Room(s) to grow

Airbnb emerging as multimillion-dollar threat to traditional Austin hotels

Airbnb Austin apartment downtown skyline view

Texas Airbnbs are projected to rake in $200 million in revenue this year.

Photo courtesy of Airbnb

If current trends continue, vacation rental giant Airbnb is on track to be a $200 million-a-year force in Texas, with Austin leading the charge, according to a hotel consulting firm.

For the first time ever, San Antonio-based Source Strategies Inc. has included figures for Airbnb stays in its quarterly report on the Texas hotel market. From this June through August, the firm says, Airbnb-listed properties generated $56.5 million in rental revenue statewide.

At nearly $19 million, Austin grabbed the largest chunk of Texas’ Airbnb revenue in the third quarter, according to data supplied to CultureMap. Among the state’s other major cities, Houston ranked second for Airbnb revenue during the quarter, with more than $6.7 million, followed by Dallas, with almost $5.8 million; San Antonio at nearly $3.7 million; and Fort Worth coming in just over $1.1 million.

Only those cities with at least $35,000 in Airbnb revenue for the three-month period were included. Other Texas cities that made the cut were Arlington, Corpus Christi, and Fredericksburg.

As hotel operators and industry experts track Airbnb’s ascent in the Lone Star State, they’ll be keeping a close eye on the Capital City, where demand for Airbnb rentals benefits greatly from annual events like SXSW and Austin City Limits Music Festival.

“Our current analysis is that Austin lodging prices are high in general, which gives homeowners an incentive to rent their own property or buy up houses for this purpose,” Paul Vaughn, senior vice president at Source Strategies, tells CultureMap. “Much like other similar disruptive services, like ridesharing, people in Austin are quick to embrace short-term home rentals.”

Vaughn says the third-quarter statistics indicate Airbnb is emerging as at least a $200 million-a-year threat in Texas. By comparison, Texas hotels racked up nearly $10 billion in room revenue in 2016, according to a report compiled for the state’s tourism agency.

“Airbnb is poised to be a disruptive force in the lodging industry, with revenue equivalent to established hotel brands," says Vaughn. "This is a brand that people are adopting, and it will be very interesting to see where the trends go in the coming quarters.”

Traditional hotels are working on ways to combat the “major effect” that Airbnb and rival services like Austin-based HomeAway are having on the lodging industry, he says.

“Airbnb represents a new powerhouse lodging brand with considerable marketing and brand recognition. Older and lesser-branded hotels will likely see declining market shares as the Airbnb concept becomes more widely adopted,” Vaughn says.

hotels texas

SKIN IN THE GAME

Renowned Hill Country tattoo artist inks new sacred geometry app

Photo courtesy of Dillon Forte

Dillion Forte at his "tattoo ranch" in the Texas Hill Country.

In the world of tattooing, there may seem to be few better rat traps left to build, but Dillon Forte aims to change that. In October, the renowned Wimberley-based tattoo artist and entrepreneur introduced a new iPadOS app to bring ancient symbology into the digital age.

Forte has made a worldwide name for his black dot work (a contemporary take on stick-and-poke techniques) and ambitious undertakings like tattooing underwater and opening a “tattoo ranch.” His ink appears on Usher, Chris Hemsworth, and Kehlani.

Still, he is most recognized for his sacred geometry designs, using patterns to convey various meanings. His interest led him to create the Sacred Geometry Drawing App, a convenient way for novices and experts to develop and export their creations.

The app grew out of his own practice. Over the past decade, he has used tablets and freehand techniques to achieve his highly symmetrical artwork but grew to realize existing tools were not always easy to use.

“The app is an attempt and fulfillment of my desire to make sacred geometry accessible and bring the ability to create into the fingertips of as many people as possible,” Forte tells CultureMap via email, adding a tagline: “symmetry made simply.”

He says he wished the app was available when developing his signature style as a tattoo artist, but it was designed with a broad range of users in mind. He hopes that designers, educators, and artists will find a use for it.

A short intro to the app's capabilities is available on YouTube. It looks like a standard drawing app, starting with a blank canvas and some tools like pens, pencils, colors, and of course, straight line and dot makers.

A "symmetry index" anchors the functionality and expands it to something between 2D art and 3D modeling. In addition to generating shapes like repeating patterns and spirals, the app also creates 3D shapes with grids, so that the artist can map their design in real space or even create sculptures. There is also an index for explaining the spiritual meaning of some standard designs.

“Geometry often prompts an intimidating feeling when it comes to making art,” Forte continues. “The fundamentally complex and often academic nature of math-based art can induce a sense of fear in the potential user instead of creating a sense of awe. The purpose of the sacred geometry app is to cultivate the latter."

Creatives interested in constructing their own geometric masterpieces can download the app at the App Store for free, and in-app purchases are available.

technology apps tattoos arts