Airbnb polarises opinion. On the one hand it's the tech disrupter many want to emulate, growing fast and apparently pushing north of a $1 billion valuation.
And then it's also the annoying disrupter which some argue is bending the rules of what an accommodation platform should be and how it should look after customers and consumers.
So, with justifiable reason, CEO Brian Chesky's debut appearance at a big travel event was probably one of the most widely anticipated sessions of recent years at the PhoCusWright Conference.
After the usual background to the company stuff at the beginning of the keynote, Chesky launches into an interesting concept about the rise of the collaborative consumption model and, essentially, the end of travel (people will be "mobile" all the time).
Controversial, thought-provoking and surprisingly good (some feared a Silicon Valley "awesome"-fest), 30-year-old Chesky's appearance was certainly the subject of many conversations in the halls and in the social media channels during and after the slot.
The talkback session at the end with Brian Sharples and Simon Lehmann, respective CEOs of HomeAway and Interhome, was also remarkably constructive (some might say even warm) given how so-called traditional vacation rental services could be considered some of the victims of Airbnb's rapid rise.
No pun intended, but wonder if hoteliers would be so accommodating?
Here is the session (approx 35 worthwhile minutes), scroll down to the Keynote: Airbnb.