When Mike Kelly set up his first few Airbnbs in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 2023, he figured it would be a successful move. It was meant to be an investment project for him and his daughter to work on together. But as more people moved away from bustling and expensive urban centers and landed in the Midwest, their hopes were quickly shattered.The Fort Wayne housing market boomed. High demand for homes, coupled with the city's low housing stock, has kept costs relatively high a Redfin analysis of housing data found home prices were up 9.2% in October compared with last year. The hot housing market has translated into higher property taxes, which is throwing off the short-term-rental business model. "The houses we purchased to turn into Airbnbs have been assessed so much higher than what we put into them that we almost can't afford to keep them," Kelly said. "The return on equity wouldn't be as high."Owners of short-term rentals across the country have faced a similar reality, sharing stories of declining revenues over the past few years as the market was flooded with new rentals. AirDNA, an analytics firm that tracks the short-term-rental market, found that revenue per rental decreased by nearly 2% in 2022 and by more than 8% in 2023 due to an overabundance of units available for rent. AirDNA forecast that revenues would move back into the green in 2024 as the market corrected. But as short-term-rental owners felt signs of an "Airbnbust," some realized they needed to pivot.On one end of the market, however, it's a different picture. While overall demand for short-term rentals rose just 1.8% in 2023, according to AirDNA's data, demand for stays priced at $1,000 or more increased by nearly 8%. For stays over $1,500, demand jumped 12.5%. In fact, demand for rentals costing over $1,000 a night has increased by 73% since 2019. While cheaper rentals are slowing down, luxury, niche, and themed stays are filling their place. Wealthy vacationers are increasingly going after luxe properties such as a secluded Malibu beach mansion or a modern cabin beset by pristine woods like something off Cabin Porn. Meanwhile, Airbnb alternatives are jumping into the market to cater to the growing demand. A lust for luxury is propelling the short-term-rental market to new heights.Over the past few years, more travelers have pushed back against the Airbnb model, complaining of outrageous cleaning fees, extensive cleanup requirements, and outright scams. As a result, some travelers have opted to stay in good old-fashioned hotels thanks to their consistent service.These complaints, however, tend to focus on rentals on the low end of the market the $200-a-night stay you might book to visit a family member or get out of town for a weekend. The luxury end of the rental market fills a different role. These spots boast plenty of hotellike amenities such as contactless check-in, high-speed internet, bathroom toiletries, and coffee makers. Because of the high price point, luxury rentals also tend to standardize their cleaning services. Unlike a hotel room, though, a house or apartment comes with a lot more room to host guests, plus amenities such as a kitchen or private pool. When split between multiple guests for a night or weekend, some of the eye-popping price tags end up being surprisingly affordable.Among high-income travelers, who made up an increasingly large share of vacationers this year, hotels are on the way out. Deloitte's 2024 summer-travel report found a 17-point drop in people who earn over $200,000 opting to stay at full-service hotels compared with the summer before. While middle-income travelers moved toward budget accommodations like bed and breakfasts and RV rentals, high earners shifted toward private-home rentals.One brand capitalizing on the growing demand is Wander. Launched in 2022, Wander owns all of its 200 properties, each beautifully designed with stunning landscaping. Its founder and CEO, John Andrew Entwistle, had the idea of making a vacation rental feel like a luxury hospitality brand after a disastrous ordeal renting a cabin in Colorado. "The whole experience felt broken, the type of thing all of us has had at a vacation rental one time or another: The place didn't look like the photos. The beds were uncomfortable. The list goes on and on," he said.He wanted a rental home with heart and soul, where the building was designed around the landscape and high-speed internet flowed across the house. Wander rentals are often in remote spots to give guests a sense of privacy and quiet. The cleaning service is standardized so guests don't have to worry about cleaning up after themselves, and customers can check in on their own through their smartphones. Every unit, which costs an average of $900 a night, also features sleek workstations for digital nomads.Other travel brands have found similar success in the luxury market. There's Mint House, a cross between a hotel and short-term rental that has 12 properties across 10 major US cities. Visitor experiences are personalized for instance, guests can request that the refrigerator be stocked with their favorite groceries before they arrive and there's 24/7 customer care. The apartments, which can be studios or have multiple bedrooms, are priced similarly to hotels and feature bespoke furniture and decor, along with all the necessities of modern accommodations. To explain the brand's success, Christian Lee, the CEO of Mint House, pointed to the company's ability to provide consistent experiences. "Unlike other short-term listings that lack security and guest care and often require a guest to perform chores at checkout, all of our properties are professionally managed to ensure the utmost safety, security, and cleanliness," he said.The luxuriousness only goes up from there. Rental Escapes, a full-service luxury-villa-rental company founded in 2012, offers over 5,000 villas in more than 70 destinations worldwide. They start at $500 a night though most go for tens of thousands. Amase Stays, a collection of $10 million rental estates founded this year, creates bespoke experiences for its top-of-the-line properties, with dedicated concierges who can arrange everything from private chefs and spa services to customized excursions.Chris Lema, a business coach and product strategist, is a Wander superfan. "These are places that are architecturally beautiful, and the land that they sit on feels like a national park," he said. He likes that the company provides attainable luxury he's stayed in 13 different Wander locations and hopes to "collect them all," he said. He has even started planning trips around Wander rentals."I thought this is where Airbnb was going to go with its business model," he said. "If you go to Airbnb's website now, they have these different categories like 'amazing views' or 'lakefront.' But none of these rentals push forward on the issue of experience. There's the Luxe category but it's not the same thing."In Airbnb's Luxe category, homes might cost anywhere between $200 and hundreds of thousands of dollars a night. When the category launched in 2019, an Airbnb press release said the homes would have to pass a slate of design and experience criteria, including higher standards for cleanliness and amenities like towels and toiletries. Unlike at other Airbnb properties, a company representative has to walk through Luxe properties to verify them. Despite that, Lema hasn't been impressed."They seem to rank Luxe based on the niceness of the residence," Lema said, "but that isn't really the point of what that kind of experience should be."An Airbnb spokesperson said, "We're proud to be the only travel platform that offers stays for nearly any desired travel experience." They added: "We're also proud of the growth of our Luxe category supply and look forward to expanding the offering."So far, Wander's model is working out. It launched with only three locations, and two years later, it has 200 houses and an average occupancy rate of 80%, Entwistle said. By the beginning of 2025, Entwistle hopes to launch locations in Mexico and Canada.Back in Fort Wayne, Kelly ended up pivoting his Airbnb business to cater to this demand for luxury. "We focus on four-bedroom-plus homes where groups can gather for weddings or reunions," he said. Houses with pools and hot tubs are especially desirable, he's found. Kelly has also amassed a thriving collection of themed Airbnbs. He designed one house to look like the childhood home of the fictional character Fawn Liebowitz from the cult classic film "Animal House." He's working on another rental themed around Indiana University sports teams."At the end of the day, the 'luxury' houses are more affordable than staying in multiple hotel rooms," he said. Plus, offering something unique, like a theme, helps homes stand out from the crowd. With the new focus, Kelly's Airbnbs are rarely empty, he said.Travelers are increasingly wising up to the fact that time and where, how, and with whom you spend it is the greatest luxury.Part of the shifting demand stems from people viewing luxury rentals as a destination unto themselves if the place you're staying is cool enough, you don't need to get out much. Others are drawn to them as a means to get away from the hubbub. "In today's globalized world, travel destinations have become more and more homogenous and tourist-burdened," Spencer Bailey, the editor of the new book "Design: The Leading Hotels of the World," said. "People are seeking out distinctive experiences away from the crowds and searching for a certain sense of intimacy, craft, and care." It's not just about top-rate service, intricate design, or even a Michelin-starred restaurant. "It's about being in nature, engaging in local culture, and creating discrete, felt experiences that encourage quietness and slowness, not an Instagram moment," Bailey says.A private rental is often more secluded, meaning travelers can prioritize spending more time alone with their loved ones. "Travelers are increasingly wising up to the fact that time and where, how, and with whom you spend it is the greatest luxury," he said. Michelle Steinhardt, the founder of the luxury travel blog The Trav Nav, wrote about her recent stay at a secluded beachfront property rental in Punta Mita, Mexico: "Even though we were only a few minutes from the local town, our party felt like everyone else was miles away."Increasingly, getting away from home isn't enough. We also want to get away from other people. For those who can afford it or have enough friends luxury-travel companies are more than happy to accommodate.Michelle Mastro covers lifestyle, travel, architecture, and culture.

Assassins Creed Shadows is the most important Ubisoft game ever Readers FeatureGameCentralPublished December 22, 2024 9:00am Assassins Creed Shadows theres a lot riding on it (Ubisoft)A reader is concerned that if Assassins Creed Shadows is a flop, then Ubisoft and the whole games industry will suffer for it.Im worried about Ubisoft. Theyre a 4 billion multinational company and I can barely pay my rent most months, but lately I feel like I have more common sense and business nous than them. Not just them but most of the games industry, and I dont mean that as a way to big myself up but an indication of just how incompetent most big Western publishers seem to be at the moment.Im sure its all more complicated than I realise but I have been concerned about recent comments that suggest Ubisoft is on the verge of real trouble. Not because theyre my favourite company (although I like them more than many, it seems) but because, as has also been pointed out, if they go under or get bought by some other company Tencent most likely, according to what theyre saying at the moment theres hardly anyone else left.If theres no Ubisoft then the only big third party Western publishers left are EA, Take-Two, and Warner Bros. And Im not sure Warner count, since theyre already part of a large company. And thats it really, in terms of publishers that can afford to make a triple-A game. Embracer as well, I guess, but I still dont understand who they are and theyve yet to make anything of worth in all the years theyve been around.Therere others, like CD Projekt, but theyre much smaller companies and while they can afford to make big budget games, they only release one every five years or so. So once Ubisoft go, we are really scraping the barrel in terms of there being a games industry at all, rather than just half a dozen megacorps that just happen to have a video games division (which theyre perfectly happy to gut the second they get a whiff of trouble).All of which brings us to Assassins Creed Shadows. Ubisofts problems have been slowly building for years now, with no successful new franchises and older ones that are beginning to get long in the tooth. Star Wars: Outlaws has been a failure, that clearly cost them a fortune, theyre nowhere near having a new Far Cry, The Division, or anything else that Im aware of. All theyve got is a dozen Assassins Creed games, which seems like far too much even for fans.I would say I am one of those fans, but I am very worried about Shadows, not only because it doesnt look that impressive but because if it fails then Assassins Creed itself is in trouble, and its the last thing Ubisoft has thats a guaranteed hit.There has been some newer footage for Shadows, that makes me more optimistic about its quality, but its never just whether the game is any good or not. If it has bad word of mouth already then theres probably nothing thats going to save it, which I believe is what Ubisoft is worried about at the moment.I dont want to get into the complaints about historical accuracy because Im pretty sure that nobody thats been making them is an expert on 16th century Japan, especially not the usual suspects moaning about it on Twitter and Reddit.But there has definitely been something off about the game in what theyve shown before. Its probably because the other eras Assassins Creed is set in dont usually appear in video games but because Japan does you can kind of tell things arent very realistic and Ubisoft is just basing it on pop cultural rather than the history books.Does that matter? Not if its a good game, but nothing Ive seen so far seems to be doing anything particularly new. Having two separate characters is all well and good but when theyre all doing usual Assassins Creed things, what does that matter?I may be wrong, I havent played it, but nothing Ive seen so far not even the new stuff has blown me away and I think thats true for a lot of people. But Ubisoft need this game to be a hit. If its a flop, or even just underperforms, theyve got nothing else big scheduled, and they are going to be looking at that buyout as their only way out of trouble.More TrendingI really hope it doesnt come to that but Im not confident and this is a situation where everyone loses if Ubisoft is hoovered up. The less independent companies we have in the games business the less variety theres going to be and the less risks are going to be taken, and at some point were going to reach the point where only $1 trillion companies, where making games is the 20th most important thing they do, are left.By reader Scooter Will it be hit? (Ubisoft)The readers features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you wont need to send an email.GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Full Video - https://youtu.be/cVjEnXN3nTg Download - https://bit.ly/40a8o4j FAB - https://www.fab.com/sellers/CGHOW Whatsapp - https://bit.ly/3LYvxjK Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/Ashif NFT - https://opensea.io/CGHOW Twitter - https://twitter.com/cghow_ If you Liked it - http://bit.ly/2UZmiZ4 Channel Ashif - http://bit.ly/3aYaniw Support me on - paypal.me/9953280644Enchanting Floating Ice Book Effect in Unreal Engine 5.5 Niagara Trailer #cghow #UE5 #UE4Niagara #gamefx #ue5niagara #ue4vfx #niagara #unrealengineniagara #realtimevfxVisit - https://cghow.com/ Unreal Engine Marketplace - https://bit.ly/3aojvAa Artstation Store - https://www.artstation.com/ashif/store Gumroad - https://cghow.gumroad.com/

Download - https://bit.ly/40a8o4j FAB - https://www.fab.com/sellers/CGHOW Whatsapp - https://bit.ly/3LYvxjK Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/Ashif NFT - https://opensea.io/CGHOW Twitter - https://twitter.com/cghow_ If you Liked it - http://bit.ly/2UZmiZ4 Channel Ashif - http://bit.ly/3aYaniw Support me on - paypal.me/9953280644Enchanting Floating Ice Book Effect in Unreal Engine 5.5 Niagara Trailer #cghow #UE5 #UE4Niagara #gamefx #ue5niagara #ue4vfx #niagara #unrealengineniagara #realtimevfxVisit - https://cghow.com/ Unreal Engine Marketplace - https://bit.ly/3aojvAa Artstation Store - https://www.artstation.com/ashif/store Gumroad - https://cghow.gumroad.com/

Full Video - https://youtu.be/v5YKvaX6npE Download - https://bit.ly/49Ms8iF FAB - https://www.fab.com/sellers/CGHOW Whatsapp - https://bit.ly/3LYvxjK Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/Ashif NFT - https://opensea.io/CGHOW Twitter - https://twitter.com/cghow_ If you Liked it - http://bit.ly/2UZmiZ4 Channel Ashif - http://bit.ly/3aYaniw Support me on - paypal.me/9953280644Fire Vortex Shield Effect in Unreal Engine 5.5 Niagara Trailer #cghow #UE5 #UE4Niagara #gamefx #ue5niagara #ue4vfx #niagara #unrealengineniagara #realtimevfxVisit - https://cghow.com/ Unreal Engine Marketplace - https://bit.ly/3aojvAa Artstation Store - https://www.artstation.com/ashif/store Gumroad - https://cghow.gumroad.com/

Project Files: https://www.patreon.com/posts/118337515 . Here is a demonstration of disintegration and re-integration effect for a skeletal mesh. Here, initially, the skeletal mesh shape will be disintegrated into particles and after a while, all the particles will be moved back to original location and restore the shape of the skeletal mesh. You can use this effect on characters as well. For something like vanish the character into thin air and re-integrate back like a ghost. Tutorial: https://youtu.be/St4dE8KuzOI // ! https://www.patreon.com/codelikeme Patrons will have access to project files of all the stuff I do in the channel and other extra benefitsJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClb6Jh9EBV7a_Nm52Ipll_Q/join Like my facebook page for more content : https://www.facebook.com/gamedevelopersclub/ Follow me on twitter : https://twitter.com/CodeLikeMe2 Follow me on reddit : https://www.reddit.com/user/codelikeme #CodeLikeMe #unrealengine #ue5 #ue4 #indiegamedev

Between the success of the Fallout show, the first-ever Skyline Valley map expansion, the new legendary crafting system, and the Gleaming Depths update reintroducing endgame Raids, 2024 was one of the biggest years for Fallout 76 so far. Although 2024 will be hard to compete with, given how much momentum the franchise has going into 2025, this will surely be another major year for fans of Fallout 76.

The magical world of Hollow Knight is full of many things to discover, various challenging bosses to take on, and valuable abilities that make traversing through every area much easier. One of the greatest challenges players will encounter as they explore, are acid pools, which are not only quite dangerous, but also very inconvenient.

A Starfield player online has transformed their in-game ship into a Fallout-themed Christmas truck, bringing the festivities to the stars. This particular Starfield ship build is a great crossover between two of Bethesda's franchises.

Achieving net zero emissions seems to be an uphill task for European data centers.