Airbnb CEO to Hotel Lobby: It Doesn’t Have to Be Win-Lose

Happy Tuesday, folks! We're back after last week's 10th annual Skift Global Forum in New York City. It was quite the event: Notable speakers for me were Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, Salamander Hotels CEO Sheila Johnson, and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.

While I was in New York (not renting an Airbnb), I heard about IHG’s Vacay SOS Program. The press release read, “IHG is saving your trips by giving any travelers who show proof of cancellation, 10,000 IHG One Rewards Points to welcome them back into the hotel “suite life” – and let them enjoy being a guest again.” The offer pertained to short-term rental cancellations and was open to the first 100 people applying. 

IHG used this opportunity to promote its own rewards program.

It took me back to Chesky’s response to Skift CEO Rafat Ali’s question on whether the hotel lobby had something to do with NYC’s tough new host registration law. To which Chesky responded by saying, �