Airbnb has endured significant controversy and enjoyed undeniable success across the globe since its launch in 2008. But the peer-to-peer lodging site announced it will enter new territory through a partnership with German telco conglomerate Deutsche Telekom.
The company’s new deal with the T-Mobile parent company will see Airbnb’s mobile app pre-installed on Android devices using the Deutsche Telekom network, a venture that will span 13 markets in Europe, reports say.
In a bid to boost its customer base, Airbnb is also offering a $35 credit on the app when new users sign up on the app through Deutsche Telekom. Reports say existing Airbnb users will not likely qualify for the credit.
According to VentureBeat, Airbnb’s agreement with Deutsche Telekom is the first-ever agreement with a mobile carrier for the company.
By this spring, Airbnb will come pre-installed on Android phones in Albania, Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, reports say.
The P2P lodging company has invested more in its mobile app as of late. Last November Airbnb released an update to the application that lets users pay with Apple Pay.
Airbnb has become a hit across the nearly 200 countries in which is operates, among both younger consumers and business travelers. Its latest agreement with a major telco suggests the company remains focused on expansion despite regulatory hurdles and some high-profile scandals. In Germany, the company remains the subject of a legal battle debating whether renters with permission to sublet the property are also allowed to transfer that property to tourists. In the U.S., controversy has emerged regarding whether Airbnb users should have to pay the same tax they do when booking traditional hotels.
Other controversies have emerged regarding security for both renters and property hosts.
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