No, Brian Chesky isn't necessarily talking about launching flights on Airbnb when he refers to becoming a "cross-vertical company." Google Flights, relax.
The sharing economy has come a long way over the last few years, and luxury accommodations now play a large role. Because of its consistency and highly secure vetting process, Luxury Retreats stands out from other companies in the space.
Rumor has it that Airbnb is gearing up to announce a more personalized experience soon, and Onefinestay may have just beat its strongest competitor to the punch.
Accor has demonstrated it's serious about getting ahead of the curve across many growing and emerging verticals in hospitality and its acquisition of John Paul is one way for the company to better manage the different guest experiences and create a common concierge platform for all brands.
For hotels that don't have the resources to develop their own apps, the Alice hotel app and concierge service, and others like it, could be a useful solution for making concierge services more mobile-oriented.