Airbnb to launch listings website for mansions

Airbnb is planning to launch a luxury rental website for mansions and penthouses.

The new service doesn’t have a name yet, but the company’s managers refer to it as “Airbnb Lux,” Bloomberg reported.

Earlier this year Airbnb bought the Canadian high-end rental site Luxury Retreats for a rumored $200 million. The site’s 4,000 listings have not yet been incorporated into Airbnb.

The San Francisco-based tech giant, which investors valued at $30 billion, is planning to break up its products into different price segments much like hotel companies do. It already operates Airbnb Select, which offers more standardized services than most common listings.

Four Seasons announced this month that it is launching an app to better appeal to millennials and compete with Airbnb in the market for young rich people.

Earlier this year, Onefinestay, a high-end London-based rival to Airbnb that offers hotel services to hosts and travelers, expanded into the Hamptons.  [Bloomberg] — Konrad Putzier