This Is How Airbnb Plans to Win Over Hotels
Photo Credit: The Romantik Hotel GMACHL in Salzburg, Austria is one of many hotels that advertise rooms on Airbnb. Airbnb
Skift Take
Oh, how times have changed. Instead of feeling threatened by Airbnb, some hotels are being wooed by the company. Online travel agencies, on the other hand, are about to get a taste of what it feels like to be disrupted by the likes of Airbnb.
While it may seem antithetical for homesharing giant Airbnb to offer hotels on its platform alongside treehouses, apartments, and vacation homes, the truth is that many hotels have been using the site to get bookings for years.
But it hasn't been until recently that the company has begun making a more concerted effort to get professional hospitality providers, from bed-and-breakfasts to hotels, to advertise their rooms on Airbnb.
Earlier this month, the company announced a technology partnership with cloud-based hotel distribution platform SiteMinder to enable its more than 28,000 qualifying hotels to easily list their inventory on Airbnb. In December, Airbnb announced a partnership with the Association of Independent Hospitality Professionals and ThinkReservations that makes it easier for bed-and-breakfast owners to advertise their rooms on Airbnb.
[caption id="attachment_274396" align="alignright" width="185"] Cameron Houser, Airbnb Hotels Program Manager[/caption]
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