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.

Hotels

The Queen of England Signs Airbnb-Friendly Law for London Rentals

Making Airbnb lawful might actually give regular citizens a chance at using it to make an extra buck, but to say that's the gross majority of its hosts in London, or any city, is a tale of two very different cities.

Samantha Shankman | 10 years ago

Hotels

Airbnb's Revenues Will Cross Half Billion Mark in 2015, Analysts Estimate

Airbnb's growth in the market isn't just a concern for supposed direct competitor Homeway, but also bigger online travel booking players as well as established hospitality companies. While revenues are still much smaller than others, its growth rate is surely beating everyone else by magnitudes.

Rafat Ali | 10 years ago

Hotels

HomeAway CEO Challenges Airbnb to Do Initial Public Offering

HomeAway should be careful what it wishes for in a potential Airbnb IPO -- especially when HomeAway has chosen to give scant attention to the younger generation in favor of wooing the older crowd.

Dennis Schaal | 10 years ago

Hotels

HomeAway CFO on Airbnb: We Know They Are Coming After Us

In the HomeAway-Airbnb-Booking.com love triangle, it is maverick Airbnb and Booking.com that actually have the most in common in terms of their preference for instantly confirmable bookings. And, like a scorned lover, HomeAway has been ratcheting up its criticisms of Booking.com.

Dennis Schaal | 10 years ago

Hotels

Airbnb's New $1 Billion Funding Would Value It At $20 Billion

Until Airbnb gets its regulatory issues settled it will need to raise money like this rather than going for an IPO.

Jason Clampet | 10 years ago

Online Travel

Mainstreaming of Airbnb, As Seen Through Descriptions in New York Times Stories

New York Times is a good barometer of mainstream zeitgeist beyond the bubble of tech startup world, and Airbnb has crossed the threshold of being a consumer brand known around the world in a relatively short time. This NYT "timeline" shows how, in its own arcane way.

Rafat Ali | 10 years ago

Media and PR

HomeAway Will Spend $100 Million to Show it Is Not Airbnb

Welcome to a lodging company, HomeAway, that is NOT targeting millennials but instead is going after "whole families." It has little to do with short-term rentals and it may turn out to be short-term thinking.

Dennis Schaal | 10 years ago

Online Travel

Airbnb Faces Big Fines in Portland if Hosts Don't Get City Permits

While hosts have to shell out the permit fee, it's sites like Airbnb who stand to lose more, at least for now, from hosts' unwillingness to comply as these sites face fines unless they force hosts to obey local laws.

Dan Peltier | 10 years ago

Online Travel

The 5 Travel Companies in the Billion Dollar Startup Club

Considering all the activity in the sector, there's a notable absence of booking sites and tours and activities companies.

Jason Clampet | 10 years ago

Online Travel

Priceline CEO Takes a Shot at Expedia's Growth Strategy

The Priceline Group won't admit it but its management is feeling the heat from Expedia Inc.'s moves. Adding Orbitz Worldwide to Expedia Inc. will only increase Expedia's inorganic growth, which is growth nonetheless.

Dennis Schaal | 10 years ago