Great news for Airbnb superfans. Not only can you visit San Francisco, but if the timing and booking works out, you can stay in Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky’s home—with him.
Chesky said on Wednesday that he’s gone back to his roots and become a host once again.
“I’m taking photos of this house because I’m going to put it on Airbnb. I live here, so I’ll be here. I did it 15 years ago, and I’ll do it again,” Chesky said in a promotional video released on Wednesday.
Chesky and his roommate and cofounder Joe Gebbia became Airbnb’s first hosts in October 2007. The duo was looking for a way to make some money for rent, and opened up their San Francisco home on 19 Rausch St. to three guests who were in town for a design conference.
This time around, the cozy bedroom listed in Chesky’s home features mementos nodding to Airbnb’s founding, including a framed copy of the original receipt for an inflatable mattress that Chesky and Gebbia bought in preparation for hosting some 15 years ago.
Today, however, “this is a very nice comfy mattress, so we’ve upgraded,” said Chesky. The listing boasts a “light-filled corner bedroom” with a comfy queen bed and a panoramic view of the Castro. Chesky also has a golden retriever named Sophie.
“My home is near the Mission, Castro, and Noe Valley neighborhoods with plenty of great boutiques, restaurants, and coffee shops,” wrote Chesky in the listing. “You’ll be just a short walk from beautiful Dolores Park, Bi-Rite ice cream, and the world famous Tartine bakery for fresh bread and pastries.”
Chesky’s announcement is part of a promotion for Airbnb’s Winter Release, which includes new features like Airbnb Setup—which makes it easier to get started as a host on the app—and improved AirCover, including guest identity verification.
“Since the start of the pandemic, 60M people have visited Airbnb to learn more about becoming a host,” Chesky wrote on Twitter. “I hope what we launched today inspires more of them to get started.”