With respect to traditional operators (hotels), in the sharing economy the generation of empathy towards the supplier of the service reduces the possibility for negative reviews by users, even in the event of an unsatisfying experience. The high social distance in the context of the sharing economy explains the generation of empathy. In that sense, even traditional operators should act to create warmer and less detached relations with the consumer, to make the experience more human.#In the current pandemic, human warmth and greater integration with the resident population could offer an additional competitive advantage to the platforms of the sharing economy, although the certainty of the service offered by traditional operators is able to provide greater safeguards for consumers (including in terms of health and hygiene).