It was probably at the penthouse apartment in Barcelona. I was sitting up there on the balcony in the sun, watching the bustle of the Gothic Quarter far below, staring out towards Montjuic, listening as the sounds of church bells and car horns and the early-morning shopping crowd disturbed the air, when I realised something: I don't stay in hotels any more.
I don't stay in resorts, I don't stay in hostels, and I don't stay in lodges. My travel habits have changed. I've begun to exist completely outside of that traditional model of tourist accommodation.
I realised that while I was in Barcelona, after years of my preference slowly moving towards the new style of lodging, away from a place with a check-in counter and a bellhop and a concierge, and instead to a place with a kitchen, a laundry and sometimes even a flatmate.
In Barcelona I was treating myself after several months on the road, splashing out on a top-floor apartment with views across the city. When you've been on the road for a while, something like this is bliss: a real lounge room where I could relax; a kitchen to make my own food; a laundry to finally wash all of those dirty clothes; the homely feel that I actually belonged somewhere, even in this foreign city.
I'd rented that apartment through Airbnb, though there are plenty of other companies that offer a similar service. Why stay in a tiny, soulless hotel room when you can live in an entire house or apartment? That remains the enduring appeal of Airbnb, the chance to live for a few nights in a local's shoes, to know what it feels like to duck out from your flat in Rome, or your villa in the Provencal countryside, or your house in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, to stroll around your little neighbourhood, shop in the local shops, eat in the local restaurants, and then return to the comfort of home. Or at least, someone's home. You almost feel like you belong.
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I realised in Barcelona that I don't even bother looking for traditional accommodation anymore. When I plan travel, I go straight to Airbnb, or Stayz, or any of the sites that offer house-sharing possibilities.
There are things about hotels that I miss, and that, admittedly, I still get to enjoy often when I travel for work. I do like the ease of the check-in process at a hotel, of knowing I'm being looked after by professionals. I like the reliability of a hotel, and the simplicity with which problems can be resolved. That's not always the case with Airbnb.
And if you're only in town for one night, or even two, a hotel stay is a much simpler proposition than Airbnb.
But still, a house stay is now my preference, and I'm sure it is for a growing number of travellers, despite a few admitted problems with the Airbnb model: rents are rising for locals in popular areas because of how much money can be made by lending them out for short-term stays; the fabric of communities is being altered by the influx of tourists into previously locals-only areas.
However, the draw of this style of accommodation is still too strong for me to resist.
The hotel industry must be taking a hit, and in a way you feel sorry for it. In other ways, of course, you don't. In the same way the taxi industry has been forced to confront its long-term shortcomings thanks to the rise of Uber, so the hotel industry could probably pause for a little reflection on the reasons behind the exodus of tourists from their plush, pillow-menu beds into the bloke next door's home.
Anyone who's paid $15 to get a pair of socks and a shirt washed would understand the frustration with the hotel industry. Anyone who's been slapped with a crazy charge for the privilege of eating in their room, or who's had to pay someone to wheel their luggage down a corridor, or who's gaped at the mini-bar prices, or who's simply paid exorbitantly for a tiny, cookie-cutter room in a soulless building will get it.
The hotel model has problems, and there are fortunately moves being put in place to fix this. Large chains are branching out into smaller, boutique hotel brands. Some of those whopping extra charges are being dropped. This will be good for everyone in the long-run.
But still, my preference remains for that lounge room, that kitchen, that laundry, and that feeling that maybe, here in this foreign city, I belong.
Email: b.groundwater@fairfaxmedia.com.au
Instagram: instagram.com/bengroundwater
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