Airbnb News

What started as AirBedandBreakfast.com has grown into a massive public company that IPOd in 2020. Airbnb is now the world’s largest online alternative-accommodation community, allowing millions of users to list, search, and rent authentic homestays and vacation-rental experiences in countless cities across the globe.

Short-Term Rentals

Airbnb rival HouseTrip gets backing of top three European VC firms in $40 million deal

Accel Partners joins existing investors Balderton and Index to back what they see as a better alternative to Airbnb (and all of its clones) in the European market.

14 years ago

Short-Term Rentals

Cities like San Francisco struggle with embracing Airbnb or cracking down on its illegal rentals

Before Airbnb gets IPO-big, they'll need to figure out how to make their rentals legal in big cities like San Francisco or New York where a big chunk of their future will be determined.

14 years ago

Short-Term Rentals

Airbnb offers more than a place to stay, launches Local Lists to popular local businesses

Airbnb wants to pop the tourist bubble to bring economic benefits to local neighborhoods, and its new, locally crafted mini-guides take advantage of active users to put this promise into print.

Samantha Shankman | 14 years ago

Short-Term Rentals

Airbnb looks to mobile to make hosts more responsive and boost revenue

The peer-to-peer rental movement already is transforming the lodging industry, and mobile adoption, as evidenced by the Airbnb statistics, will help bring it more into the mainstream.

Dennis Schaal | 14 years ago

Short-Term Rentals

Airbnb’s most notorious illegal hotel operator tries to go legit with highly dubious endeavor

Nobody was happy with Toshi's Airbnb's properties except Toshi and the law-breaking landlords who liked the kickbacks on his illegally rented units. And Airbnb, too, which took its fees despite numerous warnings that his properties were both illegal and unsatisfactory.

14 years ago

Hotels

Is Airbnb headed for an IPO after it raises its next $100 million round of funding?

The site is a likely inspiration for all aspiring travel startups with a steady growth rate and profitable business model, but the upcoming challenge of international expansion and continued regulatory hurdles in the U.S. could determine the startup’s fate on its path to IPO.

14 years ago

Hotels

Airbnb users have added over a million items to their Wish Lists since June

Airbnb's newest feature has been a hit with users -- the average user adds hearts to four properties a day -- meaning Airbnb is hoping to be users’ first stop when booking their next vacation.

14 years ago

Hotels

Locals look to U.S. political conventions to make a buck off their apartments and homes

Not that we're going to tell Mr. Weiss how to do his job, but writing a story about political conventions and apartment rentals without making even the tiniest reference to Airbnb seems a little sloppy, doesn't it?

Mitch Weiss | 14 years ago

Hotels

Everyone loves micro-subletting — except the neighbors and the law

Consumers love alternative accommodations, but players from Airbnb down to vacation rental companies like Wyndham are going to take more responsibility and make it harder for their customers to break laws and avoid taxes.

14 years ago

Business Travel

Airbnb’s busiest night reveals its new secret weapon: business travel

Even business travelers are beginning to see value in controversial room-rental sites such as Airbnb, signaling what we already knew -- that the lodging world is being transformed.

Dennis Schaal | 14 years ago