Constructing meanings of luxury in Airbnb

Abstract

Purpose

Following Airbnb’s recent turn to the luxury market, this paper aims to explore how Airbnb hosts construct meanings of luxury as enacted in their hosting practices.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews with 46 Airbnb hosts were undertaken using purposing sampling.

Findings

Study findings reveal that social and personal meanings of luxury manifest in host practice, with “home feeling” representing the epicentre of the luxury peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation experience.

Research limitations/implications

Although this study draws from host views, it represents a first attempt to empirically examine perceptions and applications of luxury within P2P accommodation. The study provides a conceptual framework which may serve as a point of departure for further research into which luxury service dimensions guests value.

Practical implications

The findings of the study carry implications to the wider hospitality context. Specifically, hospitality practitioners need to reconceptualize luxury hospitality provision to promote a “homotel” accommodation model which highlights the offering of physical and social luxury dimensions in addition to elements of personalized service and home-like hedonic benefits.

Originality/value

The study offers a conceptual framework of the luxury P2P accommodation servicescape, which identifies two distinct luxury offerings that may be informative to both P2P accommodation providers and hospitality practitioners.

Citation

Farmaki, A., Spanou, E. and Christou, P. (2021), "Constructing meanings of luxury in Airbnb", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 33 No. 10, pp. 3306-3330. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-04-2021-0429