Airbnb enters luxury travel market

The online accommodation booking company Airbnb is going upmarket. It is moving into the
luxury travel market. CEO Brian Chesky has announced an improvement in the company's
business model. It wants richer people to use it. The company will offer new types of places to
stay such as vacation homes and boutique hotels. The company has over four million rooms on
its site in 81,000 cities and 191 countries. It has helped make over 260 million reservations
since it launched nine years ago. Mr Chesky hopes to increase this to more than one billion
people staying in its rentals by 2028. Chesky said: "Airbnb is still an alternative. It's still not for
everyone. Today we will show you our road map: Airbnb for everyone."
Airbnb does not own any real estate, or properties. It acts as a broker between property owners
who want to make extra cash by renting out their rooms or homes, and travelers looking for a
cheaper, more homely alternative to hotels. The company makes money from the booking fees
it charges. Its vision is to branch out into luxury accommodation, restaurant reservations, and
adventure travel experiences. A new option will allow people to book "unique spaces". This
includes things like yurts - the large, circular tents that are home to many people in Mongolia.
Airbnb's new "Beyond" option will offer travelers "full-on luxury stays" that include "some of the
world's nicest homes".

Upmarket - Upmarket goods and products are of very high quality and intended to be bought
by people who are quite rich.
（商品、产品）高档的，高级的；向高档，向高级消费市场

Downmarket - low in quality and cheap in price; relating to or intended for people who are poor or
not educated
低档的，低端的，价廉质次的

boutique hotel - a small, stylish and fashionable hotel that is not part of a chain (= group of hotels
belonging to one company) ; one situated in a fashionable urban location
（非连锁店）精品酒店，精品旅馆

Road map - a plan for how to achieve something

（实现某一目标的）蓝图，规划

Yurt - a type of round tent with a wooden frame, used traditionally as a home by some
Central Asian people, and now sometimes used for camping in Western countries
圆顶帐篷，毡包（中亚牧民传统上居住的圆顶木支架帐篷，在西方国家有时露营时用）

Full on - very great or to the greatest degree

非常棒的；极度的
 Rank these. Put the most important things about a hotel at the top.

 swimming pool
 nice smell
 clean
 cheap price
 comfortable bed
 quiet
 safety
 room service
Discussion - Airbnb enters luxury travel market

1. What do you know about Airbnb?

2. What's the best place you've ever stayed in?
3. Which is better - a hotel or hostels?
4. How do you usually book hotels?
5. Are expensive hotels always good?