Brian Chesky Talks About Just How Different The Hotel Business Is From Airbnb

The conversation about exactly how Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky saw his company seemed a bit confusing during his 20 minute panel on the Disrupt SF stage this afternoon. Chesky was adamant that Airbnb is like a hotel until it isn?t.

Chesky started off comparing Airbnb to eBay, saying the travel booking service was ?like the eBay of space in the early days.? He then went on to admit to moderator Ryan Lawler that Airbnb was like a hotel until it wasn?t convenient for it to be one, ?The big misnomer about hotels is that they own hotels. Their model isn?t that different from ours. Hotels are basically like a franchisee ? we are but more decentralized.? Chesky then said that Airbnb also wasn?t like a hotel because it was in the trip business. ?We had to ask ourselves a couple of years ago we?re not in the business of homes, we?re not in the business of space, we?re in the business of trips,? Chesky told the audience. ?But you?re not a hotel?? Lawler asked him. ?Not a hotel,? affirmed Chesky.

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