New York – 06 November 2017 –
Hoteliers should give up their blockade attitude: The „enemy of the hotel industry” Airbnb is gradually developing into a kind of hotel chain. The signs of this have been clearly visible for some time now: Recently, the booking portal for (private) overnight stays surprised with plans for the first Airbnb apartment complex in Florida. And now the company, founded nine years ago, is to bid for the European Vacation Rental business of Wyndham, Bloomberg reported.
With this possible acquisition, Airbnb would continue to grow as a major investor in the holiday property business around the Mediterranean. It remains to be seen whether these would then bear the brand name Airbnb. In North America, private apartments have long been referred to as “Airbnb”, for example, as employee accommodation. In February of this year, Airbnb acquired luxuryretreats.com, a provider of holiday villas and concierge services, and outperformed co-owners such as Expedia and Accor.
The fact that Airbnb is regarded as a potent tourism partner is also illustrated by other market events on the fringes. The Californian apartment service Pillow Residential has entered into a strategic partnership with the booking portal to transform Airbnb’s available accommodations into high-quality serviced apartments.