Ever since Airbnb came on the scene, the hotel industry has been worried the home-sharing company could hurt the hospitality / hotel industry. However, I'm pretty sure that worry is at least in part, unwarranted.
Comparing Airbnb and hotels in the first place is "apples to oranges,". Travelers who choose to stay in an Airbnb versus a hotel are often looking for an entirely different type of experience. They want to interact with hosts, want to be immersed in the local culture, or simply can't afford to stay in a hotel, so will only travel if they have very affordable accommodations.
From my personal experiences hosting nearly 100 Airbnb stays in my 1 bdrm private suite since 2011, our guests are not the type to stay in a hotel or condo at the ski hill. We've had an interesting collection of cost conscious, self-employed business travelers, young couples on a mountain experience to an exorcist traveling to a conference (seriously - that was an interesting host experience!).
I'll be keenly watching as Airbnb further enters the Vacation Rental market - being Simply Kimberley's primary accommodation market - providing additional competition to VRBO, HomeAway, etc. As always, book direct to access our Best Available Rate.