Airbnb has appointed Pepijn Rijvers as Chief Business Officer, a strategic hire that signals the company's aggressive expansion beyond home rentals into hotels, experiences, and organized tours. Rijvers brings two decades of hospitality and travel commerce experience, most recently as president of Viator (Booking.com's tours and activities platform) and earlier as a senior executive at Booking.com itself.
The move reflects Airbnb's pivot toward competing directly with traditional hotel chains and experience operators. Under CEO Brian Chesky, Airbnb has steadily diversified its portfolio. The company launched its boutique hotels initiative to capture travelers seeking curated, design-forward accommodations. It also expanded aggressively into guided tours, cooking classes, and local experiences to deepen customer engagement and increase per-user spending.
Rijvers' appointment addresses a critical gap in Airbnb's leadership. His tenure at Booking.com, the world's largest online travel agency, exposed him to the mechanics of scaling hotel inventory, managing distribution, and optimizing pricing across thousands of properties. At Viator, he oversaw a platform connecting millions of travelers with local tour operators across destinations worldwide. Both experiences directly apply to Airbnb's next-phase ambitions.
The hire comes as Airbnb faces intensifying competition from multiple directions. OTA giants like Booking.com and Expedia continue expanding their experiences offerings. Traditional hotel chains invest heavily in direct bookings and loyalty programs. Meanwhile, boutique hotel platforms like Oyo Rooms and Mr. and Mrs. Smith vie for the same design-conscious, affluent travelers that Airbnb targets.
Airbnb's boutique hotels strategy launched in 2023 and initially focused on properties in major cities including New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo. The company curates each listing, requiring properties to meet specific design and service standards. Unlike standard Airbnb rentals, these hotels offer concierge services, daily housekeeping, and premium amenities. The segment targets travelers willing to pay $200 to $500 nightly for distinctive accommodations that differ from standardized chain hotels.
Expanding this business requires deep relationships with independent hotel operators, property management companies, and boutique hotel groups. Rijvers' network across the European hospitality scene and his relationships with thousands of tour operators through Viator provide immediate credibility and access. His marketing expertise also matters as Airbnb positions boutique hotels and experiences as premium offerings distinct from budget home-sharing.
The appointment also suggests Airbnb may accelerate consolidation or partnerships within the boutique hotel space. Rijvers' deal-making background at Booking.com, which acquired multiple travel companies and platforms, indicates Airbnb could pursue similar strategies to rapidly expand its curated inventory.
For travelers, Rijvers' leadership could mean faster growth in Airbnb's hotel and experience offerings. Bookings through Viator currently number in the millions annually. If Airbnb integrates similar functionality and scale into its platform, users may soon book entire trips—accommodation, tours, dining experiences, local activities—through a single app with seamless payments and customer support.
This evolution transforms Airbnb from a home-sharing disruptor into a full-service travel commerce company competing toe-to-toe with Booking.com and Expedia across multiple categories.