“Whether it’s called Plus or Boutique program, Airbnb's latest scheme is just further proof the company is trying to play in the hoteling space while evading industry regulations.   If Airbnb wants to enter the hoteling business, then it needs to be regulated, taxed and subject to the same safety compliances and oversight that law-abiding hotel companies adhere to each and every day.

“The question that cities and neighborhoods should be asking – will these ‘Plus’ or ‘Boutique’ listings include commercial operators exploiting Airbnb’s platform to run illegal hoteling schemes that have fractured our communities, raised serious safety concerns and increased the price of rent while depleting affordable housing options?”

-Troy Flanagan, Vice President of Government Affairs for AHLA
USA Today: Airbnb adds loyalty program, site inspections as new rules restrict core business

“The hotel industry called the Airbnb Plus and Boutique programs further proof the company is trying to take market share from the industry while evading industry regulations. “If Airbnb wants to enter the hoteling business, then it needs to be regulated, taxed and subject to the same compliances and oversight that law-abiding hotel companies adhere to each and every day,” said Troy Flanagan, vice president of government affairs at the American Hotel & Lodging Association.”

Bloomberg: Airbnb is adding hotels and loyalty program

“A representative for the U.S. hotel industry wasn’t buying it. “Whether it’s called Plus or Boutique program, Airbnb’s latest scheme is just further proof the company is trying to play in the hoteling space while evading industry regulations,” Troy Flanagan, a vice president at the American Hotel and Lodging Association”

Fortune: Airbnb adds loyalty program, site inspections as new rules restrict core business

“Not everyone is happy about Airbnb’s new Plus program. The American Hotel and Lodging Association sent Fortune a comment about the overhaul, accusing Airbnb of “trying to play in the hoteling space while evading industry regulations. “The association’s complaint is similar to the taxi industry’s stance on Uber and Lyft operating transportation services without adhering to the same regulations they do.”

ABC 7 News (SF): Airbnb launches new services, celebrates 10 sometimes-rocky years in SF

"In most American cities, short-term rentals to tourists are illegal in residential neighborhoods," said Dale Carlson, who founded ShareBetterSF -- the coalition that pushed to regulate Airbnb and make it remove listings that aren't registered with the city. "As more and more cities crack down on them, the home sharing that they grew up with is going away and is less and less profitable," Carlson said.

Associated Press (AP): Airbnb unveils new category of rentals rated by inspectors

A major hotel industry group slammed Airbnb's expansion as a sham.

"Airbnb's latest scheme is just further proof the company is trying to play in the hoteling space while evading industry regulations," said Troy Flanagan of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. "If Airbnb wants to enter the hoteling business, then it needs to be regulated, taxed and subject to the same safety compliances."