Airbnb connections in New York City: what we’re really about

September 14, 2011 By

What is Airbnb really about?

Is it the snazzy spaces? The remarkable hosts? Or the adventures to be had?

It’s all of these and more. Airbnb is a culmination of people, places and connections that make our community the driving force of our efforts in changing the way people experience the world.

We have thousands of spaces in New York, generating thousands of connections every day. And in a city that goes at full speed, never sleeps, and is filled with unique neighborhoods and diverse characters, why wouldn’t you want to share that?

Our travelers and hosts share in an experience like no other, one that is authentic, genuine, and powerful. We believe our community has the spirit that holds true to what Airbnb has always envisioned, and for that we have nothing but the deepest appreciation for their support.

Curious? Inspired? Take a deeper look.

(Music: BulletsinMadison.com)

 

 

Quench Your Wanderlust – On Us!

June 21, 2011 By

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Get Started Now!

It’s summer and even the most seasoned travelers are warding off wanderlust by cruising through the Airbnb Collections but if making the green is what’s holding you back from your vacation dream, we’ve got good news for you.

After a hugely successful closed-beta program that brought 2,107 new members to the Airbnb community through 2,161 existing members (nearly a 1:1 ratio of community goodness), we’re opening the floodgates so everyone in the Airbnb family can earn free travel. That’s right – as if using Airbnb wasn’t fun enough, now we’re letting you earn free trips for the word you’re probably spreading anyway.

Here’s how it works:

  • For each friend you invite to Airbnb that books a trip of $75 or more, you will receive $25 travel credit.
  • For each friend you invite to Airbnb that posts their place and receives a booking, you will receive $75.
  • So, each friend you invite can earn you up to $100 travel credit.
  • Invite friends from Facebook, by email or through the unique referral URL that gives you credit as your referrals sign up through the link.
  • Travel credit stacks up and can be applied all at once to a specific trip. Meaning, if you have $400 in referral credit and you book a place for a total of $450, you only pay $50.
  • We automatically generate a coupon code for your credit, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting a pin number or wasting your points – we’ve got you covered.
  • If you want to bank your points for later, simply remove the coupon code until you’re ready to cash in your credits.
  • After you have invited friends, you can track the status of your invites in a table on www.airbnb.com/referrals

With listings in over 14,500 cities in 184 countries, the world is literally your oyster. Plus, you get to travel like a local, meet interesting people and experience unique places all across the globe. Here are a couple of our favorite spaces to put it all in perspective:

  • Want to go to Nairobi and have breakfast with a couple giraffes? Get five friends to sign up!
  • Longing to stroll along the Seine for your own Parisian getaway amid museums, cafes and cathedrals? Give four friends the inside scoop.
  • Need to bask in the legendary Grecian sunset on the island of Santorini? Invite three friends (who may just want to come with you).
  • Dying to live like Tarzan and swing from the trees in Kona? Holla at two friends.
  • Feeling like setting up shop in New York’s finest? Tell a friend about Airbnb.

We can’t wait to hear your tales of trailblazing and to welcome your friends and family to the Airbnb community! Let us know where will you go with your referral points in the comments below.

Airbnb Meetups: Northwestward Ho!

February 5, 2011 By

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Our first stop on the Northwest Meetup Tour was in the fine city of Seattle. Approaching from the south, we jogged the coastline on Alaskan Way as the sun dipped low in the sky. We could almost smell the coffee in the air and the frenetic beat of grunge rock. Cradled into the great palm of the surrounding hills, the majestic peak of Mt. Ranier loomed in the distance. It is of no surprise that Seattle has become one of Airbnb’s top destinations. 

On a mission to meet the city’s best hosts, we teamed up with coworking space, Office Nomads, to offer an evening of wine, nibbles, and Airbnb talk. A cast of characters gathered in this quirky community office to swap host and traveler tips, share stories, and meet Airbnb staffers, Venetia (of AirTV), Ligaya, and videographer, Dillon. 

It was a great opportunity for us to hear the ways members helped make Airbnb experience simple and special for all – from offering fresh baked cookies in the evening to exchanging keys with fellow hosts to help with check ins – and ways we could improve the service. Many hosts signed up for our free photography program (hosts, sign up now!), and there were even a few local artists in the house, including illustrator Mark Brennan, that sketched pictures of hosts’ properties. Check out the photos here.

The tour continues as we head north to Vancouver, then off to Portland! Join us on here and watch the adventures unfold…

 

Top 5 Photo Tips For A Stellar Listing

November 29, 2010 By
Photos are the first things prospective guests look at when considering a property, and as listings with great photos receive more bookings, we’ve got to make sure that your place shines! A virtual tour gives a taste what it’s like to stay at your place and helps set expectations for guests so they can book with confidence. Not a host yet? List your space here!

Here are a few photo tips that will help spiffy up your listing:

Light it up: brightness lends depth and color variance to the scene. Sunlight is best, but if it’s a dim day, just flick on an overhead light and lamp.

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Shoot into a corner: shows the range of space and adds dimensionality, also gives the appearance of being larger.

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Take exterior photos: help people imagine what coming home would look and feel like. Photograph the entire structure and surrounding area.

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Clean the scene: de-cluttering is key as it will make your place feel more livable and extra things won’t distract in the photo. Just be sure this is a true reflection of how guests will find the space.

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Highlight the amenities: document the offerings that make your space unique and comfortable (e.g. patio and BBQ grill, Tempurpedic bed, etc.)

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Our onsite system makes photo uploading quick and easy. Just go into your Dashboard and under Hosting, click Edit Listing to add pictures. You can also take them with our iPhone app and upload them to your listing directly. Eager for more? Hosting tips await.

Happy hosting!

 

 

Meetup: San Francisco Brunch Spectacular

November 24, 2010 By

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What better way to meet your fellow hosts than with a belly full of eggs, mimosa in hand, and sun shining gloriously! As the Airbnb community discovered at last Sunday, this may be just the golden formula. Guests converged at hot SOMA hashery, Radius, to share their experiences, exchange expert tips, and hobnob with members of the Airbnb team. Many thanks to all who joined us!

The stories we heard from hosts were just remarkable: some now able to cover their mortgages due to a steady stream of guests, others recalled guests who’d left a handmade note and a bottle of wine – they described making real connections to people. By welcoming others into homes not only do we show them a unique side to our cities, but draw upon our own local knowledge to enrich a traveler’s experience. Time and again, the thoughtfulness and dynamism of the community inspires us. 

Notice those lightning bolt badges? In September, we launched the SuperHost program to recognize Airbnb’s extraordinary hosts! These folks are great hospitality personified. Think you belong with the pros? The SuperHost Alliance awaits you…

How To Host an Airbnb Meetup

November 19, 2010 By
“I was very impressed with the range of people there, it was great to feel like part of this whole other community.”  -Michele L, Brooklyn Host

This past weekend was a milestone in Airbnb history; our first official community-organized meetup took place in NYC! With the heroic efforts of our SuperHost Annie, generosity of Lisel and her Brooklyn brownstone, and enthusiasm of our NYC community, last Sunday’s soiree turned into an exemplary display of how to throw an Airbnb meetup. 

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Taking cues from Annie and the gang we’ve outlined how you too can throw an Airbnb sponsored community get-together:

Create the event-
  1. Declare your interest in organizing a meetup- Contact party@airbnb.com with subject line, “I want to throw a meetup!”
  2. Propose a purpose- Who is this meetup for (hosts, guests, everyone)? Why do you want to get this group together (discuss how to be a better host, casually meet over drinks, explain to new members what it’s like)?
  3. Set a date and time- During the day? On the weekend? 
  4. Find a location- Search through your city to find an Airbnb location you’d like to throw the event at and we’ll put you in touch (hint: search for amenity “Suitable for Events”).

Preparing for the event-

  1. Feed your guests- Will there be alcohol? Will catering be necessary? Or, is it a chance for Airbnb-ers to show off their cooking genius with a potluck dinner?
  2. Prepare your guests- Are there any special directions or notes to send to the guests prior to the day of the meetup? Provide us info and we’ll get it to the right people.
  3. Inform your guests- Want to print handouts? Name tags? We have some suggestions but tell us what you envision your Airbnb meetup to look like.

At the event-

  1. Snap some pictures- Let’s document and share your experiences with the global Airbnb community.
  2. Gather feedback- We want to know how to improve Airbnb for everyone, from the streets of NYC to the hills of Morocco, and unfortunately we can’t be in thousands of places at once.
  3. Have fun- You’ll be amazed at the number of different and amazing people who live right in your backyard!
Not ready to throw a meetup but interested in being involved in your local Airbnb community? Offer your place or culinary skills for future meetups by emailing party@airbnb.com and keep a lookout for email invitations to attend an event near you!

 

The Airbnb Community Gathers in Washington, D.C.

November 2, 2010 By

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A contentious election season is well underway, but Washingtonians who dig Airbnb were able to escape the city’s partisan bickering at last week’s “AirBooze and Bites” happy hour. The event brought Airbnb evangelists of all political stripes to Ris, an upscale-chill restaurant in the District’s West End neighborhood.  

Attendees sipped cocktails, sampled Ris’ wares, and mingled with fellow savvy travelers.  Hosted by Jeremy Long, a member of Airbnb’s AirCrew, this fall’s happy hour was a resounding success. Which is more than we can say for some candidates’ campaign tactics.

Take a peek at the photo action here. Airbnb would like to thank guest blogger and Airbnb traveler, Tanya S, for sharing her experience with us!

Looking for lodging in the nation’s capital? Start your search…

Portland meetup pics – Airbnb.com

February 22, 2010 By
The first Portland Airbnb meet-up was a success! Thanks everyone for coming out to Veritable Quandry on Friday night. See all our hosts in action here: http://www.airbnb.com/travel/portland/or

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Party in the sky at Airbnb HQ

October 20, 2009 By
We’ll be hosting one of the official after parties for Startup School this Saturday night. RSVP REQUIRED to get on the list. Due to the large number of people attending the party, only those on the list will be able to get in the door. Email party@airbnb.com.

Still need a place to stay? See the Startup School group on Airbnb.

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Airbnb crew goes international: Paris meet up!

September 25, 2009 By

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Bonjour mes amis! Airbnb is coming to the city of lights, and we’re inviting you to an exclusive celebration with over 100 hosts offering wonderful accommodations in Paris. Meet co-founders Joe Gebbia & Brian Chesky, and employees Lisa Dubost & Nick Grandy. The meet-up is scheduled at Alcazar (map), a beautiful mezzanine bar in the St. Germain neighborhood. We welcome hosts and travelers alike to join us for drinks Saturday, 3 October 2009, starting at 7pm. Bring a friend, and you both receive a $50 gift card towards travel at anyone of our 1300 cities around the world. Rsvp to erin (at) airbnb.com. 
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