Airbnb, which started off as a way to find a means to pay rent by Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, is now one of the most valued startups in the world. An ingenious idea for solving the rent paying gaps, Airbnb now has more than three million listings, with a strong presence in over 65,000 cities and 191 countries. While the growth of this particular startup has been quite clearly mapped, there are still more than just a few things one doesn’t know about Airbnb. Check out the facts here!

1. The cities in which Airbnb is popular

According to a recent survey, with more than 78,000 rentals on Airbnb’s platform, Paris ranks number one on the list of people using Airbnb in the world. The next on the list of the largest users is the U.K. (47,000) and following closely after, is New York, with 46,000 users. Interestingly, the top 6 out of the ten cities which use Airbnb the most are located out of Europe!

Picture credits: hackernoon.com

2. The founding story

The initial funds for Airbnb were raised by selling breakfast foods based on creating special breakfast cereals called Obama O’s’ and ‘Cap’n McCain’s. At the time Airbnb was launched, the breakfast foods were created based on the 2008 U.S. Presidential Elections (when Obama and John McCain contested against each other for the first time.) Selling each box for $ 40, the marketing plan was so successful, they raised close to $ 30,000!

Picture credit: thepointguy.com

3. The smallest house was listed on Airbnb

Did you know, the smallest house in the world was not a privately owned house, but was listed on Airbnb? Located in Berlin, Germany, the one square meter house was waterproof and built for housing just one person. A rental on wheels, the house included a bed, a desk and a chair and cost one euro a night! This house format became so popular, it was recreated for users in Boston and Massachusetts as well!

Picture credits: theatlantic.com

4. The history behind the logo

While to the casual observer, the signature Airbnb logo may look like an upside down heart, the truth behind the logo is quite different. Officially named the Bélo, the name of the logo origins from the word ‘belong’ and is designed to resemble the pin used on a map. With a theme of connecting people from all over the world and creating a global community, the logo of Airbnb signifies community building.

Picture credits: theatlantic.com

5. Celebrities listed on Airbnb

If you ever wondered what  it would feel like to live in the house of a celebrity, then find your favourite celebrity’s home on Airbnb! From Elizabeth Taylor to Kevin Jonas and to Frank Sinatra’s hold house, Airbnb has a large number of really cool people’s homes on its website! Interestingly, despite being the largest provider of online listings, Airbnb has no official office to its name!

Picture credits: m.shopback.org

With over a decade of being present in the hospitality industry, Airbnb really changed the way people travel and live. If you think we missed out on any other points about Airbnb, comment and let us know!