Founder Says Airbnb Complements Hotels

SAN FRANCISCO—Airbnb co-founder, Brian Chesky, addressed ULI Fall Meeting attendees as part of a conversation with Constance Moore, president and CEO of BRE Properties, ULI San Francisco board member and the sponsorship committee chair for the 2015 Fall Meeting. Chesky described his company’s model of hospitality as complementary, rather than a threat, to the traditional hotel industry since Airbnb’s global network of hosts can alleviate consumer demand that cannot always be met during periods of peak occupancy. 

Citing the example of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the fans who flooded its cities, Chesky said that Airbnb’s inventory of hosts and private homes can help hotels and cities contend with the challenge of having an adequate supply of rooms for tourists and business travelers to stay in during major events.