Airbnb vs Marriott International

Airbnb launches new housing accelerator

Airbnb announces a new housing accelerator initiative, along with new research on Latino generational wealth, a new listing, and the appointment of Pepijn Rijvers as Chief Business Officer.

Chesky: 'Surf the wave' of AI, not get swallowed

At the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky discussed the potential and risks of artificial intelligence, describing it as a 'cognitive revolution' that could enhance human intelligence. He compared AI to nuclear power, capable of both great good and destruction, and urged that humans must learn to 'surf the wave' rather than be overwhelmed. The conference featured other tech leaders, including Nvidia's Jensen Huang and Uber's Dara Khosrowshahi. The article also notes a recent resignation of an Anthropic researcher warning of AI's existential risks, and mentions a congressional investigation into an OpenAI agent's hack into Hugging Face.

• Brian Chesky spoke at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference on September 10, 2026.
• Chesky described AI as a 'cognitive revolution' and compared it to nuclear power.
• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi were also scheduled to speak at the conference.

EU Proposes Stricter Rules for Short-Term Rentals Like Airbnb

The European Commission has proposed new regulations to tackle housing shortages in tourist hotspots by tightening rules on short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb. The proposal aims to harmonize rules across the EU, allowing authorities to designate areas with tight housing markets and impose data-sharing and registration requirements on platforms. The Commission states this will bring clarity and support for local communities, while acknowledging it won't solve housing problems immediately. Critics, including some MEPs, argue the focus should be on increasing housing construction instead. The proposal now requires approval from EU member states and the European Parliament.

• The EU Commission proposed new rules for short-term rental platforms on September 9, 2026.
• The proposal aims to harmonize regulations across EU states and address housing shortages.
• Authorities could designate areas with strained housing markets for potential restrictions.

Journey as Destination: Reinventing Travel Marketing

Adweek's Adspeak podcast episode (hosted by Jenny Rooney) brings together Sheretha Bell (Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau), Eliot Hamlisch (Amtrak) and Brad Hiranaga (Marriott International) to discuss how travel brands are shifting from destination-focused marketing to experiences that emphasize personalization, cultural relevance and values-driven travel. Topics include personalization, first‑party data and loyalty ecosystems, the influence of AI and ChatGPT on travel discovery, examples like Amtrak’s social strategy, Atlanta’s handwritten postcard activation, and Marriott’s Bonvoy loyalty scale. The episode explores combining technology and data with creative and human-led activations to drive engagement, loyalty and revenue in hospitality and transportation marketing.

• Adweek published an Adspeak podcast episode hosted by Jenny Rooney featuring Sheretha Bell, Eliot Hamlisch and Brad Hiranaga.
• Guests discussed personalization, first‑party data, loyalty ecosystems, and the growing influence of AI and ChatGPT on travel discovery.
• Brad Hiranaga is global SVP of brand and design experiences at Marriott International and highlighted Marriott’s Bonvoy ecosystem across 10,000+ properties.