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Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky was coy last week about where the company's hotel strategy will "eventually" land, but he said the opportunity is "massive" and "bigger" than the original plan.

The original scheme was to fill in gaps where short-term rentals are sold out, and to offer hotels in highly regulated cities. You and I both know where this is headed: Airbnb will eventually reach deals with hotel chains, but how that will look precisely is an open-ended question.

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EDITOR’S PICKS

Airbnb’s Hotel Strategy Is Now ‘Much Bigger’

by Dennis Schaal
February 17, 2026

There is absolutely no doubt that eventually Airbnb will take on Booking.com head-on in homes and hotels. But then what will set the two rivals apart?

Tripadvisor Faces Shakeup as Activist Investor Starboard Seeks Control

by Dennis Schaal
February 17, 2026

Starboard Value will likely find plenty of support among Tripadvisor's long-suffering shareholders.

Will AI Kill Travel Metasearch?

by Dennis Schaal
February 16, 2026

Agentic AI will likely access APIs to compare pricing. But those queries would have severe limitations and will ultimately require more rigorous solutions to ensure a deal is really a deal.

Ixigo Makes Its First Major International Acquisition: What This Means

by Peden Doma Bhutia
February 14, 2026

Most Indian online travel companies grew around flights. Ixigo grew around trains and buses, segments with thinner margins but massive volume. Europe, unlike many regions, still has a strong rail ecosystem. That makes it one of the few international markets where Ixigo’s core skills are directly relevant.

Chesky Disses Rivals’ Chatbots — Calls Airbnb’s AI ‘Impossible to Replicate’

by Dennis Schaal
February 13, 2026

In an era when speed to market is a given, Chesky is arguing that nice and easy does it will win the day. It would be better to say, "We are behind in our AI development, but we are confident that we will get to where we need to be."

Sabre, PayPal, and Mindtrip Partner on Agentic AI Travel Booking

by Adriana Lee
February 12, 2026

Google just got a run for its money: Sabre, PayPal, and Mindtrip join forces to let travelers plan and book trips inside AI chats. If it works, it’s another sign the next distribution shift may come from travel’s own stack, not just Big Tech.

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