Category: Hospitality

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Deception by Delivery Fees: Demanding Consumer Protections and Transparency in the Face of Deceptive Fee Practices

A Note by Deanna Nila

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The use of online food delivery platforms has seen a rampant increase in recent years, with the global food delivery market being valued at a whopping $242.09 billion in 2023. With the rise and fall of the COVID-19 pandemic, bustling consumer lifestyles, and the increased digitalization of everyday interactions, the ability to order food delivery from over thousands of different restaurant options has never been more convenient. Every day, thousands of busy consumers utilize apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, or GrubHub to have food or groceries delivered right to their door step. Many have even become reliant on these services, such as those with mobility issues or those who do not own vehicles. While the necessity and convenience of having food delivery at our fingertips has made it a booming business, consumers have found that this convenience can sometimes … Read the rest

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Staying the Night: Integrating Home-Sharing Platforms into the Hospitality Industry

By Bryan Boccelli

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Home-sharing platforms such as Airbnb have taken the hospitality industry by storm over the last decade, and show no signs of slowing down in terms of use and popularity. This note argues for a better integration of the home-sharing economy into the hospitality industry. An integration such as the one proposed would streamline regulations and taxes applied to short-term living situations such as those applied to the hotel industry. Conversely, there are some aspects of home-sharing that would be beneficial if applied to the hotel industry that would be mutually beneficial. By working to better integrate these two portions of the hospitality industry, the result could be a great benefit to not only the consumer, but to hotel owners, home-sharing patrons, and state economies.… Read the rest

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The Sharing Economy: Airbnb’s Discrimination Problem

By Jason Shultz

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Racial discrimination is a systemic issue deeply rooted in American society. One company within the sharing economy cannot possibly change the behavior of the individual hosts that are essentially landlords. This Note examines how Airbnb hopes to achieve an inclusive community for its users, how the new policies will affect hosts and guests, as well as Airbnb as a corporation, and how the traditional Fair Housing Act applies to Airbnb’s hosts. Finally, this analysis will illustrate how Airbnb’s new focus on inclusion will impact the sharing economy as a whole. Airbnb needs to work with the government to change the current exceptions that allow certain landlords to discriminate against classes of people. These changes include both eliminating the exceptions and reclassifying how landlords are treated under government regulations. By working with lawmakers and other sharing economy companies, Airbnb can make a large impact … Read the rest