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.

Surprise! Airbnb comes in dead last as Millennials' preferred accommodation
News / Online
Surprise! Airbnb comes in dead last as Millennials' preferred accommodation
By Nick Vivion | March 20, 2015
It's not often that hotels have something to celebrate when it comes to the sharing economy, but a recent survey of Millennials placed Airbnb dead last as a preferred accommodation type. The result Read More
HRS shows why online travel agencies need a vacation rental strategy
News / Distribution
HRS shows why online travel agencies need a vacation rental strategy
By Kevin May | March 11, 2015
HRS is poised to attack the vacation rental sector in a major way, shining another light on where the next online travel agency battleground is likely to be. The European OTA, which has a significa Read More
HomeAway shares its game plan during investor roadshow
News / Online
HomeAway shares its game plan during investor roadshow
By Sean O'Neil | March 3, 2015
Vacation rental giant HomeAway has been sending its executive team around the US this month to talk to rooms full of investors, to get the word out about its stock. This week, chief executive Brian Read More
Move along there now, Airbnb just looking for business as usual
News / Distribution
Move along there now, Airbnb just looking for business as usual
By Linda Fox | February 26, 2015
It must be exciting in the early days to be dubbed disruptive and gain column inches, good and bad, for every move you make. And then, there must come a time when you just want to fit into the land Read More
Behind the scenes of Airbnb's impressively intricate commercial
News / Online
Behind the scenes of Airbnb's impressively intricate commercial
By Nick Vivion | February 25, 2015
Move over Wes Anderson, there's a new twee game in town: it's Airbnb's latest commercial, which can only be described as the world's most intricate model train experience. The brand is so pleased w Read More
Startup pitch: MyTwinPlace flips shared accommodation business model
News / Online
Startup pitch: MyTwinPlace flips shared accommodation business model
By Nick Vivion | February 23, 2015
MyTwinPlace is a new travel startup that flips the shared accommodation business model on its head by offering a 1-for-1 exchange for hosting guests. It's quite simple: users sign up for an account Read More
One decade in, HomeAway reminds us all that it is not Airbnb
News / Online
One decade in, HomeAway reminds us all that it is not Airbnb
By Nick Vivion | February 23, 2015
Vacation rental platform HomeAway has hit a major milestone, celebrating its first decade in business this month. Such moments offer a pause for reflection — or a swift kick to recalibrate a company Read More
Are Airbnb's user reviews to be trusted?
News / Technology
Are Airbnb's user reviews to be trusted?
By Nick Vivion | February 20, 2015
It appears that Airbnb users themselves have bought into the kumbaya, golden halo narrative that has long followed the sharing economy's meteoric rise to mainstream popularity. A recent academic re Read More
Airlines: think Amazon, think digital data, think revenue
News / Distribution
Airlines: think Amazon, think digital data, think revenue
By Viewpoints | February 18, 2015
Airlines are now capable of collecting and analyzing more and more traveler data including mobile app and social media behavior, session history from in-flight connectivity, travel history, and previo Read More
This site maps every Airbnb rental in New York City
News
This site maps every Airbnb rental in New York City
By Sean O'Neil | February 12, 2015
Inside Airbnb, a data visualization tool released this week activist Murray Cox, scrapes Airbnb's public data for New York City users. The site's analysis of Airbnb's data casts doubt on the compa Read More
Is Airbnb responsible for the softening in New York RevPAR?
News
Is Airbnb responsible for the softening in New York RevPAR?
By Nick Vivion | February 11, 2015
A recent analyst report from Credit Suisse suggests that Airbnb has put downward pricing pressure on hotels in New York City. The analysts identified the soft demand heading into the fourth quarter Read More
Legal softening for accommodation sharing in London
News
Legal softening for accommodation sharing in London
By Linda Fox | February 11, 2015
The UK Government says it is giving a boost to London's sharing economy through more flexible legislation currently before Parliament. The Department for Communities and Local Government has reveal Read More
Startup pitch: Pillow, after its $2.7M raise, will run your short-term rental for you
News
Startup pitch: Pillow, after its $2.7M raise, will run your short-term rental for you
By Sean O'Neil | February 3, 2015
During a gold rush, the safest business model is to be selling picks, shovels, and other mining supplies. Today's closest thing to a gold rush may be the drive to make it digitally seamless for sm Read More
HomeAway loses in its attempt to stop San Francisco rentals law
News / Online
HomeAway loses in its attempt to stop San Francisco rentals law
By Sean O'Neil | January 28, 2015
Vacation-rental provider HomeAway's attempt to stop new regulations for house rentals in San Francisco has been halted. Today a district judge dismissed HomeAway's case and denied its request for a Read More
Airbnb tipped to double in size and begin gradual impact on hotels
News / Distribution
Airbnb tipped to double in size and begin gradual impact on hotels
By Kevin May | January 20, 2015
Such a statement would be expected from Airbnb itself - but the prediction comes from one of the leading financial travel analysts in Europe. In an investor note released last week, Barclays says i Read More
The Phocuswright Conference 2026