Why Airbnb is taking some lessons in hospitality from the hotel industry
Mar 01, 2018
Many of the new Airbnb changes are designed to incentivize the company's 400,000 hosts to create a more predictable experience for travellers, while at the same time pushing its unique listings ever higher into the luxury tier of hospitality.
The experience of staying in an Airbnb listing is simultaneously an argument for and against the platform. On the one hand, every space is unique and quirky; on the other hand, unique and quirky can sometimes pose challenges on a massive scale.
The struggle to overcome those challenges was on display last week when the 10-year-old company threw itself a three-day birthday celebration to unveil a slew of improvements to its core service of connecting strangers online who are looking for short-term accommodation.
"Airbnb is still not for everyone, until today," co-founder and chief executive Brian Chesky said at San Francisco's Masonic Auditorium, while standing onstage in front of a giant screen displaying the slogan "Airbnb for everyone."
Get the full story at The Globe and Mail
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