Articles tagged “short-term rentals”

If the future of travel will tilt toward non-urban destinations, which are not Airbnb's strength, its stock market registration papers will have to show how the company is addressing that weakness.

Sometimes CEO views of where online travel is headed seem more about the capabilities of their companies than anything else. Will pandemic-induced travel preferences make for dominant trends five or 10 years from now? Highly doubtful.

Deep-pocketed Google clearly didn't appease suffering travel advertisers in any meaningful way because it didn't have to — it's Google. Don't look for Google to find religion in terms of being a more collaborative partner perhaps until regulators would take it down a peg.

Special purpose acquisition company, direct listing or an initial public offering — Airbnb's choice mostly matters to big-name investors and employees, past and present. But nothing is ever certain about a stock market listing — especially during a pandemic.

Tapping one person to head "hosting" for both homes and experiences isn't the most savvy of moves. Airbnb has a ton of work to do to mend relations with alienated home rental hosts. Experience hosting is likewise complex — and a very different animal.

Expedia Group, and its Vrbo unit, are willing to take a significant hit to their property listings in San Diego in exchange for an ongoing path to crystal clear legality in an important business and convention market. With other jurisdictions undoubtedly looking on, Airbnb has to decide if it will play hardball.

Wild house parties are certainly not in the interests of short-term rental platforms because of the brand hits and potential liability. Airbnb's limited steps won't end the problem, but it may reduce the volume — in more ways than one.

Sonder is now the second unicorn in the short-term rental and hotel sector after Airbnb. At this rate, Sonder will IPO before Airbnb.

A silver lining in the coronavirus fiasco, for companies that survive it, is that the crisis gives many the chance to reset and take stock of their operations. Neglecting to do that can be an opportunity that may never resurface.

The proverbial handwriting is on the wall for Airbnb, Facebook, Google, Tripadvisor, and Yelp, among others. The regulators are coming! The regulators are coming!