Airbnb News and Short-Term Rentals

Airbnb continues to be a major force in the travel industry, redefining how people book and experience accommodations worldwide. At PhocusWire, we bring you the latest Airbnb news, along with broader coverage of the short-term rental sector, including platform innovation, market trends, and regulatory developments that shape this fast-moving space.

Updates on Airbnb, short-term rental trends, and regulatory shifts

Track how Airbnb is evolving its product offerings, enhancing guest and host tools, and adapting to consumer demand for more flexible, immersive travel. Our stories examine the intersection of tech innovation, policy, and platform strategy—providing insight into how short-term rentals continue to influence the broader hospitality landscape.

Another billion dollars for Airbnb
News / Distribution
Another billion dollars for Airbnb
By Martin Cowen | March 10, 2017
Airbnb's latest SEC filing showing another billion dollars has been added to its warchest. The filing also shows that 40 investors were involved in the round, which reportedly values the business a Read More
Startup Pitch: GuestReady plots to ease workload of Airbnb hosts
News / Online
Startup Pitch: GuestReady plots to ease workload of Airbnb hosts
By Kevin May | March 7, 2017
GuestReady is another of a growing number of service startups that have emerged to cater for the ecosystem that surrounds the sharing economy. Working with Airbnb hosts in London and a number of ci Read More
Email marketing for hotels - everything you should be doing (and more)
News / Online
Email marketing for hotels - everything you should be doing (and more)
By Viewpoints | March 6, 2017
Here is something that everybody in the hotel industry already knows (or should do): email marketing has become more important than ever. The cost of click and impression-based marketing on search Read More
Tech initiatives hotels should consider doing right now
News / Distribution
Tech initiatives hotels should consider doing right now
By Kevin May | March 2, 2017
Hotels are often reminded of what they should be doing, or encouraged to try new things as the sector gets more competitive than ever. The latest to have a go was Benjamin Habbel, founding CEO of V Read More
Foursquare offers its location superpower to app developers
News / Technology
Foursquare offers its location superpower to app developers
By Martin Cowen | March 2, 2017
Foursquare is opening up Pilgrim, its proprietary location-based technology, to authorised developers for the first time. In a Medium post, its president Stephen Rosenblatt explained: "By opening Read More
Don’t be a dinosaur - activities evolve to avoid extinction
News / Technology
Don’t be a dinosaur - activities evolve to avoid extinction
By Viewpoints | February 27, 2017
Think about it for a moment - over $600 million in capital has been raised in seven years by companies in the tours and activities sector. It is also seven years since Phocuswright published its de Read More
Hostmaker raises $6.5 million for further growth in existing cities
News / Distribution
Hostmaker raises $6.5 million for further growth in existing cities
By Linda Fox | February 23, 2017
Hostmaker, a business that helps Airbnb hosts manage their rentals, has raised Series A funding of $6.5 million. The round was led by Ventech as well as an existing investor, DN Capital. The lat Read More
BridgeStreet unveils OTA for business travel community
News / Distribution
BridgeStreet unveils OTA for business travel community
By Linda Fox | February 22, 2017
BridgeStreet Global Hospitality says its development of an online travel agency for corporate travellers aims to bridge the gap between extended stay and peer-to-peer accommodation. The company is Read More
The Airbnb effect on hotels - experiences, tech provision and convergence
News / Distribution
The Airbnb effect on hotels - experiences, tech provision and convergence
By Viewpoints | February 17, 2017
In less than a decade the twenty-something founders of Airbnb have gone from selling politics-themed cereal, back in 2007, to raising $850 million on a $30 billion valuation. In short: Airbnb is th Read More
Expedia ups the ante in Europe, undeterred by Priceline's Momondo deal
News / Distribution
Expedia ups the ante in Europe, undeterred by Priceline's Momondo deal
By Martin Cowen | February 17, 2017
Expedia Inc's CFO Mark Okerstrom is confident Europe remains a "huge opportunity" for its brands and promised it will be "more aggressive" in the region this year. Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Tec Read More
Airbnb splashes out on Luxury Retreats in order to grow into new segment
News / Distribution
Airbnb splashes out on Luxury Retreats in order to grow into new segment
By Kevin May | February 16, 2017
Interesting (and not unexpected) move by Airbnb confirmed this week with the acquisition of vacation rental platform Luxury Retreats. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but speculation in recent Read More
Airbnb, its hosts and the complex world of Insurer Of Last Resort
News / Online
Airbnb, its hosts and the complex world of Insurer Of Last Resort
By Viewpoints | February 8, 2017
Unlike researching and booking an exotic trip, you receive neither the aspirational effect nor a dopamine rush when you research and purchase a travel insurance policy. In short: nobody buys travel Read More
HomeAway removes last remnant of independent guest-owner interaction
News / Online
HomeAway removes last remnant of independent guest-owner interaction
By Kevin May | January 31, 2017
HomeAway has split opinion over its decision to alter the way in which potential guests can interact with a property's owner. At the turn of 2017, HomeAway shifted the ability for a traveller to fi Read More
Airbnb - never mind the volumes, look at the growth
News / Distribution
Airbnb - never mind the volumes, look at the growth
By Martin Cowen | January 27, 2017
Certify's findings for 2016, based on expense claims filed through its system, includes some proper statistics for Airbnb. During the year just gone, Airbnb continued its run of doubling transactio Read More
Understanding the Airbnb phenomenon, using 3D maps
News / Distribution
Understanding the Airbnb phenomenon, using 3D maps
By Kevin May | January 27, 2017
There are various ways of viewing the rise of Airbnb on both a global and in individual country basis. And, depending on who you ask, you'll inevitably get a different perspective. Hotels are ei Read More
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