Not enough hotels built in Rio, so Airbnb will host foreign fans during Olympic Games
Online private rental portal Airbnb has struck a deal with Rio 2016 organisers which will see
residents of the city provide up to 20,000 additional accommodation options for foreign Olympic guests.
Rio 2016 organisers have admitted that while a construction programme of new hotels in the city has increased capacity enough to host the 40,000-strong “Olympic family” – ie, representatives of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee and International Sports Federations – it had concerns that sports fans would struggle to find places to stay.
Airbnb will help provide “hotel” nights for the expected 380,000 foreign fans arriving for the Games next year, significantly alleviating the city’s accommodation shortfall.
Airbnb, a Silicon Valley, US-based company founded in 2008, has now been signed on as the official alternative accommodation services supplier for the Games.
One of the Rio residents to have already signed up to rent space during the Games is 46-year-old Daniel Almeida, who will offer eight rooms in his home in the bohemian neighbourhood of Santa Teresa.
“We may not have the very best rooms or locations in the city, be what makes us different is the human warmth we offer,” he said.
“Unlike most hotels we can offer visitors the feeling of being at home, and the majority of guests we host are searching for exactly this.”
Rio is the city with the fourth largest number of properties on Airbnb – exceeded only by Paris, New York and London.
Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman said: “Airbnb has proven to be a wonderful choice in allowing us to increase supply. We are aware of Airbnb’s capacity in Rio and understand the impact that partnering with the leader in alternative accommodations will do for visitors coming to experience Rio and the Games.”
Airbnb will have a presence on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games ticketing platform via a specific landing page where customers will be able to book their listings in Rio.
UAE’s first Dior Spa debuts in Dubai at Dorchester Collection’s newest hotel, The Lana
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Creating the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York involved meticulous planning. Its director Alice Greenwald tells us more