Airbnb to offer team-building and off-site meeting spaces

Airbnb for Work is growing rapidly with 700,000 sign-ups from companies so far. To expand its business offerings, the home-sharing platform is rolling out a new strategic direction to highlight three new areas: experiences on Airbnb for team-building, Airbnb Homes for offsites and meetings, and new options for people relocating for work.

Given that 'unique' team-building experiences are continually in demand, the site's group experience options include sailing lessons and pastry-making classes in a Michelin-starred restaurant.

On top of that, Airbnb for Work is opening up homes for off-site meetings; these spaces are identified to have WiFi, work-friendly amenities, and self check-in among other features. Meanwhile, for users relocating for work, the platform aims to ease the process of those looking for temporary homes, whether families or individuals. 

A statement on Airbnb’s website said: "Offering unique ways to travel for work will remain core to Airbnb for Work, but we estimate only 25% of employees within a company travel for work. With Airbnb for Work’s new expansion into team-building experiences, homes for offsites and meetings, and relocations, we now have an opportunity to bring the magic of Airbnb to the rest of the workforce."

The news follows the launch of Airbnb for Events in April where provides planners an interactive map of listings that are near their venues, and allows them to embed the map directly on their event website. The feature received a lukewarm reaction from event professionals.