Short-Term Rental and Vacation Rental News

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks closer at Airbnb’s Experiences pullback, the impact of the silent traveler, and the glamour and practicality of European night trains.

Connecting people with host experiences unique to the destinations they visit fits snugly into the Airbnb brand. But the scalability of these experiences is in doubt and the strategy for moving ahead has not been publicly communicated.

Today’s edition of Skift’s daily podcast looks at Airbnb’s Experiences pause, Delta Air Lines’ optimism, and funding roadblocks for African travel entrepreneurs.

Is this "pause" a precursor to something new from Airbnb, or is it a realization that it may not ever become a large enough category for the company?

Despite a couple of rounds of layoffs since the middle of last year, Sonder hired 97 new, non-executive employees, and gave them all stocks options, as is the company's practice.

Several news outlets reported erroneously that Airbnb acquired Scottish property portal Letting Cloud. But Airbnb has denied all reports, stating it has not and does not intend to acquire this company.

Built-for-rent projects get a lot of hype, and sure, they suit the socio-economic environment of a tight housing market and a renter-friendly one. But worries about growing inequalities and elusive home ownership persist.

Powell discussed the importance of hosting, and also unexpected fees, explaining that Airbnb has introduced an all-inclusive pricing option — excluding taxes — to improve transparency.

Private Equity restructuring for some short-term rental companies may be welcome — even as it means change of management, possible furloughs and cutting parts of the business. Analysts warn against spelling doom against the entire industry, however, demand still remains strong.

Hotels have an upper hand in the three "Cs" of hospitality — commercial laundry, cleaning staff and a concierge service. The thinking: If they can play to their advantage in pandering to the emerging "bleisure traveler," why not lend that brand experience to vacation rentals?