It’s a brutal time for travel, and Airbnb is no exception. It’s laying off 1,900 people, 25% of its staff. But the way that CEO Brian Chesky did it is exemplary — with compassion and a clear explanation. There was no way that Airbnb would survive the pandemic unscathed. Revenue had been cut in half….
I’ve just completed a wonderful Airbnb stay with a gracious host — along with an incredible Airbnb outdoor experience. But once these transactions were done, Airbnb committed a heinous blunder that soured me on the whole concept. My hosts in San Diego promised a four-bedroom house with a well-equipped kitchen — and delivered exactly what…
I’m on a short vacation right now, visiting with family. I’m staying in an Airbnb and I just had one of Airbnb’s local “experiences.” Stuff has gone wrong. And it’s glorious. If business travel is about comfort and predictability, leisure travel is, at least for me, about having unique, memorable, highly local experiences. My wife…
Curious about what it’s like to live on a houseboat? Here’s a video of our Airbnb on Westerdok. While there are some tight spots, it was a blast . . . easily accessible to everything by bus and tram, and a truly unique accommodation.
I’ve travelled internationally with my family many times. We’re immeasurably richer because we stay in people’s houses. I’ll share what we did — and why I loved it. Here’s a list of places we’ve rented from Airbnb and similar outfits, in roughly chronological order. This list starts when my youngest kid was three and ends…
AirBnB CEO Brian Chesky’s latest post responds to accusations from last December that its hosts discriminate based on race. Chesky’s post reads as sincere because of the low density of weasel words, even though he starts off with a huge faux pas. AirBnB’s first response AirBnB first responded to this issue on its blog in May. David…