Can Airbnb Work for Hotels? What Early Tests Show

Airbnb built its business as the anti-hotel. Now, it has invited a handful of hotel operators to test whether the home-sharing platform can work for them, too.

Sage Hospitality Group, a Denver-based operator, and Arlo Hotels, based in New York, are among the companies that have joined a pilot program that gives hotels clearer placement on Airbnb's site and app.

Airbnb launched the pilot in October in New York, Los Angeles, and Madrid, with the company seeking supply "across chains, independents and a variety of key brands."

An Airbnb Listing for The pierside Santa monica Hotel in Los Angeles as part of a pilot project in December 2025. Source: Screenshot of Airbnb Airbnb: Another Channel

For independent operators, Airbnb provides access to travelers who might otherwise struggle to find them.

Jimmy Suh, president of Arlo Hotels, said Airbnb's reservation volume has lagged behind Expedia and Booking.com for the hotels participating in th