Most cities have Hotels in very specifically zoned neighborhoods. Sometimes these are in neighborhoods you actually want to be in sometimes not.

AirBnBs allows you to stay in neighborhoods where people actually live. This is a huge difference for a lot of folks.

It is also why residents are angry. There is a reason short-term visitors are restricted to certain areas, they make terrible neighbors.

Airbnbs also make sense in this scenario:

- you get more space, a nicer room, for cheaper than an equivalent hotel

Which I'm not sure about NYC specifically, but has generally been true everywhere in the world I've gone

Where are you staying? That has not been my experience with any Airbnb in the last 5 years. I’ve stayed in airbnbs in New York City, San Francisco, Berkeley and Corvallis. It costs as much as a hotel, often misleading about having a “whole house” (they also rent the basement), and having a list of check out chores in addition to a cleaning fee.

It’s been the case for me every time I’ve traveled to Europe in the past few years, including this year. I’ve routinely gotten great Airbnb rooms in major cities (including several capitals) with creative designs, central locations, plenty of space, and amenities (kitchen, washer, etc.), all for 25-50% cheaper than a hotel room lacking most of those traits.

I haven’t been to America in quite a few years, but 10ish years ago a private room in an Airbnb was cheaper than a hostel in NYC.

I’m currently in Poland and I’m renting an entire apartment on Airbnb for less than a bed in a hostel, let alone a hotel. Anywhere in Europe a room in an Airbnb seems to be on par with the price of a bed in a hostel.