Skift Take
Can Resy do more than just restaurant bookings for Airbnb? Our answer is a resounding yes.
When Airbnb announced it led a $13 million Series A investment in New York City-based dining reservations platform Resy in January, it was readily assumed that we'd see some sort of synergy between the two companies — aside from the fact that Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky's sister, Allison Chesky, also happens to be the managing editor of Resy.
And on Wednesday, we did, when Airbnb announced an expansion of an earlier pilot program it ran in May, allowing Airbnb app users to book restaurant reservations, powered by Resy (see video below for an explanation of how it works).
There are many reasons why this integration of Resy into the Airbnb platform makes sense. This is especially the case when you consider Airbnb's pursuit of becoming a "super brand of travel" and owning more of the overall traveler journey or experience, whether by adding tours and activities (Airbnb Trips) or even launching something related to flights, as Chesky has previously mentioned.
Airbnb Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Nathan Blecharczyk Is Speaking at Skift Global Forum 2017. Get Tickets Now
Giving Airbnb users the ability to book restaurant reservations via Airbnb/Resy makes those users' in-destination experiences that much richer, and makes them feel that much more connected to Airbnb's tagline of helping travelers "live there" like a local. And no doubt it echoes the "breakfast" in the company's original name inspiration of "Airbed and breakfast."
But what else can, or should, Airbnb be doing with Resy to make those goals — to become a super brand of travel and to help people "live there"— even more of a reality?
https://youtu.be/37HuvFQ_-Z4
About Resy & the Competitive World of Restaurant Software Companies
For those wondering what Resy is, it's a restaurant software company akin to Priceline's OpenTable. Restaurants pay Resy to power their reservations and, in some cases, handle marketing and website design. It was founded in New York City in 2014 by Eater co-founder Ben Leventhal, CrowdTwist co-founder and former CTO Michael Montero, and social media expert and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk.
Leventhal, speaking at a media event announcing the Airbnb integration, said: "We're still a young company. This is an opportunity to partner with Airbnb and accelerate our growth."
But unlike OpenTable, which has dominated the restaurant reservations space for nearly 20 years, Resy and its peers, which include Reserve and Tock, have a slightly differ
