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

When Airbnb thinks of its success, it thinks first of its designers

Before Airbnb, the vacation rental industry looked like the offspring of Craigslist and Geocities. Part of its genius is that it realized users feel much better about renting a stranger's place when everything looks very nice.

Danielle Kucera | 12 years ago

Hotels

Airbnb CEO responds to illegal rentals story: "First of all, it's not illegal everywhere"

Chesky's statement at the PandoMonthly event about Airbnb working with local authorities conflicts with interviews we did with local authorities. They characterized discussions with Airbnb as a "one-way street" trying to legalize their business model.

Jason Clampet | 12 years ago

Hotels

Two Airbnb-clone rental sites in China each get $10 million in funding

Short-term rentals are disruptive to the lodging industry and truly global in scope, as this funding news punctuates.

12 years ago

Hotels

Airbnb's growing pains mirrored in New York City, where half its listings are illegal rentals

One would hope that a company that has the ears of both the youngest and the most affluent travelers would take its responsibilities seriously: Not only by the way they handle the legal side of the issue, but also in how they lead the conversation in addressing the questions that these laws raise.

Jason Clampet | 12 years ago

Hotels

The tricky balance between legality and innovation in the sharing economy

As disruptive companies in the sharing economy take hold, local laws in some cases will change to accommodate them. That is beginning to happen.

Dana Hull | 12 years ago

Hotels

Airbnb updates its iOS app to make the mobile and web booking experience more similar

As Airbnb’s mobile bookings increase, it only makes sense that it strive to make the process as easy as possible, especially in terms of language as the company races to infiltrate foreign markets ahead of its competitors.

12 years ago

Hotels

Airbnb acquires Localmind to create crowdsourced advice about neighborhoods

The room-booking site has made recent efforts to boost its local wisdom with products featuring neighborhood best of lists and tips from residents and Airbnb users. Localmind's integration may help it improve the type of advice it can offer.

12 years ago

Online Travel

Airbnb will eat travel and real estate industry's lunch, says investor Marc Andreessen

No one accused Airbnb for not being hugely ambitious, and it has made moves including adding neighborhood guides and possibly tours and activities down the lines. But it may have better chances of conquering travel than real estate where local and state regulations will be the biggest headwind.

12 years ago

Hotels

Will Airbnb soon offer local tours?

Rather than prevailing on time-constrained hosts to double as local tour guides, Airbnb could find plenty of partners in the hood.

12 years ago

Media and PR

A new startup accelerator that’s looking to change the way we travel

We’re interested to see which startups are born from RunUp Labs and where they’ll find their place in the currently crowded market of travel sites and apps.

Samantha Shankman | 12 years ago