Page 101

19137EE

CommittedTo Tallahassee’s Legal & Public Affairs Community Hancock Bank is one of the strongest and safest banks in America. Our team of expert bankers has a legendary commitment to service, and we offer leadingedge private banking products tailored to fit your needs. Let us focus on the banking so you can focus on the Capitol. Come visit our Downtown Financial Center at 101 North Monroe St., Suite 150, to find out how we can help you achieve your financial goals. 850-792-8820 hancockbank.com SUMMER/FALL 2016 INFLUENCE | 99 unfair business advantage and this does the old ‘level the playing field’ thing,” she said. “I doubt that they seem them as any major competition, but they want everybody to follow the same rules and so do I.” While the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) has no problems denouncing the company (more on that in a moment), the regional Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association has been relatively low-key about commenting publicly about Airbnb’s impact in the area. Officials with the agency didn’t return INFLUENCE’s request for comment, but did direct us to their thoughts on the subject in their listing of 2016 legislative priorities. The CFHLA says they advocate for the distinction between Professional Vacation Rentals and Shared Lodging. “CFHLA opposes Shared Lodging (“Illegal Lodging”) services that allow individuals to rent out all of or parts of their homes or apartments without having to pay the same taxes/fees and follow the same regulations as Hotels and Professional Vacation Rental companies. CFHLA asks for a ‘level playing field,’” their website reads. Haynie says negotiations with the company went quickly last year, and were nothing like the decade-long battle she previously had with Expedia and other online travel companies. That ended last summer when the Florida Supreme Court ruled those online travel agencies didn’t have to charge the hotel tax on the fees they charge when customers use them to book rooms. Not every property tax collector in the state is so keen on the deal that Airbnb has made with Orange County and more than dozen other local governments. Hillsborough County Property Appraiser Doug Belden said the company’s refusal to share information about both renters and homeowners made him hesitate to work with them, telling the Tampa Bay Times, “If they’re going to write you a check, they can tell you where it’s coming from.” A spokesman for Airbnb opted not to respond to our emailed question to respond to Belden, but Orange County’s Haynie isn’t as concerned. “That’s the reason we do audits,” she said, laughing. “I don’t know what any hotel or dealer remits on a monthly basis is accurate, but we monitor for unusual changes and we audit. We don’t audit everybody all the time every year, but we do do audits and I’ve got those provisions in the agreement with Airbnb.” While the Central Florida office may be hesitant to weigh in on what effect the company has had on their industry, the national group isn’t so shy. In a damning report, the national Hotel and Lodging Association claims that more than three-quarters of Airbnb revenue in Miami came from operators who listed their properties for more than 180 days of the year — which came out to $93 million for the period of October 2014 to September 2015. It also stated that Miami has the highest percentage, at 62 percent, of multiunit operators in the 14 cities the AHLA and Penn State University studied. Dr. John O’Neill, professor of hospitality management and director of the Center for Hospitality Real Estate Strategy in the School of Hospitality Management at Penn State University, wrote the report, called “From Air Mattresses to Unregulated Business: An Analysis of the Other Side of Airbnb.” The report’s bombshell was that “landlords” raked in some $76 million on grey or black market transactions last year in Miami alone. Christopher Nulty, a spokesman for Airbnb, called the report “factually inaccurate,” and said it was the latest attempt by the industry to mislead and manipulate to stifle competition. “The AHLA is out of touch with the increasing number of consumers and cities embracing the tremendous benefits of home sharing,” said Nulty. “Vacation rentals have always been a driving force in Miami tourism and now home sharing is broadening that impact and bringing visitors’ dollars to new neighborhoods and small businesses. “ Whatever Airbnb’s success in Orange County, it simply doesn’t appear to be hurting the lodging industry that significantly. The average daily rate for a hotel room in Orlando at the end of 2015 was $112 a night — lower than the average Airbnb rate of $120 a night. And there is major hotel construction, with more than 5,000 hotel rooms expected to enter the market in the next few years, such as the 1,000-room Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando Resort, and Paramount’s Uniq with 357 rooms coming online in 2017. Emory Mayfield Market President Diana Cureton Private Banker Hancock Bank is the trade name used by Whitney Bank in offering banking products and services in MS, AL and FL. Whitney Bank, Member FDIC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hancock Holding Company.


19137EE
To see the actual publication please follow the link above