New York City hotel lobby’s new ad links Airbnb to terrorism
Home rental giant Airbnb has responded angrily to the latest anti-home sharing ad by the New York hotel lobby describing it as ‘despicable, cynical advertising.’
The 30-second ad began airing on Monday and seems to associate Airbnb rentals as a safe house for terrorists.
The ad cites the story of suicide bomber Salman Abedi, who reportedly stayed in a rental home while planning the attack on an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, UK.
That rental was not an Airbnb home.
The Hotel Association of New York City’s ad states: "Who’s in your building? Airbnb won’t say."
"Are you at risk?" it added.
It lists a number for residents to call and ‘stand up for NY’s safety and security.’
The Association’s argument is that Airbnb does not do sufficient background checks on guests.
Airbnb points out very few traditional hospitality companies conduct any checks on guests.
The ad is ‘an outrageous scare tactic by big hotels who themselves have a long history of lodging people who engage in acts of terror,’ said Airbnb spokesman Peter Schottenfels.
"The fact is Airbnb had nothing to do with the tragic events in Manchester and we are one of the only hospitality companies that runs background checks on all U.S. residents, both hosts and guests. Hotel CEOs have a responsibility to tell us why they don’t do the same and why they continue to fund this sort of despicable, cynical advertising," Schottenfels added.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025