HotelTonight Founder Sam Shank Leaves Airbnb After an Extended Stay

“The part of ‘Outlander’ that I love the most is the history: the clan culture, the folklore and back stories (and consequences) of the Jacobite Rising,” said Sam Heughan, 42, who has played the heartthrob Highland warrior Jamie Fraser in the time-travel series since 2014.

Not only does Los Angeles beckon movie buffs and theme park goers but the City of Angels is a burgeoning spot for cannabis tourism in California. Recreational marijuana is legal in the Golden State with licensed dispensaries selling an assortment of flower, pre-rolls, vape pens, balms, and more. Seeing as it’s not permitted to smoke in all public spaces or at non-smoking accommodations, only these cannabis-friendly Airbnbs in Los Angeles give you the green light to blaze up in comfort.

Chicago is one of the world’s great cities and there are countless reasons why you should visit this Toddlin’ Town. The Windy City will keep you entertained from the infamous Lollapalooza to the delicious cuisines, cool hiking trails and unique museums, you surely will not get bored. While boutique hotels are certainly one way to go when it comes to accommodation, Airbnbs are often cheaper — or so incredibly unique that they’re worth the splurge. Whether you’re looking for a prime location, rockstar digs, great value, or something totally off beat, you’ll find it on our list of the coolest Airbnbs in Chicago.

Seoul is an incredibly vibrant city full of culture, history, and modernity. There are so many things to explore like the bustling streets of Myeongdong or the ancient palaces of Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung. With its world-class museums, shopping centers, and parks, Seoul is a great place for tourists to get lost in its unique blend of culture and modernity. These Airbnbs showcase the city’s hippest areas.

Project MidX Studios, the lower midscale, extended stay property, is officially called StudioRes. Marriott describes it as a new-build, midscale extended stay development platform for owners and franchisees in the U.S. and Canada. The world’s largest hotelier said 1,800 target markets have already been identified.

HotelTonight co-founder and CEO Sam Shank, who steered the hotel booking app even after it was acquired by Airbnb in 2019, recently announced he would be leaving the short-term rental giant. Shank wrote on his LinkedIn account that he would take some time before making plans for a future outside of the travel industry.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, November 11. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Sam Gilliland, who was the CEO of Sabre Corporation for 10 years, is taking the top role at Accelya.

Building on initiatives that had mixed results in the past, Airbnb is debuting an Airbnb-Friendly Apartments program to enable long-term renters in multifamily buildings where landlords permit it to list their rooms or apartments on Airbnb.

When pressed about an analytics company report that found 38 percent of Airbnb hosts offered only one listing, an Airbnb spokesperson countered this week, without elaboration, that “the vast majority of active Airbnb hosts are sharing just one home as single-listing hosts.”

People perceived to be African American or Black still see their prospective Airbnb reservations rejected by hosts at higher rates than any other racial group, but the company made changes to Instant Book last month to attempt to ease the injustice.

Pure Michigan is back. The advertising arm of Travel Michigan, the state’s official tourism promotion office, is launching a national winter marketing campaign for the time since 2019, featuring videos showcasing Michigan as a prime destination for cold weather adventures.