Latest news with #AirbnbExperiences
Skift
3 days ago
- Business
- Skift
Viator Partnership With Airbnb Experiences? Tripadvisor CEO Talks Up the Idea
Viator has always been open to partnerships with competing platforms, but the approach may not fit with Airbnb's current strategy. Are Viator and Airbnb Experiences on a collision course? Not necessarily, according to Tripadvisor CEO Matt Goldberg, who on Thursday raised the possibility of a partnership between Tripadvisor – Viator's parent company – and the relaunched Airbnb Experiences. "There may be opportunities to partner with Airbnb," Goldberg said at a Bernstein financial conference. "They've tried this a few different times. We watch it closely. And of course, w
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
AirBnB, Live Nation Lock In Live Music Partnership. Will It Be Music To Fans Ears?
Benson Boone on stage on day 2 of Lollapalooza Brazil in March 2025 An intimate performance at a secret spot on the grounds of a music festival? At a time when custom curation is table stakes across the travel and entertainment sectors, Airbnb is hoping to hit the right note with new experiential offering that comes just in time for summer festival season. The online platform that connects travelers with hosts who offer various types of short-term accommodations just sealed a global live music partnership with Live Nation Entertainment to offer exclusive fan experiences at Lollapalooza festivals around the world. Beginning with Lollapalooza Berlin presented by Telekom, July 12–13, the immersive experiences will also pop up at Lollapalooza stops in Chicago, July 31 – August 3, The Town 2025 in São Paulo, Lollapalooza India in Mumbai and Lollapalooza Brazil. The move is part of Airbnb's reimagined Airbnb Experiences, which has seen the company partner with various people of influence. In recent months Megan Thee Stallion, Sabrina Carpenter, and Patrick Mahomes, among others, each co-designed and hosted an Airbnb experience. These experiences will be tailored to enhance music enthusiasts' festival experience. In Berlin, for example, guests will have access to an exclusive post-show private performance by music artist Bunt in a hidden spot on the festival grounds. Booking opens June 5. Lollapalooza, and most other major music fests, already offer a gamut of custom opportunities for fans who are willing to pay the price--from VIP viewing areas to exclusive access to elevated food and lounge benefits to pre-and post-parties to backstage experiences. And pretty much every stripe of company, including tech, finance, clothing and spirits, have seized opportunities to tie their brands to the festival vibe. Tapping specifically into the travel sector could be a strong differentiator. According to a recent Airbnb survey, over 70 percent of attendees at Lollapalooza Berlin travel from outside the city. That number is 65 percent in São Paulo, 57 percent in Mumbai, and 50 percent in Chicago. 'More and more guests are choosing Airbnb for big events, including concerts and festivals, because Airbnb can bring you as close to the action as possible,' said Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky. Not to be overlooked, the move puts Airbnb in business with the largest concert promoter and live entertainment company in the world. Live Nation Entertainment owns a controlling interest in C3 Presents, the company formerly known as Capital Sports Entertainment, which produces Lollapalooza, owns and operates Austin City Limits, and promotes more than 1,500 additional concerts and events annually. 'Fans are traveling the world to see the artists they love, and festivals like Lollapalooza are leading that demand,' Michael Rapino, CEO and president of Live Nation Entertainment, said in a statement. 'Partnering with Airbnb helps us make those trips even more memorable for fans, connecting them to the culture and community around the music that makes each festival unforgettable.'
Observer
6 days ago
- Business
- Observer
Your Next Airbnb May Include Room Service and Tamale-Making
For 17 years, Airbnb has taken on the hotel industry, and now, 2 billion guests later, the company is upping the competition. In a recent announcement, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said the company will offer the kinds of services typically found at hotels, including room service, spa treatments and personal training, all bookable on Airbnb's redesigned app. Other services could include meals prepared by professional chefs, and salon treatments like hair, nails and makeup. The company is also reimagining Airbnb Experiences, its service that offers tours and events hosted by experts, to emphasize authentic cultural, culinary, sports and wellness activities run by locals. Offerings are available in 650 cities, including a tour of the recently restored Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris with Axelle Ponsonnet, one of the architects who restored the cathedral after it partially burned down in 2019. A ramen-making master class in Tokyo with chef Saburo Ishigoka and a lucha libre training experience with a professional wrestler in Mexico City are among other new experiences. 'Airbnb is currently used as a noun and a verb, and it means a place to stay,' Chesky said in a recent interview. 'The question we then asked was what if you could Airbnb more than an Airbnb and essentially monetize the biggest asset in your life, which is probably not your home but your time, passion and skill set.' The company tested the idea when it launched Airbnb Experiences in 2016, but faced issues over quality and reliability. Mitch Bach, CEO and co-founder of Trip School, an independent organization that trains tour guides, said the main issue with the original rollout was that the experience providers, though deeply embedded in their local culture, lacked the professionalism of trained tour guides. Your Next Airbnb May Include Room Service and Tamale-Making Airbnb 'purposefully eschewed tourist attractions, which is the bread and butter of a marketplace like GetYourGuide or Viator,' Bach said. 'I think their bet was that around that brand and the genius of Airbnb's position in the market, they could organically scale this, but they found very clearly that they couldn't.' In the reboot, Airbnb said it is focusing on quality and professionalism, with rigorous, ongoing vetting of tour providers' 'expertise, reputation and authenticity.' Chesky said that the new product is still uniquely 'Airbnb.' 'We are finding the most interesting people in the world and designing new experiences,' he said, citing the Notre Dame tour as an example of using an expert outside of the travel industry to offer a unique lens. In some cities, Airbnb is launching a line of experiences that it calls 'originals,' designed specifically for the company. These include pastry-making with French Bastards Bakery chef Raphaelle Elbaz in Paris, or playing beach volleyball at Rio de Janeiro's Leblon Beach with Olympian Carol Solberg. The company is also teaming up with celebrities like Megan Thee Stallion and Sabrina Carpenter to host dancing and glamour sessions. Airbnb said that many users found the company's earlier experiences too expensive. At an average price of $65 per person, the new experiences are more affordable, Airbnb said, and are easier to organize. With the new app, users will be able to book homes, experiences and services in one place. Once the bookings are confirmed, a new 'trip mode' allows guests to view and edit their itineraries. There is also a social component that allows people to see and interact with people booked on the same experience. 'I've always believed that Airbnb was destined to do more than just provide a place to stay,' Chesky said. —NYT
Observer
23-05-2025
- Business
- Observer
Your next Airbnb may include room service
For 17 years, Airbnb has taken on the hotel industry, and now, 2 billion guests later, the company is upping the competition. In a recent announcement, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said the company will offer the kinds of services typically found at hotels, including room service, spa treatments, and personal training, all bookable on Airbnb's redesigned app. Other services could include meals prepared by professional chefs, and salon treatments like hair, nails and makeup. The company is also reimagining Airbnb Experiences, its service that offers tours and events hosted by experts, to emphasize authentic cultural, culinary, sports and wellness activities run by locals. Offerings are available in 650 cities, including a tour of the recently restored Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris with Axelle Ponsonnet, one of the architects who restored the cathedral after it partially burned down in 2019. A ramen-making master class in Tokyo with chef Saburo Ishigoka and a lucha libre training experience with a professional wrestler in Mexico City are among other new experiences. 'Airbnb is currently used as a noun and a verb, and it means a place to stay,' Chesky said in a recent interview. 'The question we then asked was what if you could Airbnb more than an Airbnb and essentially monetize the biggest asset in your life, which is probably not your home but your time, passion,n and skill set.' The company tested the idea when it launched Airbnb Experiences in 2016, but faced issues over quality and reliability. Mitch Bach, CEO and co-founder of Trip School, an independent organization that trains tour guides, said the main issue with the original rollout was that the experience providers, though deeply embedded in their local culture, lacked the professionalism of trained tour guides. Airbnb 'purposefully eschewed tourist attractions, which is the bread and butter of a marketplace like GetYourGuide or Viator,' Bach said. 'I think their bet was that around that brand and the genius of Airbnb's position in the market, they could organically scale this, but they found very clearly that they couldn't.' In the reboot, Airbnb said it is focusing on quality and professionalism, with rigorous, ongoing vetting of tour providers' 'expertise, reputation and authenticity.' Chesky said that the new product is still uniquely 'Airbnb.' 'We are finding the most interesting people in the world and designing new experiences,' he said, citing the Notre Dame tour as an example of using an expert outside of the travel industry to offer a unique lens. In some cities, Airbnb is launching a line of experiences that it calls 'originals,' designed specifically for the company. These include pastry-making with French Bastards Bakery chef Raphaelle Elbaz in Paris, or playing beach volleyball at Rio de Janeiro's Leblon Beach with Olympian Carol Solberg. The company is also teaming up with celebrities like Megan Thee Stallion and Sabrina Carpenter to host dancing and glamour sessions. Airbnb said that many users found the company's earlier experiences too expensive. At an average price of $65 per person, the new experiences are more affordable, Airbnb said, and are easier to organize. With the new app, users will be able to book homes, experiences, and services in one place. Once the bookings are confirmed, a new 'trip mode' allows guests to view and edit their itineraries. There is also a social component that allows people to see and interact with people booked on the same experience. 'I've always believed that Airbnb was destined to do more than just provide a place to stay,' Chesky said. This article originally appeared in
Travel Weekly
20-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Airbnb expands platform with hotel-like services
Airbnb has further diversified its platform with the launch of Airbnb Services and a revamping of its Airbnb Experiences program. Airbnb Services offers hotel-like amenities across 260 cities globally, with users able to book services like personal chefs, photography sessions, massages and other spa treatments, personal training, hair styling and catering directly through the Airbnb app. According to Airbnb, these services are available at "nearly every price," with entry level offerings starting at around $50. Airbnb Services can be booked regardless of whether a user is staying at an Airbnb property or even traveling at all. "People choose hotels for their services," said Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. "People choose Airbnbs for the space. Now, we're giving you the best of both worlds -- amazing homes with services that make them even more special." Concurrently, Airbnb has expanded its Experiences tours and activities business, which will now operate in 650 cities worldwide. Airbnb said its reimagined Experiences concept puts more focus on activities hosted by locals with verified expertise and connections to their cities. Examples of the platform's new offerings include a tour of Notre Dame led by an architect involved with the Paris cathedral's restoration (starting at $95 per guest) and a ramen cooking class with a Michelin Bib Gourmand chef in Tokyo (starting at $145 per guest). Airbnb launched Experiences in 2016, with the platform growing to over 13,000 experiences across 180 cities by 2018. Although the company temporarily pivoted to digital experiences during the height of the pandemic, the platform resumed, with Chesky describing Experiences as "ready to scale" in 2023. Airbnb is also enhancing its experiential offerings with Airbnb Originals, a premium tier of experiences created exclusively for Airbnb. Some Originals are hosted by celebrities, including experiences featuring rapper Megan Thee Stallion, singer Sabrina Carpenter and NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Users can request to book these offerings via the Airbnb app, with winning guests chosen at random by Airbnb. Airbnb's latest batch of fresh features comes as the company unveils its latest app redesign, which features an "Explore" tab for discovering offerings, a "Trips" tab providing detailed itineraries, enhanced messaging capabilities and redesigned profile pages highlighting verified users.
