Hotels Shrug Off Airbnb's Push Into Experiences – But They Still Need to Compete

Skift

a day ago

Airbnb's relaunch of its Experiences platform and new offering of hotel-style à la carte services might pressure hoteliers. But so far, many hotel execs seem unfazed.
Airbnb's entry into selling experiences and hotel-style services is drawing a muted response from some hospitality industry leaders. A few have minimized the threat, though some analysts warn that hotel companies risk falling behind in the race to capture lucrative ancillary revenue.
Airbnb aims to offer a marketplace for a range of services, including massage‬‭, spa treatments‬‭, and personal training. These are offerings expected at many hotels but not short-term rentals - "We're eliminating reasons why people wouldn't want to stay in an Airbnb,' the company's chief business officer Dave Stephenson told Skift in May shortly after unveiling the new products.
One challenge will be delivering consistent quality.
"They've gone on this journey before, and what they're trying to do is really difficult," said Chris Silcock, president of global brands and commercial services at Hilton.
Silcock said Hilton isn't rushing to copy Airbnb's marketplace model.
"We haven't gone down that route because we're in hospitality, the business of people serving people, and that's much easier to do in a building where we can guarantee a flow of customers and when we can meet or hire or contract with people to deliver the quali