Is Airbnb a criminal enterprise? | hotelsmag.com
At last month’s annual Dallas Hotel Conference, Monty J. Bennett, founder, chairman, and CEO of The Ashford Group of Companies shocked many as he articulated his opinion that Airbnb is a criminal enterprise under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. As a debate topic in the lodging industry, Airbnb is a crowded field. However, through all the discussion, I had yet to encounter the stance that Mr. Bennett has taken, particularly from a member of the hotel industry and not from a legal, law enforcement, or state government entity. Frankly, I was surprised when I subsequently came across his views expressed in his recent CNBC op-ed.