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Now we can call it bed, bath, breakfast and beyond.
Airbnb, the popular global lodging network, includes Detroit among cities in its new "Trips" program, Sherri Welch describes in Crain's this week. Visitors can book experiences such as a music tours, boxing lesson, night photography walk or 20 other activities.
Detroit is among the addition's first dozen markets. Others include Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Paris and Florence. (The usual cities Detroit ranks alongside, in other words.)
The idea is to expand Airbnb's appeal to travelers seeking local hosts and easy access to activities. "Meet locals who share your interests, from art collectors to avid hikers. Or surprise yourself by trying something totally new," the site says. "You’ll get to unleash the sushi chef or street artist you’ve always wanted to be."
Promotional description at Airbnb's site.
Welch gives examples of what's offered:
Users can sign up for a limo tour of Detroit recording studios and vinyl shops with Kid Rock's former lead guitarist, go techno clubbing, tour the city's famous high-rise buildings, get a lesson in night photography or get tips on "Detroit style" from the owner of clothier 1701 Bespoke.
Or, they can opt to learn about the Pretty Brown Girl movement with the director of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History or take part in a boxing training session with the founder of Downtown Boxing Gym. . . .
The full charge for the experiences hosted by nonprofits goes to them, but Airbnb is taking a 20-percent cut of the fee visitors pay for all other experiences when they're booked through its platform.
Detroit's roughly 300 Airbnb hosts served nearly 27,000 visitors in 2016. Property owners keep 97 percent of what they charge and 3 percent goes to Airbnb, which also gets a 9-percent fee from travelers.
The nine-year-old San Francisco company invites proposals from organizations or "knowledgeable locals who want to show others little-known pockets of their community" with an experience lasting two hours or more. Learn more and apply here.
