Airbnb
Product brand
UnclaimedAirbnb is the world's largest online marketplace for short-term homestays and experiences, connecting hosts and guests in more than 220 countries and regions.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
Airbnb is an American online marketplace brand for short-term lodging, experiences and, more recently, services. It was founded in 2008 in San Francisco by designer Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, who were joined by engineer Nathan Blecharczyk; the company's first product was an air-mattress rental in the founders' own apartment, which gave the brand its name. Airbnb does not own hotels or real estate. Instead, it operates a two-sided digital platform on which individual hosts list spare rooms, entire homes, villas, cabins and other unique stays, and guests search, book and pay online. The company earns revenue primarily from service fees charged to hosts and guests on each booking. Over time the brand expanded from private-room rentals into entire-home listings, 'Airbnb Plus' and 'Luxury Retreats' premium tiers, 'Airbnb Experiences' (hosted activities) and 'Airbnb Adventures' (multi-day trips). Its portfolio of acquired brands has included HotelTonight (last-minute hotel booking), Luxury Retreats and Tilt. The company also built a large trust-and-safety apparatus — verified identities, host guarantees, the AirCover protection programme and a review system — that became central to its positioning as an alternative to traditional hotels. Airbnb's international expansion was rapid. In 2017 it launched a dedicated China business under the Chinese brand name 爱彼迎 (Aibiying), but in 2022 it announced that it would withdraw from domestic listings in mainland China while continuing to serve outbound Chinese travellers. The company became a public company in December 2020, listing on Nasdaq under the ticker ABNB, and it has since become one of the largest travel platforms in the world by gross booking value. Today Airbnb positions itself as a 'belong anywhere' travel brand built around unique stays and local hosting, competing with Booking Holdings, Expedia/Vrbo and regional short-term rental platforms. Its business is highly seasonal and sensitive to travel demand, regulation of short-term rentals in major cities, and public-health shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which sharply reduced bookings in 2020 before a strong recovery in domestic and rural travel.
History
Airbnb began in 2007–2008 in San Francisco, when roommates Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, unable to pay rent, inflated air mattresses in their loft and rented them to attendees of a local design conference. The experiment, marketed as 'Air Bed & Breakfast', revealed demand for cheap, informal lodging. Engineer Nathan Blecharczyk joined as the third co-founder, and the trio built a website that let ordinary people rent spare space to travellers. Early growth was slow and the company was famously funded in part by selling novelty cereal boxes; it later joined the startup accelerator Y Combinator in 2009, which helped it scale. The brand's breakthrough came from opening the platform to 'entire home' listings and from a series of product and trust innovations: professional photography for listings, a verified-identity system, a peer review system and a host guarantee. These moves turned a niche couch-surfing idea into a mainstream alternative to hotels. Airbnb expanded internationally through localised sites and mobile apps, and by the mid-2010s it was one of the largest accommodation platforms in the world by room-nights booked. Airbnb used acquisitions to broaden its offering: it bought the premium villa company Luxury Retreats in 2017, the last-minute hotel app HotelTonight in 2019, and the social-payments startup Tilt. It launched 'Airbnb Experiences' in 2016 and 'Airbnb Adventures' in 2019, extending the brand from beds to activities. In China, the company launched a dedicated localised service under the Chinese name 爱彼迎 in 2017, but in 2022 it announced it would remove domestic listings in mainland China, citing the costs of operating in a highly regulated and competitive market, while keeping outbound travel service for Chinese users. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused a severe collapse in bookings and forced layoffs, but the company recovered strongly as travellers shifted toward domestic, rural and drive-to destinations. Airbnb went public on Nasdaq in December 2020 under the ticker ABNB, one of the largest technology IPOs of that year. In the years since, the brand has focused on simplifying fees, improving guest and host trust, expanding long-term stays and, more recently, adding services and experiences to its core stays marketplace. It has also faced growing regulatory pressure in cities such as New York, Barcelona, Paris and Amsterdam, where short-term rental rules restrict listings.
Airbnb founded in San Francisco by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia and Nathan Blecharczyk
Joins Y Combinator accelerator
Launches Airbnb Experiences
Acquires Luxury Retreats; launches China business under the name 爱彼迎
Acquires HotelTonight; launches Airbnb Adventures
Initial public offering on Nasdaq (ABNB)
Announces withdrawal from domestic listings in mainland China
Products and positioning
A global travel marketplace brand built on unique, locally hosted stays and 'belong anywhere' hospitality, positioned as an alternative to traditional hotels.
Airbnb Stays
Core marketplace for rooms, homes and unique stays
Airbnb Experiences
Hosted local activities and tours
Airbnb Adventures
Multi-day hosted trips
Airbnb Luxe / Luxury Retreats
Premium villa and luxury home rentals
HotelTonight
Last-minute hotel booking app
AirCover
Protection programme for hosts and guests
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Airbnb China partners with Italian National Tourism Board and Italian State Railways on Italy outdoor rail travel initiative[2]
Airbnb China, together with the Italian National Tourism Board and Italian State Railways, launched the "I Love This Outdoor — Italy Outdoor Rail Journey" initiative, featuring four hiking routes across the Dolomites, Amalfi Coast, Lake Como and Umbria, inviting outdoor explorers to travel by train to reach Italy's natural destinations.
Reported
Airbnb reports fourth-quarter and full-year 2021 results[3]
Airbnb released its fourth-quarter and full-year 2021 results, reporting fourth-quarter revenue of $1.5 billion and full-year revenue 25% higher than in 2019.
Reported
Airbnb launches a course on hosting Experiences[4]
Airbnb’s host academy launched the course series “How to Make the Most of Experiences,” covering the process for publishing an Experience, designing it, managing it, and hosting it in person.
Reported
Airbnb expands free cancellation coverage globally[5]
Airbnb updated its cancellation policy on March 14, extending free cancellation coverage globally for eligible stays booked by that date and scheduled from March 14 to April 14. Mainland China coverage was scheduled to return to normal rules on April 1.
Reported
Airbnb announced as an Olympic top sponsor through 2028[6]
The International Olympic Committee and Airbnb announced that Airbnb would support the Olympic movement as an Olympic top sponsor through 2028.
Reported
Airbnb and IOC announce global Olympic partnership[7]
Airbnb and the International Olympic Committee announced a nine-year partnership, with Airbnb supporting the Olympic Movement through 2028.
Sources7 sources
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