Welcoming HotelTonight to Airbnb—your questions answered

[Airbnb]

 Hi everyone,

Today we announced that Airbnb is acquiring HotelTonight. HotelTonight is a hotel-booking service that specializes in boutique and independent hotels, and focuses on making last-minute trips easy and fun. We’ve sent out a press announcement, and we want to connect here with you, our hosts, to address some questions we thought you might have.

The core of Airbnb has always been—and will continue to be—our extraordinary hosts who invite guests into their homes. Your personalized hospitality has set a new standard for guests all around the world. Last year, we introduced the idea of ‘Airbnb for Everyone'—the vision of ensuring that anyone in the world can find an amazing place to stay. Since then, we have welcomed more options for guests, including boutique hotels run by people who offer personalized hospitality and are connected to their local communities. The acquisition of HotelTonight helps fulfil this vision.

Why did you acquire HotelTonight?

Traditionally, last-minute trips can be harder for guests to book on Airbnb. Homes are often booked far in advance, and we’ve heard from many of you that it is hard to accept same day bookings from guests because you need time to clean and prepare your space. HotelTonight will help us connect these last-minute travelers with boutique hotels. In addition, HotelTonight has a strong and loyal customer base, and now we have the opportunity to introduce them to Airbnb and home sharing.

Will HotelTonight bring more guests to me?

Yes. Since we’ve started to welcome boutique hotels to Airbnb, we have seen a positive impact on home hosts. HotelTonight will accelerate that positive benefit. Here’s how it works: Boutique hotels help bring new kinds of guests to Airbnb, growing the entire ecosystem. Once these guests come to Airbnb, they’re more open to booking a home. In fact, nearly 90 percent of guests who first used Airbnb to book a hotel room and returned to our platform for a second trip booked in a home. We are delighted to see that the boutique hotels on Airbnb are helping to mainstream home sharing for new guests around the world.

Will all of HotelTonight’s hotels now be bookable on Airbnb?

No. The HotelTonight app and website will continue to operate separately as they do today. Over time,  you’ll notice that Airbnb will start bringing a select set of boutique and independent hotels onto the platform, if they meet our high standards for personal hospitality. Also, some guests may be invited to search for accommodations on HotelTonight if they can’t find a place to stay on Airbnb for their trip.

Don’t HotelTonight’s hotels take away from the ‘personalized hospitality’ that Airbnb is all about?

The hotels that we welcome on Airbnb aren’t the big, impersonal spaces you might be imagining. These are boutique and independent hotels, similar to those started by Airbnb advisor Chip Conley, when he founded one of the first boutique hotel companies in the U.S. In fact, Chip has helped us understand that the gap between boutique hoteliers and home hosts is not as far apart as people might think. Boutique hotels are run by people who live in and are connected to their local communities and who want to offer truly personal hospitality. The boutique hotels on Airbnb are typically at a higher price point than our homes, and we hold them to high standards for personal hospitality.

Specifically, boutique hotels on Airbnb need to feel personalized, with qualities such as guest rooms that reflect the local culture. And we expect the hoteliers to provide personal hospitality to guests by offering things like unique recommendations and an owner or manager available on the property full time. A great example is Surfhouse Boutique Motel, an eight-room inn run by Sander, a former home host, and his brother, Nikki, in their hometown of Encinitas, California.

On HotelTonight, you might see some global chain hotels when HotelTonight is filling specific guest demand needs. These hotels do not meet the Airbnb standards for personal hospitality, and we do not plan to add them to Airbnb.

Will you prioritize boutique hotels over homes listings in search? Will more hotels on the site limit my bookings?

No. Our search ranking algorithm is based on providing the best options for a guest, and there won’t be any special benefits for hotels.

In terms of impact on your bookings, it’s totally reasonable to wonder whether having more listings of any type (including boutique hotels) reduces bookings for existing hosts. However, as we mentioned above, having more choices for travelers brings new guests to Airbnb, so the overall pie is growing (and home hosts are benefiting). In addition, when we do bring on boutique hotels, we’re focusing on regions where we need more options for last-minute travelers.

As more boutique hotels come to Airbnb, won’t guests get confused and start expecting hotel-level service from all Airbnb hosts? What are you doing to differentiate home hosts from hotels?

Setting guest expectations is critical. Guests need to be able to find the space that’s right for them, and expectations must be clearly set so that they can be happily met. We know it’s incredibly important that we highlight what’s special about each type of stay.

We plan to further distinguish what makes your home and hospitality unique, and we’ve begun to address this challenge. For example, starting last year each listing now has a category tag that clearly identifies it (e.g. ‘room in boutique hotel’ or ‘entire home’), and we highlight that tag to guests. Previously, hotel rooms were displayed as ‘private rooms,’ which led to guest confusion.

Also, before the end of the year, you’ll see additional changes to your listing page that will further clarify for guests what type of space you have (and associated expectations) and help showcase what makes your hospitality unique. For example, a home host listing might feature that guests can use their book of amazing family recipes while a boutique hotel listing page might highlight that they source food in their restaurant from local farms. We have a few ideas that we’re working on, and will partner with hosts throughout the year to test these ideas out. We will keep you updated here on the Community Center.

So, what’s next?

We’ll be following your feedback and comments here on the Community Center, and will be happy to discuss more at the upcoming Host Q&A in April (alongside an update on several things we’re working on specifically for home hosts).

Airbnb has always been differentiated by the personal connections between hosts and guests. That’s why people love Airbnb, and supporting and celebrating these magical experiences continues to be our top priority, even as we grow and welcome new categories. We’re tremendously committed to your success and to helping you thrive on Airbnb. Thank you!

[Sarah977]

Yes, 700MX seems definitely overpriced for what looks essentially like young backpacker accomodation. My place, which is a private room with private bath for 1 person, with use of my full, well-equipped kitchen,  surrounded by tropical gardens, in a very expensive tourist town, in fact does look like a boutique hotel room and I list for $36 CAN/night.

Interesting that the listing has been taken down. Maybe yours wasn't the only bad review. 

[Hermien-Johnny0]

Thanks for that info

[Paul325]

 It’s also bizarre how the executive team continues to be so out of touch with the host experience, and that they can come up with new ideas that are so universally slammed by hosts...   it just makes me feel like they’ve moved on from Airbnb and now it’s just about throwing on a bunch of new revenue streams to support the IPO  that will let them all retire and become angel investors in other projects...

[Joy-E0]

As a wheelchair user, I rarely find a truly accessible Airbnb home...a rare apartment with sit down shower and elevator access. I am happy to share my wheelchair accessible master bedroom and bath and am excited at the prospect of new hotels becoming available for me to use!

---

@Airbnb wrote:

 Hi everyone,

Today we announced that Airbnb is acquiring HotelTonight. HotelTonight is a hotel-booking service that specializes in boutique and independent hotels, and focuses on making last-minute trips easy and fun. We’ve sent out a press announcement, and we want to connect here with you, our hosts, to address some questions we thought you might have.

The core of Airbnb has always been—and will continue to be—our extraordinary hosts who invite guests into their homes. Your personalized hospitality has set a new standard for guests all around the world. Last year, we introduced the idea of ‘Airbnb for Everyone'—the vision of ensuring that anyone in the world can find an amazing place to stay. Since then, we have welcomed more options for guests, including boutique hotels run by people who offer personalized hospitality and are connected to their local communities. The acquisition of HotelTonight helps fulfil this vision.

Why did you acquire HotelTonight?

Traditionally, last-minute trips can be harder for guests to book on Airbnb. Homes are often booked far in advance, and we’ve heard from many of you that it is hard to accept same day bookings from guests because you need time to clean and prepare your space. HotelTonight will help us connect these last-minute travelers with boutique hotels. In addition, HotelTonight has a strong and loyal customer base, and now we have the opportunity to introduce them to Airbnb and home sharing.

Will HotelTonight bring more guests to me?

Yes. Since we’ve started to welcome boutique hotels to Airbnb, we have seen a positive impact on home hosts. HotelTonight will accelerate that positive benefit. Here’s how it works: Boutique hotels help bring new kinds of guests to Airbnb, growing the entire ecosystem. Once these guests come to Airbnb, they’re more open to booking a home. In fact, nearly 90 percent of guests who first used Airbnb to book a hotel room and returned to our platform for a second trip booked in a home. We are delighted to see that the boutique hotels on Airbnb are helping to mainstream home sharing for new guests around the world.

Will all of HotelTonight’s hotels now be bookable on Airbnb?

No. The HotelTonight app and website will continue to operate separately as they do today. Over time,  you’ll notice that Airbnb will start bringing a select set of boutique and independent hotels onto the platform, if they meet our high standards for personal hospitality. Also, some guests may be invited to search for accommodations on HotelTonight if they can’t find a place to stay on Airbnb for their trip.

Don’t HotelTonight’s hotels take away from the ‘personalized hospitality’ that Airbnb is all about?

The hotels that we welcome on Airbnb aren’t the big, impersonal spaces you might be imagining. These are boutique and independent hotels, similar to those started by Airbnb advisor Chip Conley, when he founded one of the first boutique hotel companies in the U.S. In fact, Chip has helped us understand that the gap between boutique hoteliers and home hosts is not as far apart as people might think. Boutique hotels are run by people who live in and are connected to their local communities and who want to offer truly personal hospitality. The boutique hotels on Airbnb are typically at a higher price point than our homes, and we hold them to high standards for personal hospitality.

Specifically, boutique hotels on Airbnb need to feel personalized, with qualities such as guest rooms that reflect the local culture. And we expect the hoteliers to provide personal hospitality to guests by offering things like unique recommendations and an owner or manager available on the property full time. A great example is Surfhouse Boutique Motel, an eight-room inn run by Sander, a former home host, and his brother, Nikki, in their hometown of Encinitas, California.

On HotelTonight, you might see some global chain hotels when HotelTonight is filling specific guest demand needs. These hotels do not meet the Airbnb standards for personal hospitality, and we do not plan to add them to Airbnb.

Will you prioritize boutique hotels over homes listings in search? Will more hotels on the site limit my bookings?

No. Our search ranking algorithm is based on providing the best options for a guest, and there won’t be any special benefits for hotels.

In terms of impact on your bookings, it’s totally reasonable to wonder whether having more listings of any type (including boutique hotels) reduces bookings for existing hosts. However, as we mentioned above, having more choices for travelers brings new guests to Airbnb, so the overall pie is growing (and home hosts are benefiting). In addition, when we do bring on boutique hotels, we’re focusing on regions where we need more options for last-minute travelers.

As more boutique hotels come to Airbnb, won’t guests get confused and start expecting hotel-level service from all Airbnb hosts? What are you doing to differentiate home hosts from hotels?

Setting guest expectations is critical. Guests need to be able to find the space that’s right for them, and expectations must be clearly set so that they can be happily met. We know it’s incredibly important that we highlight what’s special about each type of stay.

We plan to further distinguish what makes your home and hospitality unique, and we’ve begun to address this challenge. For example, starting last year each listing now has a category tag that clearly identifies it (e.g. ‘room in boutique hotel’ or ‘entire home’), and we highlight that tag to guests. Previously, hotel rooms were displayed as ‘private rooms,’ which led to guest confusion.

Also, before the end of the year, you’ll see additional changes to your listing page that will further clarify for guests what type of space you have (and associated expectations) and help showcase what makes your hospitality unique. For example, a home host listing might feature that guests can use their book of amazing family recipes while a boutique hotel listing page might highlight that they source food in their restaurant from local farms. We have a few ideas that we’re working on, and will partner with hosts throughout the year to test these ideas out. We will keep you updated here on the Community Center.

So, what’s next?

We’ll be following your feedback and comments here on the Community Center, and will be happy to discuss more at the upcoming Host Q&A in April (alongside an update on several things we’re working on specifically for home hosts).

Airbnb has always been differentiated by the personal connections between hosts and guests. That’s why people love Airbnb, and supporting and celebrating these magical experiences continues to be our top priority, even as we grow and welcome new categories. We’re tremendously committed to your success and to helping you thrive on Airbnb. Thank you!

---

[PatAndDave0]

Dissagree with hotel property, Boutique hotel. These listings are going to be more like Travelocity. Guest don't want a hotel room, they want a home share, home stay. This is a money making opportunity for airbnb, taking away from home sharing host. Not a good idea, our homw listings will be buried under all the hotel managed listings.

[Jennifer1696]

Hey @Airbnb , when you travel to these coorporate meetings or with your family....do you book with airbnb? Do you meet the property owners that welcome travelers and pour their heart, dollars and time into making their listing the best it can be for the joy of it. Not sure the percentage of people that do it for the money vs the love of hosting, regardless, saturating the site with so many options will affect millions of people that depend on it for different reasons. The site is already flooded with too many things, Plus, Experiences, Resturants and now Boutique Hotels?   It warms my heart to provide a beautiful experience and to have recieved a beautiful response back from our guests. Yes, I dream of owning or running a boutique hotel of my own one day, but for now I have the luxury, convienience and uniqueness of this platform. Please consider how you started & why you started before selling out to become like every other online thing that starts out great yet eventually ruins it for the people that helped get them off the ground. I challenge you to book a few stays around the globe and see why guests and hosts alike choose @Airbnb Why not keep a good thing a good thing. I realize growth is crucial, but can't you do that on another site keeping it totally separate under the company umbrella and not flood the airbnb site?

[PatAndDave0]

Agree with the above!!!! Jennifer !!!!

[Esther359]

I am not surprised that Airbnb as a profit making platform would continue to expand its businesses by acquiring platforms which could add value to its business. I think the bottomline is curation and ensuring everyone is benefited from the platform. 

[David-and-Fiona0]

What a load of rationalising twaddle. It adds more competition to hosts. Once again hosts are hung out to dry. 

[Matthew1022]

A

[PatAndDave0]

Can you please continue your statement from 11-24? I only got the first sentence. I get info from them frequently and was interested in your comment. Thanks.

[Bruce476]

I never thought I would be thinking about looking for other platforms to list my cottage, but that’s suddenly top of my list to research now thanks to this news.

I’m a member of a local short term rentals association comprised of mostly Airbnb hosts.  Just yesterday 10 of us had guests tell them that when trying to book their available listing they were given a page from Airbnb telling them that the listing that was not available - restricted (even though it was available and there were no virus or other related restrictions of any kind in our city or state) and they they should follow a link to Choose and book a HOTEL or PRIVATE ROOM for your stay!

this was clearly the Airbnb platform forcibly taking a guest who wanted to Book with the host of their choice, taking that choice away and forcing them to book with an Airbnb owned hotel!

Seriously Airbnb?  

We have to compete directly against your own owned hotels and we don’t even get to compete because you just steel away any guest that wants to book with us when ever you want in order to fill your hotel rooms first?

This is not ok.

If this is your new normal I will be leaving your platform as soon as possible and I’ll be encouraging as many hosts that have ears and similar concerns To come with me to another platform (of course one will fill a void this huge).

[Bruce476]

EDIT:

Just a couple of our group had this issue, not 10. the 10 was including other instances mentioned outside of our group of about 50 active users and 125 members in the facebook group.

ERROR: I miss took the HotelTonight platform purchase to include some physical hotel properties and conflated the two. After some sleep and re-reading their statement, I was wrong. They are not purchasing hotels directly, just adding the new platform and bringing some of those hotels into the AirBnB platform. 

So they would NOT be booking people into their own, fully owned by AirBnB properties, but they will be listing hotel rooms along side regular listings and they will be focused on adding whatever they consider "boutique" hotels that have higher rates (thus higher booking fees for AirBnB) along with our traditional listings. 

And it appears from others comments that one hotel might get multiple listings? One listing for each available room? which if true would push down and dilute traditional listings in a sea of redundant listings for the same hotel? Not sure about this.

What I have confirmed is that when one clicks on the link to book a hotel room instead of the listing that they are trying to book and that is a available, yet restricted for some "unknown" reason, it takes you to the HotelTonight.com site in my city which lists not a single "boutique" hotel, but does offer 16 standard chain hotels and even motels! 

Of course AirBnB since purchasing HotelTonight gets the booking commission on any of these hotels hundreds and hundreds of rooms so they don't care if I don't get the booking that they literally took by force from a guest that was trying to book my listing. 

This is an immoral way to do business. 

Fair competition between traditional listings, hotels even high end boutique hotels I have no problem with. 

Forcibly taking a guest that is actually trying to book a listing and moving them to fill hotels that you also list, or in my city, don't actually even list! - is wrong.