Airbnb News

Booking.com may be marginally ahead of Airbnb in the listings race, but for practical purposes you can call it a draw. It's game on, though, pitting Booking.com's renowned demand aggregation and marketing resources versus Airbnb's brand advantages, and the resources it would gain by doing an IPO and becoming more comprehensive.

Can luxury brands like Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, and others convince consumers that you don't need the lure of points or free nights to be loyal?

It's one thing to know when you're signing a lease that your apartment building will serve as a de facto Airbnb hotel. It's another to be "blindsided" months later after you've already made it your home.

Given their huge spending power, it’s no wonder affluent Americans are an attractive and strategic segment for travel brands to target. Our U.S. Affluent Traveler Survey 2018 reveals key insights into their travel behaviors, attitudes, and preferences, while further segmentation paints a more nuanced picture of this diverse and lucrative group.

If Airbnb is successful with Airbnb Plus, it will ensure that alternative accommodations are no longer seen as an alternative. But making it a success will be easier said than done.

More consumers than ever are using vacation rentals. But as the line with hotels blurs and the industry enter a new growth phase, it faces unique challenges in delivering the hospitality guests expect. Technology will be key to providing an elevated guest experience and will help determine who sees the most success.

Paris is following the positive tourism trend that the rest of Europe enjoyed last year, thanks in large part to business travel and companies like Airbnb. But with another terrorist-related shooting in France last weekend, it remains to be seen whether the city can continue to prove it's safe to visit.

Airbnb always gives us plenty to talk about — and this episode of the Skift Podcast features a lively conversation about the many ways the homesharing company is venturing beyond its original focus and disrupting wide swaths of the travel industry.

Vacation rentals are grappling with how to meet and exceed guest expectations across a fragmented market. As the industry grows, this challenge only gets tougher. A new generation of fast-evolving technologies could be part of the solution.

The battle for online travel dominance began long ago, but now it's really getting serious. Count this as Airbnb's official opening shot toward Booking and Expedia.