New Owner Airbnb Will Not Dilute the HotelTonight Brand, CEO of Booking App Says
Photo Credit: Sam Shank (left), Airbnb head of hotels and HotelTonight CEO, speaks at Skift Global Forum in New York City on Sept. 19, 2019. Skift
Skift Take
Airbnb’s focus on adding independent hotels instead of all-and-sundry is a smart approach. The vacation rentals company made more than $1 billion in revenue for the second quarter and intends to go public during 2020. It can't afford to meddle with the model.
How is Airbnb adding hotels onto its platform following its acquisition of HotelTonight for $400 million several months ago? Its newly appointed head of hotels and serviced apartments, Sam Shank, also HotelTonight CEO, gave away little at Skift Global Forum on Thursday, but just enough to show that it's approaching it delicately.
This comes as Airbnb announced this week that it expects to become a publicly traded company during 2020. The company said it made more than $1 billion in revenue for the second quarter of 2019, the second time it exceeded that level in its decade-plus history.
Shank said he is focusing on adding hotels for Airbnb that are “independent, boutique, lifestyle,” which fits well with the vacation rental company’s ethos. He wants to offer these hotels the ability to merchandise themselves “in a
