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.

The gradual creep of the sharing economy into corporate travel
News / Distribution
The gradual creep of the sharing economy into corporate travel
By Kevin May | October 12, 2015
Disruption - such an overused word in the travel industry, often bandied around to simply describe a different feature or product line. But the concept of a new wave of traveller behaviour and its Read More
Airbnb expands business travel focus with BridgeStreet deal [UPDATED]
News / Distribution
Airbnb expands business travel focus with BridgeStreet deal [UPDATED]
By Kevin May | October 9, 2015
UPDATE: BridgeStreet originally said its entire portfolio of properties would be offered to Airbnb For Business. It turns out that is not correct after all and it will not disclose at present how m Read More
Startup pitch: Seeusoon wants to cure the headache of group trip planning
News / Distribution
Startup pitch: Seeusoon wants to cure the headache of group trip planning
By Linda Fox | October 1, 2015
When you work or study abroad, getting together with friends and family in one place at the same time can be challenging. After participating, and being a runner up, in a TechCrunch hackathon in Lo Read More
Hotels are dead, long live hotels
News / Distribution
Hotels are dead, long live hotels
By Viewpoints | September 30, 2015
In the world of accommodation, it seems as if Airbnb gets all the attention. NB This is a guest article by Andrew McConnell, founder and CEO of rented. In just one week, hundreds of articles pub Read More
Airbnb will have a 100% growth rate in 2015, says report
News / Distribution
Airbnb will have a 100% growth rate in 2015, says report
By Sean O'Neil | September 29, 2015
In 2015, Airbnb, the short-term rental platform, will double its nightly bookings to about 80 million, reports Reuters, citing "investors familiar with the company's performance." And bookings during Read More
Zhubaijia raises $78M to mimic Airbnb in China, just six weeks after a $30M round
News / Distribution
Zhubaijia raises $78M to mimic Airbnb in China, just six weeks after a $30M round
By Kevin May | September 29, 2015
Not content with trousering a $20 million Series B round in August this year, Zhubaijia has also gone for a Series C to the tune of $78 million this week. The latest backers of the website set up t Read More
Airbnb snaps up, and shuts down, Vamo
News
Airbnb snaps up, and shuts down, Vamo
By PhocusWire | September 11, 2015
The six-employee travel-planning startup Vamo has been acquired by Airbnb, the short-term rental giant. Vamo will be shut down as of 1 October, and team members will be joining Airbnb. Deal term Read More
If homes can be used by travellers to rest their weary legs, boats can join in as well
News
If homes can be used by travellers to rest their weary legs, boats can join in as well
By Kevin May | September 10, 2015
After sharing homes, apartments or vehicles to travellers, it was only a question of time before boats became one of the next areas in play. GetMyBoat has recently tried to muscle in on the trend w Read More
Startup ecosystem continues to build in and around the sharing economy
News / Technology
Startup ecosystem continues to build in and around the sharing economy
By Linda Fox | September 4, 2015
Sharing economy startups such as Airbnb, Tujia and others have been attracting huge investment alongside column inches and predictions of future greatness. It's hardly surprising then that a whole Read More
Airbnb Apple Watch app lets hosts answer guests fast
News
Airbnb Apple Watch app lets hosts answer guests fast
By Sean O'Neil | September 3, 2015
The official tweet says it all: Hosts with an Apple Watch can now respond to bookings straight from their wrist. Our new app: pic.twitter.com/R62zg1xwOD — Airbnb (@Airbnb) September 3, 2015 T Read More
Airbnb's threat to hotels may be structural, going beyond tax fight
News / Distribution
Airbnb's threat to hotels may be structural, going beyond tax fight
By Sean O'Neil | August 27, 2015
Airbnb, originally a short-term rental listings platform, may become a direct threat to hotels, according to some asset managers and chain executives. The alarm was heightened when the San Francisc Read More
Employees shun city jobs for greener pastures at Airbnb and Uber
News
Employees shun city jobs for greener pastures at Airbnb and Uber
By Linda Fox | August 25, 2015
Here's an interesting study from Escape the City on the companies people would most like to join if they took the plunge and left their existing careers. Unsurprisingly Escape the City was set up a Read More
Sharing economy hits the mark with business travellers
News / Distribution
Sharing economy hits the mark with business travellers
By Viewpoints | August 25, 2015
The landscape of today’s sharing economy is quickly expanding across a diverse range of services. And while pioneers such as Uber continue to capture headlines and consumer market share, data shows ho Read More
Airbnb's pricing algorithm and Aerosolve, its open-source machine learning tool
News
Airbnb's pricing algorithm and Aerosolve, its open-source machine learning tool
By Sean O'Neil | August 24, 2015
A little machine learning can have a big impact. Dan Hill, product lead at Airbnb, wrote the company's pricing algorithm after the British-based rival startup he cofounded, Crashpadder, was acquire Read More
Airbnb and the case of the disgruntled super-host
News
Airbnb and the case of the disgruntled super-host
By Kevin May | August 21, 2015
In true sharing economy style, angry former hosts are turning to the web to share their grievances with Airbnb. In a Medium post by Kelly Kampen, a Bangkok, Thailand-based software developer and bu Read More
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