RestEasy Experience
In 2007, Joe and I opened our home up to the first Airbnb guests. They booked a place to stay, but they ended up with something more than just an airbed at a slightly messy apartment. They learned our favorite places to grab coffee, ate the best tacos in the city, and had friends to hang out with whenever they wanted. They were thousands of miles from where they lived, and yet they felt right at home. What started as a way for a few friends to pay the rent has now transformed into something bigger and more meaningful than we ever imagined. And what we realized is that the Airbnb community has outgrown the original Airbnb brand. So Joe, Nate, and I did some soul-searching over the last year. We asked ourselves, “What is our mission? What is the big idea that truly defines Airbnb?” It turns out the answer was right in front of us. For so long, people thought Airbnb was about renting houses. But really, we’re about home. You see, a house is just a space, but a home is where you belong. And what makes this global community so special is that for the very first time, you can belong anywhere. That is the idea at the core of our company: belonging. Read more
30 Sep 2015
When travelers search for a place to stay, our search engine shows them the listings that best match their criteria, and that they’re most likely to successfully book. This helps guests plan their trip, and helps hosts confirm more bookings. A lot goes into finding the best search results for each person, and hosts often ask us how we do it. To help you better understand how our search algorithms try to find matches that reflect both host and guest preferences, here are some things to keep in mind. Read more
30 Sep 2015