Airbnb Offers Home Services: "Unfair Competition," Hoteliers Denounce

Makeup, photography, skincare, sports... In addition to housing, Airbnb now offers home services . Since Tuesday evening, the platform has updated its app to allow access to this new offering. These new options are now available in 260 cities, including Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, and Marseille in France.

The platform's core business is to make booking accommodations simpler, cheaper, and more reliable. But this activity is stalling. In early May, Airbnb reported mixed results, with revenue up but profits down.

"At first, they said 'we're going to diversify into the countryside,' but they realize the limited nature of this growth," notes Didier Arino, director of the consulting firm Protourisme. He believes this diversification was also necessary due to "exclusion in certain cities." Airbnb faces opposition from major cities, which accuse the platform of perpetuating the housing shortage and soaring rents.

The added services were selected based on several criteria: the expertise and reputation of the professionals, who have "an average of 10 years of experience," and who have provided proof of their identity and certifications.

The Airbnb boss's stated goal is also to compete with hotels. It is now possible to request all the services offered by large hotels: spa, gym, hairdresser, manicure, meals, massages, etc. These new measures are worrying hospitality professionals.

"This is unfair competition," proclaims Frank Delvau, president of UMIH Île-de-France, the leading hotel union.

"It's practically a hotel service, but without all the constraints, particularly in terms of security. So it puts hotels at risk during these already difficult economic times," insists Frank Delvau. This reinforces the UMIH IDF president's determination to fight Airbnb. He calls on legislators to go further. The law had already been tightened earlier this year, limiting Airbnb rentals to 90 days per year, compared to 120 previously.