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Harvey Hernandez subject to second lawsuit in two months
Reading Time: 2 minutesUS: Newgard Development Group CEO and founder of Hostiing, which has created brands such as Niido and Natiivo, Harvey Hernandez, is the subject of a second lawsuit in the space of two months after his company was sued for allegedly defaulting on a $2 million loan for a Centro Tower project in downtown Miami. The […]
Airbnb appoints Bunch as global head of operations
Reading Time: 2 minutesUS: Airbnb has announced the appointment of Tara Bunch as its new global head of operations, a role which has been left vacant since previous COO Belinda Johnson stepped down to join the company’s board in March. In her new role, Bunch will oversee Airbnb’s customer service, trust and safety and payments teams, and will […]
France proposes to build OTA to compete with Airbnb, Booking.com
Reading Time: 2 minutesFrance: The French government has announced proposals to build an OTA to compete with Booking.com and Airbnb. The website would be a cooperative effort between the government and the tourism industry. Eric Lombard, the head of French State-controlled financial institution Caisse des Depots & Consignations said to Bloomberg: “This sector has been very much de-intermediated […]
Portuguese Airbnb owners resist transition to low cost housing
Reading Time: 2 minutesPortugal: Though Portuguese Airbnbs remain empty, thousands of owners have resisted government programmes to transform their properties into low-cost housing. This news comes as many properties across the world are returning to traditional letting models. According to Portuguese holiday let association ALEP, only one in ten short term rental owners is considering the jump to […]
Airbnb launches talent directory for recently laid off staff
Reading Time: 2 minutesUS: Airbnb has announced the creation of a talent directory for those laid off due to the global pandemic. The company announced last week that it would be releasing around 25 per cent of its staff in order to survive and outlast the pandemic. The directory is one of many measures that CEO Brian Chesky […]
Zeus raises $15m, valuation drops by 50 per cent
Reading Time: 2 minutesUS: Corporate housing provider Zeus Living, which received financial backing from Airbnb in December, has raised $15 million in equity and debt at a value of roughly $110 million from backers including CEAS Investments I, Initialized Capital Management and Soros Fund Management. As the coronavirus crisis continues to decimate the short-term lodging and travel industries, […]
Airbnb to trim workforce by 25 per cent
Reading Time: 3 minutesUS: Airbnb is laying off 1,900 team members – or 25 per cent of its global workforce – and slashing its investment in hotels and its luxury business ventures in a move to help the travel behemoth survive the coronavirus crisis. In addition, it will put a “pause” for the time being at least on […]
Airbnb extends refund window until 15 June
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWorldwide: Airbnb has again updated its extenuated circumstances policy by extending the window for when guests can request refunds for their cancelled stays. In another company update, CEO Brian Chesky announced that travellers who had booked stays and / or Airbnb Experiences on or before 14 March with a check-in date between then and 15 […]
Airbnb to introduce cleanliness protocol programs for hosts
Reading Time: 3 minutesWorldwide: In response to the heightened attention on guest safety and cleanliness within travellers’ accommodations, Airbnb has launched its ‘Enhanced Cleaning Initiative’, which comprises two voluntary sanitisation and Covid-19 spread prevention programs, one of which could block reservations between stays over a proposed 72-hour period. Airbnb’s latest initiatives were rolled out off the back of […]
CMA consumer watchdog threatens legal action over refund refusals
Reading Time: 3 minutesUK: UK government department and consumer watchdog, The Competition and Markets Authority [ CMA ], has threatened legal action against firms who fail to provide refunds to those affected by cancellations of holidays and weddings due to the coronavirus outbreak. The CMA claimed that 80 per cent of the complaints it had received since the […]