Articles tagged “short-term rentals”

With the recent launch of flights for its U.S. point of sale, and development of a payments platform, Booking.com continues to work on CEO Glenn Fogel's signature connected trip strategy. It's probably tough to learn too much so far about flights when hardly anyone is flying, but the initiative looks to be proceeding apace under the covers.

Four Seasons isn't straying too far from the traditional hotel model when it comes to finding revenue during the pandemic, but Private Retreats is a smart tool to appeal to changing traveler demands surrounding complete control of a stay.

Oasis is yet another example of how the travel sector has been testing the subscription model this year. But the company's on-again, off-again investment history with Accor, Hyatt, and Vacasa hints at a broader story. Blended hospitality with leisure travelers is difficult to do at scale.

Venture capitalists rarely bet on Mexico's travel startups. But Casai's 80 percent average occupancy rates in August and September must've helped it woo top-tier investor Andreessen Horowitz.

With thousands of hotels going out of business and up for sale, and vacation rentals business booming in certain destinations, there will be a ton of disruption and convergence in hospitality. Savvy short-term rental operators can pick off some direct bookings, but the mega online travel agencies will hardly notice.

Airbnb's proposed December timing for an initial public offering could be dicey because the U.S. presidential election and its aftermath is such a wild card at this point. Still, a $3 billion funding infusion could help Airbnb pay down the high-interest private equity debt that it raised earlier this year.

Airbnb banned one-night stays, but only around Halloween in the U.S. and Canada. An outright ban, as is the policy at Vrbo, would be harder for Airbnb because that would hurt its corporate travel business. Still, house parties are a problem that may keep on creating ugly headlines.

In the school of online travel hard knocks, new entrants have learned that barriers to entry can be substantial. Amazon, Google, and Airbnb should realize that the devil is in the details, and the complexities.

Expedia Group CEO Peter Kern is waging a simplicity campaign. Turning the Expedia and Hotels.com loyalty programs into a single plan might make sense. But one thing definitely on the agenda is trimming marketing through Google, a company Kern characterized as a "shark."

Despite Brian Chesky’s rhetoric about Airbnb needing to return to its local connections mission and roots, the economics point to Airbnb needing Domio- and Sonder-like listings. Even if it means negative publicity pre-IPO.