wejetset - magazine - wejetset feature: Airbed & Breakfast and the Inauguration

wejetset feature: Airbed & Breakfast and the Inauguration

written by Brittany Kleinman The inauguration is quickly approaching and everyone is scrambling for accommodations. Most hotels within 2 hours of the beltway are sold out. DC friends and family are ducking your calls. And you can’t figure out what park you want to camp in. So then what?

We suggest Airbed & Breakfast – the successful marketplace for peer-to-peer traveling. It’s pretty simple. As the site explains, “Nice folks, folks like you, list their guest rooms, futons, and even couches on the site and set a price per night. Adventurous travelers looking for a place to stay can search the listings for an accommodation that’s just right. When they find a match, guests can book the room via credit card.” So if you’re looking for that last minute place to stay, check out Airbed & Breakfast. They also sent over a promo code that’ll save you money when you book. Enter “wejetset” before checkout..

We recently had the opportunity to interview Joe Gebbia, one of the brilliant minds behind Airbed & Breakfast. Click Read More for the article and photos.

What personal travel adventures lead you to the initial concept for Air Bed & Breakfast? (did you need a place to stay? Or did you need some extra cash?)

I’ve had the opportunity to stay at a wide range of places when traveling, from fancy hotels to dirty hostels. I’d buy the guide book, check the internet, and set loose itineraries when traveling, knowing they’re subject to change. Some of the greatest travel moments were experienced when hanging out with locals. I stayed with a local in Cypress once, and saw parts of the island that the average visitor wouldn’t be exposed to. We drove around together, explored ancient ruins, and even hiked to this completely secluded beach.

Hosting travelers has always come as second nature. It’s about providing hospitality, and meeting new people. So when hotels for a 2007 design conference in San Francisco sold out, we didn’t really think twice about it – why not make use of our extra space to house conference goers? My roommate, and AB&B co-founder, Brian Chesky also has an open mind about these things and agreed. We took some airbeds out of the closet and decided to cook breakfast for our guests each morning – by the end of the night we had officially created the first “AirBed & Breakfast”! The thing was our rent had just gone up and as young entrepreneurs, we were strapped for cash. So we started to think about providing a level of service that we could charge for. We came up with $80/night for not only a place to stay in downtown San Francisco, but also breakfast, tours of the city, and a ‘welcome kit’, complete with map and subway pass. It was a steal.

We built a quick web site, and had three people stay with us. It was a blast! At the end of the trip they saved some money, got a local experience by hanging out with us, and we all became friends. The money we earned helped offset our rent, and we thought, “Wow, this could take place in any city around the world.” What would’ve been just another weekend at the house turned in to an exciting adventure with our guests.

AB&B guest Amol Surve enjoys a burrito in San Francisco’s Mission District

How has your concept evolved over time and what major events have shaped AB&B to what it is today?

Well, the site grew as an events based web site, geared towards providing housing during conferences, music festivals, sporting events, etc. A friend and former roommate, Nathan Blecharczyk, joined us as the third co-founder. Together we launched a new-and-improved version of the site for South by Southwest in Austin, TX in March 2008. It was our first big attempt in a city where we didn’t know anybody. The results? We had about 80 listings generate on the site in under 5 days, and connected about 20 travelers.

It was right about this time that people were contacting us to travel to cities where an event wasn’t taking place. They just wanted to travel. At the same time, hosts wanted to rent out their extra space every weekend – not just during events. We took this feedback and released the next version of AB&B as a travel site. So you could use it for events, or just general travel purposes. It wasn’t long before the next event popped up on the radar…the Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO.

We worked furiously on updates to the site so that it would be robust enough to handle the swarms of people flocking to Obama’s acceptance speech. This event dramatically shaped the site you see now. We garnered local, regional, national, and international press by providing housing in a city with sold out hotels. We had over 900 listings in Denver alone, and were seeing listings pop up in cities all around the world. In the end, we went to Denver using AB&B, and got a local experience during the DNC.

The next event to shape the site is the inauguration in Washington, DC. There is such a fever pitch right now to attend this historic event, but the same problem exists – no hotel rooms left! The only option is to sleep in your car, or stay with a local. (I’ve heard of the weather that time of year, and don’t recommend the car option). They are predicting anywhere from 2-5 million people taking part in this movement to DC. They call it the Woodstock of Washington; something you will tell your kids about. So we feel privileged to be in a position that allows people to participate. You don’t even need tickets! We set up crashtheinauguration to let people know they can still go.

DNC using AB&B

Tell us a story about a person you have encountered through AB&B, and how they influenced your view of a city/country?

One of our original AirBed & Breakfast guests was a web designer from Boston. We gave her a proper view of what it’s like to live in San Francisco – the attitude, the weather, the food, nightlife, and so on. She told us before leaving that she now wanted to move to San Francisco. About six months later, we get a call from her saying she found a new job and moved to SF. She wasn’t planning on moving before staying with us.

In Denver, we were shocked and delighted by our average user. The majority of people booking rooms and posting rooms was female, age 45-55. And people thought this was just for college age guys! We were proven wrong. It really opened up our eyes to the fact that people of all ages are interested in this concept of peer-to-peer travel.

Nancy Abbe exhibits the surprisingly wide demographic of user

When people come stay with you in San Francisco, what are some of your favorite places to take them? (Sites-food-entertainment)

We’ve had a number of guests stay with us over the last year, ranging from male to female, 18-55 years old. We learn a little something new each time, and take pride in showing them our city (and depth of local knowledge).

We love the fact that when people stay with us we can point them to the eclectic local coffee shop rather than a starbucks. Seriously, ask a hotel concierge where to get a good coffee the next time you travel and 10:1 says Starbucks is the answer. That’s not a local experience!

How much time we spend with someone depends on our schedule, their schedule, the purpose of the their trip. For short stays, we direct people in and around our neighborhood (South of Market). Places like Brainwash Cafe, Basil Thai, and City Beer are only things you can get in SF.

For longer stays, we can help people get to the Golden Gate bridge, Alcatraz, and other important San Francisco landmarks. We’ll sometimes take them to our favorite burrito spot in the Mission district, or take a walk over to the Ferry Building on the Embracadero. And those who want to stay out late can join us for bar hopping in Tenderloin, Mission, and SoMA.

Joe hosting a guest, Tahir Mansoori, in his San Francisco apartment

Whether travelers are in town for a conference or there to see the sights, how does AB&B offer a different experience than a hotel or hostel?

When you travel to a new city, do you want to sit in the seclusion of a hotel room? Probably not. I think that’s the biggest difference with hotels. With AB&B you have an instant connection with the destination you’re traveling to. You have someone who can help you understand the inside scoop of how to get around, and where to go.

If you’re staying in someone’s house/apt, you more than likely have access to all the ammenities a house/apt provides such as a full kitchen for cooking, washer/dryer for doing laundry, wireless internet for checking email, TV/DVD player, and sometimes even parking.

Hosts can list any extra space they have, such as a futon, spare bedroom, airbed, or even entire place. The room type ranges from common space to private room, so their is something for everybody, depending in your preference. Each host provides a different level of accommodation such as breakfast, rides to and from places, or tour guiding.

They add all of this up, and the price ususally comes out to be less than a hotel. It might be about the same price you pay at a hostel, but think if you put them line by line, there’s more offered in someone’s home.

I think you’re also getting availability. There is a fixed amout of hotel/hostel room in any given city. There is almost an unlimited supply of private houses/apartments that you could be renting. So when a city fills up, there is bound to be availability with a local.