Sarah · Sep 30, 2026 · 1 min read
Airbnb's fall release adds AI search for guests, a social layer, more bookable services and a set of AI-assisted tools for hosts.
An opinion piece argues independent hotels are losing pricing control as AI assistants source rates from OTAs.
A WARN notice shows 58 Seattle positions will be eliminated between November 21 and December 1, 2026.
The agreement targets India's homestay ecosystem and lesser-known destinations through training, workshops and promotion.
Platform changes and revisited configuration cut pods by 30% and memory by 20% with no service code changes.
Airbnb's engineers describe a location-based method to tailor what anonymous visitors see, without logins or cookies.
A WARN notice filed in Washington state shows 58 corporate roles will go in late November and early December.
Lola, built by Kayak co-founders Steve Hafner and Paul English, runs on memberships rather than commissions.
Vrbo will charge all hosts and property managers a flat 12% commission from October 29, 2026, while sharply cutting guest fees.
Airbnb groups roughly 1,000 nearby users into a shared key to personalize for visitors with no history or identifier.
At Skift Global Forum, Brian Chesky said Airbnb now lists more than 4,000 hotels and is open to major chains, as it softens its "no commodities" stance.
An opinion piece argues Booking.com's payment model lets it show guests prices below what hotels load, affecting roughly one in five independent room nights.