that consumer preferences for lodging on business trips are similar across generations and therefore, hotels should focus on business travelers as a homogeneous group rather than attempting to focus on specific generations and specifically not rule out Boomer customers. Originality/value While there is much research on the LSE, this is one of the first studies that focuses on business travelers’ preferences for using accommodations other than hotels, which is a gap in LSE research.