I used AirBnB when it first launched and was absolutely floored that people would actually want to spend the night(s) in a random strangers house with them present. This was after me experiencing it first hand. It was quite terrible.

Fast forward to AirBnB becoming what it is today where the majority of users select “entire house” and it makes more sense.

The problem now is that they are essentially the same price as a cheap hotel, which for my money is the far superior option (the hotel), so we’re back to AirBnB making no sense to me again.

Perhaps I’m an outlier and the whole couch surfing market is that big, but it seems like AirBnB is balancing being a hotel (entire house) without really being a hotel. That’s a tricky spot to be in when regulators come knocking.

For some people, the fact that it’s like a hotel (entire place to yourself) but a) in a residential neighborhood, and b) with a kitchen and other amenities of home that are usually missing or very expensive in a hotel (laundry, parking, etc.)

If an actual hotel is the superior option to you, then, sure.

exactly this. i'll take an airbnb serviced apartment over a hotel any time.

My best stays have all been shared with the host. It's a way to experience another culture. I've also rented my own flat on Airbnb.

"Couch surfing" is a weird way to put it, and so too is "random stranger". They're not random, you chose them, and you're generally in a bedroom.

Maybe this is a cultural thing? Middle class families having lodgers is super normal in the UK, I figured it was the same everywhere.

If I wanted a hotel, I'd book a hotel.

My current use case for AirBnB is when I travel in a group (4+ people) and we would like to stay together. Getting a 2 bedroom AirBnB with a working kitchen and maybe even a private pool is a great place to spend time with closed ones.

Hotels are superior if you don’t want to cook. That, to me, is the central advantage of AirBnB: you can get one with a kitchen. Otherwise I see no reason to use it and I’m also not opposed to alternatives because I can very well see the destructive effects it’s having.

We always want to cook when we go on vacation and that’s not doable in a hotel. So AirBnB it is, most of the time.

The real joke here is: those AirBnB apartments often belong to Hotels ;)

Why would I want to stay with some rando on vacation?

Homestays are generally great:

1. interesting, respectful people / less "sterile" environments.

2. actually helpful in navigating the area.

3. broadens everybody's views (read: politics) to meet other people in person, see how they live and understand their viewpoints.

4. appliances/etc tend to work better, because they need them themselves.

I've had nothing but good and great experiences with homestays. I've also hosted which has been ok-good: 100% respectful and kind, but not always that interesting.

(I've been hosting/traveling for 15 years i.e. long before AirBnB)

Amen, the communal aspect is well worth it. Especially due to BnB's (not AirBnBs) are a bit more expensive, so the community is self selecting. You have to want to be there.

Exactly this. I'd add that homestays allow me to pay for just what I need - a comfortable/safe/private room to stay in. A lot of the extras you're paying for at a hotel are totally unnecessary for me:

-someone making the bed + tidying the room

-fancy buffet

-facilities like gym/spa/TV

-general feeling of 'luxury'

Obviously there are some people who do care about these things, but as I don't I'd rather not pay for them.

Because it's often an excellent experience and makes the vacation better. I rented out a bedroom in my 2BR apartment in NYC for several years and it was truly a wonderful experience. I had a one-week minimum and therefore hosted almost entirely tourists visiting NYC from overseas (as opposed to random people in NYC who needed a place to crash for a night).

With very very few exceptions, I met warm friendly people. They liked have a local in the same place to talk about plans and get suggestions, I liked some new faces to have coffee with in the morning. Everyone won.

Some do, some don’t. I despise having to communicate with people.

I stayed in a room in Berlin once. It was nice to get to know a local a bit and get tips on what to go see. If you want a sterile experience, book a hotel.

Hotels are often located in touristy areas and lack nice amenities like kitchens. Is it that hard to understand that there exists demand for whole-home vacation rentals?

I wasn't arguing that that demand doesn't exist; I've rented out whole houses on airbnb myself.