The Airbnb Blog - Company news, tips, and features

Ratted out the wrong nonexistent agency? If nameless, faceless goons are breathing down your neck, it may be time to make a quick getaway to a cozy corner that’s a little out of the way.

And have we got the hideouts for you. With these secluded spaces, you’ll have plenty of time* to ponder the difference between righteous whistleblowing and good ol’ fashioned attention-mongering.

Enjoy the silence. While you can.

1. The Galápagos Islands

   
   Tucked into a corner of Galápagos National Park, Ecuador, this little villa claims to be “ideal for families, friends, and couples who wish to have a bit more space to themselves.” Just be sure to encrypt your connection to the free wifi to avoid shadowy operatives tracking you down. (Editorial note from engineering department: the previous sentence makes no sense.)

2. The Maldives

   
   See that little dude all by himself? That little dude could be you. Set apart from the pricey Maldivian resorts, the Fenfushi Maldives Inn takes seclusion to a whole new plane. Although, come to think of it, the fact that they note “Our…agents will be waiting for you in each airport” is a bit worrisome. Hm.

3. Greenland

   
   How secret is this place? So secret that the freaking map isn’t even close to where the listing actually is. Now THAT’S privacy. “Relax in Nuuk,” for sure. (Did we mention that it’s not even in Nuuk, according to the description?)

4. Micronesia

   
   Want to escape the tyranny of Uncle Sam, but can’t be bothered changing your currency? You’re in luck. This little slice of Pacific paradise is your dream hideout. Micronesia…with a name like that, surely your new home is too small to get noticed. Right?

5. Somewhere in Mongolia

   
   You’ve got itchy feet. We don’t blame you. Try this on for size: a nomadic yurt near the Russia–Mongolia border. With no fixed address, you’ll be nearly untrackable. Nearly.

6. The Middle of the Ocean

   
   Kicking around off the coast of Belize is this completely deserted Caribbean island. How deserted? Well, amenities include “several large trees.” Sun, fun, and utter disengagement from the human race. What more could an overly chatty chap want?

Looking to make a getaway of your own? Where would you go to escape the daily humdrones humdrum?

*Time subject to tracking capabilities of nameless, faceless goons. Good luck with that.

Airbnb hosts open their homes to guests all over the world every day. Together, we’ve built a community founded on hospitality, trust, respect, and generosity.

When Superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast, Airbnb hosts in New York opened doors and cooked meals for those left stranded. When we heard the stories, we were humbled, inspired, and challenged to build a way to scale these generous acts throughout our community and the world.

The first thing we did was to hack a way to take in displaced neighbors for free. We made some key changes to the Airbnb website to ensure hosts could share their space free of charge, and ultimately provided over 1,400 free or discounted properties during the storm.

But making those changes took more time than we would like, and it was difficult to get word of this new option to those without electricity. In an emergency every moment is precious, and natural disasters are difficult to predict. This got us thinking: how can we do more, more efficiently in the future? Emergency housing is an incredibly complex problem to solve, but our community is amazingly generous and spans across 192 countries around the world. What steps could we take right now to be prepared?

We sought out advice from experts including IDEO, San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management, and other organizations. Then our team got to work and built a tool that can be activated anywhere in the world in 30 minutes or less.

Our new Disaster Response Tool will do the following:

• Allow local residents with extra space to host those in need.
• Allow existing hosts to donate their rooms for free to those in need.
• Make all Airbnb bookings in areas affected by a natural disaster fee-free.
• Email hosts in the affected area, asking them if they are able to help.
• Connect guests to hosts that have space to offer in the affected area via a dynamic landing page.
• Provide Airbnb’s 24/7 customer support, Trust & Safety tools, Host Guarantee and other services regularly available to Airbnb hosts.
• Provide general disaster response information to guests and hosts.

The best part of Airbnb is the hosts and guests who share their spaces and their experiences with travelers from around the world. We have been amazed by the kindness and generosity of the people who are a part of our community. We hope this new tool will make it easier for all of us to help our neighbors in times of need.

Sick of rifling through your frayed old wallet?

We have a wallet we think you’ll like better.

Today, we’re happy to feature the new Google Wallet as part of the Airbnb Android app. Google Wallet users will be able to complete purchases in a flash—without having to bust out a single credit card.

If you’re new to Airbnb, you can simply use your Google account to log in without having to register.

So if you don’t have it already, download the Airbnb app from Google Play (it’s free, of course) and start exploring!

Trust is the key to our community.

There is no place for anonymity in a trusted community. That’s why we’re dedicated to providing our users with the best decision-making tools possible.

We believe that the right technology can help lay the foundation for trust in other people. We’ve committed to innovation in the trust arena, with features like our secure payment structure, 24/7 customer service, sophisticated messaging tools, and $1,000,000 Host Guarantee.

Today, we are proud to introduce Airbnb Verified ID—the next step for trust at Airbnb.

Verified ID provides a connection between the online and offline spaces. Airbnb users can earn a “Verified ID” badge on their profile by providing their online identity (via existing Airbnb reviews, LinkedIn, or Facebook) and matching it to offline ID documentation, such as confirming personal information or scanning a photo ID. The name provided by both channels must match for verification to succeed.

Starting today, Airbnb will require a random 25% of users in the USA to go through the Verified ID process. Soon, we’ll expand this requirement to users around the world. We hope that hosts and guests worldwide will see the benefits of interacting with users who complete Verified ID. Our goal is for all Airbnb members to have Verified ID eventually.

Any Airbnb host can now require their prospective guests to obtain Verified IDs before booking. Trust runs in both directions, so any host who requests this condition must also get verified.

In the meantime, you can jump the queue and verify your identity by visiting airbnb.com/verify.

Verified ID is the latest addition to our suite of trust tools. In the end, every member of our community must make their own decisions as to whom to interact and connect with. Determining whom to trust is a choice that each Airbnb host and traveler must make for themselves.

For more on all of our trust tools, jump over to airbnb.com/trust.

Trust and verification. They just go together.

If you need emergency accommodations owing to the tragic events at the Boston Marathon, please visit www.airbnb.com/boston-urgent.

We encourage Boston-area hosts to offer their space to those in need, if possible. You can do this at the same page: www.airbnb.com/boston-urgent.

Airbnb is waiving all service fees in Boston for bookings starting today, tomorrow, or Wednesday. (Check out by Saturday, April 20.)

For urgent help, please visit www.airbnb.com/contact or call 1-855-4-AIRBNB (1-855-424-7262).

Today’s guest post is from Tory of Wanderable, a site that helps fund the honeymoon dreams of travel-loving couples. We love Wanderable because it’s built on the philosophy that creating experiences is more important than accumulating things. 

Travel-loving couples on Wanderable aren’t asking for pots and pillowcases from their wedding guests. They’re looking for snorkeling expeditions in Bora Bora, microbrewery tours in Portland, and beachside massages in Kauai. And because they’re passionate about unique experiences, they’re looking beyond crowded pools and cookie-cutter rooms. 

These creative couples have latched on to Airbnb as the perfect place to start looking for a place to stay after their big day. Here are some of their favorite romantic Airbnb properties:

1. Kailua, Hawaii

An airy tropical cottage steps from Kealakekua Bay.

2. Cooper, Costa Rica

A Costa Rican treehouse with private hot springs.

3. Paris, France

 A romantic loft in the heart of the City of Light.

4. Koh Chang, Thailand

A Thai home for two on the beaches of Koh Chang.

5. Los Angeles, California

An Entourage-worthy guest house in the LA hills.

6. Kauai, Hawaii

An affordable, adorable apartment overlooking the Wailua River.

7. Isla Mujeres, Mexico

A seashell-shaped sanctuary on the Yucatán coast.

8. Bali, Indonesia

A traditional home steps from the beach.

9. Dubrovnik, Croatia

A coastal villa with sweeping ocean views.

10. Nanuku Levu Island, Fiji

And, to cap it off, your very own private island in the South Pacific.

 

 

We always thought Airbnb was the best place to rock out. Now we know.

To launch his new album, “Come Rain or Shine,” Swiss pop-folk artist Célien Schneider headlined the very first Airbnb concert. The venue: a stunning three-story loft in Paris.

In partnership with Off TV, Célien offered an intimate experience to lucky members of the Airbnb and Off TV communities. He was accompanied by a guitar and piano, which carried the audience into his gentle, meditative world.

Host Albin was proud to share his space with the community, saying, “I’m passionate about music and work in the music industry. When Airbnb offered me to host a private and original concert for fans in a unique place like mine, I thought ‘Why not?’” Thanks for your hospitality, Albin!

Today’s entry comes from guest poster Samuel Christian, co-founder of Danish startup Wink.

With a small team and high-speed wi-fi access, your startup can work from almost anywhere in the world. Here’s how we used Airbnb to cover most of the costs of an eight-week San Francisco trip for our eight Copenhagen-based employees—and how you can do it too.

1. Set up your listing

We were headed to San Francisco to get in touch with early app adopters, network with other entrepreneurs, meet industry journalists, and, most importantly, escape the dark, cold Danish winter.

We had to raise $24,000—$17,000 for an Airbnb workspace and accommodations, and $7,000 for flights. That was our funding goal.

The next step was to list our apartments in Copenhagen on Airbnb. We agreed that all revenue would be put into a shared pot to cover the trip. 

2. Get professional photography

Airbnb claims that having the Verified Photo ribbon on your listing’s photos significantly increases your bookings. It does. Definitely take advantage of their photography service.

3. Work out what makes your space different, and price accordingly

We realized that our founders’ apartment was one of the few in Copenhagen large enough to sleep 10 people. So we did our research and set the price below the other options available in that category to ensure we got the most booking requests: $199 per night. It’s simple—spend some time researching the competition. It will pay off.

4. Complete your profile thoroughly

Follow Airbnb’s guidelines and fill out EVERYTHING. This means your apartment description, your personal profile, and your guidebook. It’s tempting to cut corners, but this is time well spent and will save you a lot of question-answering later.

5. Ask your friends to write references

If you’re new to Airbnb, you’ll have no reviews. Instead, get your friends to write a few words about how kind and responsible you are. This gives potential guests peace of mind and will improve your visibility. Once you start receiving guests, ask them all to write reviews.

6. Always respond to requests straight away

You have to act fast to secure bookings on Airbnb. Prompt communication is key to securing bookings, so download the Airbnb mobile app and get notified right away every time a potential guest contacts you.

7. Employ a person on the ground

When your guests arrive, you’re going to be away with your team. So, you’re going to need an Airbnb liaison to welcome your guests, hand over keys, explain where things are and how things work, receive keys, clean up, and prepare for the next set of guests.

You’ll need to find someone you can trust, and you should pay them. We asked a friend (who happens to own a cleaning company) to be our Airbnb liaison, and paid her per booking. You really have to trust this person, and it’s super important that your communication is extremely good. I told all guests at time of booking that I would be using a friend to take care of them whilst I was away—it’s important they know how things are going to work right from the beginning.

I could go on, but you’re better off looking for answers to most of your questions in Airbnb’s ”How can I create a good listing” pages.

So, how did we do?

We’re now midway through our stay in San Francisco. To date, we’ve earned about $15,000 while away. There are still a couple of weekends where the apartment is available, so we’re hoping to generate a little more income to edge nearer to our goal 

Already, within the short time we’ve been here, we’ve learned things about our product from other, more experienced entrepreneurs that we never could have at home in Denmark. We’ve networked and attended events almost every day since arriving, and most importantly, we’ve tested our product on the “early adopters” that are nothing but a distant dream when you’re sitting in your Copenhagen office.

The main chunk of our deficit came as a result of us not being able to find a company to temporarily rent our office in Copenhagen. And yes, we do take this very seriously. We tried everything: estate agents, our local startup network, freelancers, and co-working websites such as Good Co-Working and Deskmag. The problem we encountered was that our large space was too expensive for most freelancers, and that any company who could afford it didn’t want the space on such a short lease. 

This got me to thinking—why isn’t there an Office Swap website out there? Wouldn’t it be cool if startup companies around the world could connect, and exchange offices for a couple of months at a time. Someone should make that site, or maybe someone already did? I’d love to learn more about this.

You can do this!

As small, agile startups, our flexibility puts us in a privileged position that we absolutely should take advantage of. The world really is our oyster. Our experience has already provided us with professional and personal experience that you really can’t put a price tag on. We’re productive, happy and more motivated than ever to build a product that kicks some serious ass. 

Decide where you want to go, make Airbnb your friend, and take the leap!

Admit it: you’re a bit sick of rifling through your frayed old wallet to find the credit card that somehow got sandwiched between sixteen partially used gift cards and that old if-I-play-three-more-rounds-I-get-a-free-round Mini Golf E-Z Loyalty Card. When did you even get that card? High school?

Anyway.

We have a wallet we think you’ll like better. Partly because Google made it.

Today, we’re happy to feature the new Google Wallet as part of the Airbnb Android app. Google Wallet users will be able to sign on using their Google accounts and complete purchases in a flash—without having to bust out a single credit card.

The data whizzes at Google keep your financial information safe and secure, and you’re completely protected against unauthorized purchases.

To kickstart your exploration of Google Wallet, Airbnb and Google are offering a discount of $20 for anyone who makes a purchase using Google Wallet. Can your wallet do that?

So if you don’t have it already, download the Airbnb app from Google Play (it’s free, of course) and start exploring!