Airbnb’s mission is to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere and we are focused on creating an end-to-end travel platform that will handle every part of your trip. As we work to achieve this goal, we are focused on building for the future, driving strong sustained growth, and creating new businesses that will power long-term success.
As part of that work, nearly one year ago, Airbnb announced our intent to make it easier for boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts to list on on our platform. Hotels are eager to work with Airbnb in part because we have an unrivaled brand with a loyal and growing community. One Google official recently commented, “In terms of online searches Airbnb is now the most searched-for accommodations brand.” And Airbnb is increasingly popular with millennials. For example, when YouGov BrandIndex’s Word of Mouth asked millennials in the UK about brands they had discussed in the past two weeks, nearly 70 percent mentioned Airbnb.
While some boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts have listed on Airbnb for years, we’ve been working hard to make listing even easier and that work is paying off:
- Last year, as our core Homes business across all categories continued to grow at a robust rate leading to our strongest year ever, we also saw a 152 percent increase in the number of rooms available on Airbnb in properties that hosts categorized as boutique hotels, bed and breakfasts, and other hospitality venues like hostels and resorts.
- These enhancements lift our entire host community, as guests who use Airbnb to book a hotel are returning to our platform and trying out other ways to travel. Nearly 90 percent of guests who first used Airbnb to book a hotel room have returned to our platform and booked a room in a home or an entire home for their next trip. Guests coming back to the platform to book a room or an entire home demonstrates the power of Airbnb’s network effect and how private rooms, homes, boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts enhance this global network effect for guests and hosts.
- Guests are giving high marks to the hotels they book on Airbnb. Guests give their stays in boutique hotels, bed and breakfasts, and other hospitality venues booked on Airbnb an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
- The expanded hotel offerings are making it easier for consumers to use Airbnb to find last-minute accommodations when home hosts are often already booked. The availability of boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts, in addition to private rooms and entire homes that are instantly bookable, helps ensure authentic, high-quality accommodations are available on-demand.
The men and women who own and operate boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts and use Airbnb have already seen how listing rooms on our platform can make their businesses stronger. One example is The Society Hotel. Located in downtown Portland’s central Old Town neighborhood, Jessie Burke, Jonathan Cohen, Matt Siegel and Gabe Genauer operate The Society Hotel as part of a hospitality group focused on creating memorable connections, combined with affordable and sustainable travel. Since opening in 2015, they have been using Airbnb as their primary distribution channel, outside of taking bookings directly on their website. As a marketing and outreach tool, Airbnb reaches a larger audience than the hotel would be able to realize on their own. You can read more about the Society Hotel here.
Our work with boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts strengthens our global network by generating more choices for guests and more business opportunities for hosts. As we continue to make our global community stronger, we are committed to ensuring guests have the kind of high-quality, personal experience they have come to expect when they book a place to stay on Airbnb. Not every property is right for our community. We look for hosts who provide personal hospitality to guests and things such as locally relevant or unique amenities, community gathering spaces for meals and meetings, and local maps with personalized recommendations. Our full criteria are available here, and hotel owners who are interested in making their rooms available on Airbnb can learn more by clicking here.