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.

Pivotal moments in 2014 - when Airbnb got in bed with Concur
News / Distribution
Pivotal moments in 2014 - when Airbnb got in bed with Concur
By Linda Fox | December 22, 2014
Concur’s partnership with Airbnb, announced back in July, feels like a pivotal moment in 2014. It’s a sort of establishment meets disruptor. It’s recognition that there’s a generation of travellers Read More
Pivotal moments in 2014 - when digital travel finally matured
News / Distribution
Pivotal moments in 2014 - when digital travel finally matured
By Alex Bainbridge | December 19, 2014
It would very difficult to put your finger on something that significantly altered in 2014. Yet perhaps the pivotal moment isn't a moment at all, but a sense. Airbnb, Uber and HotelTonight, for Read More
Slow acceptance of Airbnb by mainstream travel brands starts with KLM
News / Online
Slow acceptance of Airbnb by mainstream travel brands starts with KLM
By Kevin May | December 15, 2014
Until now, many of the leading travel brands in the industry have avoided doing anything with Airbnb and its sharing economy kin. It will probably remain unclear whether this was because of the leg Read More
APAC travel sweet spot: Forget the rich, here come the value-conscious
News / Online
APAC travel sweet spot: Forget the rich, here come the value-conscious
By Pamela Whitby | December 12, 2014
With the younger generation earning more and intra-APAC travel on the rise in 2014, online travel companies better be in fighting form in 2015. NB: This is a report by Pamela Whitby, editor for Eye Read More
Trying to get a handle on 5 years of consumer travel startups
News / Technology
Trying to get a handle on 5 years of consumer travel startups
By Viewpoints | December 4, 2014
Numerous consumer-focused travel startups have launched in the past five years. They tackle many facets of travel, ranging from hotel and flight search to ground transport, social travel, trip plan Read More
The rise of mobile to drive bookings of in-destination services
News / Technology
The rise of mobile to drive bookings of in-destination services
By Viewpoints | December 3, 2014
Mobile devices are now outperforming PCs in terms of both product sales and broadband subscriptions. As a result, mobile is going to play an increasingly central role in the travel industry in the Read More
Uber and Jetblue are leading a dumbing down of travel
News / Technology
Uber and Jetblue are leading a dumbing down of travel
By Timothy O'Neil-Dunne | November 25, 2014
This is the story of two brands in travel. One respected, one trying to get respect. One is Uber, the other is JetBlue. Both, however, have sadly started down a path that will likely undermine thei Read More
The Downfall of online travel startups [VIDEO]
News / Online
The Downfall of online travel startups [VIDEO]
By Kevin May | November 25, 2014
[video_popup width="805" height="454" video_link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRliRoI1iZw" video_image_link="https://www.tnooz.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/downfall-online-travel.jpg"] It was Read More
Airbnb expands Weekend Getaways product globally
News / Online
Airbnb expands Weekend Getaways product globally
By Nick Vivion | November 24, 2014
After an initial test in the LA and SF markets, the Weekend Getaways product has been rolled out globally by accommodations behemoth Airbnb. The Getaways product was born out of the desire to promo Read More
KLM and Airbnb create the aircraft sleepover
News / Online
KLM and Airbnb create the aircraft sleepover
By Kevin May | November 17, 2014
KLM and Airbnb, both clever operators when it comes to social media and PR (especially the former), have collaborated. It what can only be described as nothing more than a promo stunt, but a fun on Read More
HomeAway files suit against the City of San Francisco
News
HomeAway files suit against the City of San Francisco
By Nick Vivion | November 3, 2014
In the latest development in the short-term rental saga, vacation rental provider HomeAway has filed suit against the City of San Francisco in an attempt to block recent legislation regulating the ind Read More
More value in business travel to be driven by mobile, wifi and reviews
News / Technology
More value in business travel to be driven by mobile, wifi and reviews
By Linda Fox | November 3, 2014
Amadeus has drawn together insight from professionals at the coalface of booking business travel with research from the travellers themselves to produce its latest white paper. The Hotels 360 repor Read More
Hovelstay - yes, Hovelstay - nets $1.2M for its cheap lodging platform
News
Hovelstay - yes, Hovelstay - nets $1.2M for its cheap lodging platform
By Sean O'Neil | October 23, 2014
A treehouse yurt. A tent in a Hawaiian forest. A FEMA-certified dome. These are some of the examples of quirky places to rent for under $99 a night via Hovelstay, a Glendale, Calif.,-based startup. Read More
Is the new sharing economy in travel a democracy or a republic?
News
Is the new sharing economy in travel a democracy or a republic?
By Viewpoints | October 22, 2014
It seems like for as long as we have had the internet there has been talk of how it can and is “democratizing” anything and everything. There is the "democratization of technology", the "democratiz Read More
ShareBetter attempts to put a lid on NYC short-term rentals with safety tool, parody video
News / Online
ShareBetter attempts to put a lid on NYC short-term rentals with safety tool, parody video
By Nick Vivion | October 14, 2014
The ongoing saga of short-term rentals in New York City has been boosted in part by the legalization of the industry in San Francisco this month. A coalition in New York has started to counter recent Read More
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