Luxury Retreats
Luxury Retreats, founded in 1999 in Montréal, is a full-service luxury villa rental brand now operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Airbnb (NASDAQ: ABNB). It serves leisure and business travelers seeking curated, high-end villa accommodations globally through Airbnb's marketplace platform.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersMontréal, Canada
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Luxury Retreats does
Luxury Retreats is a full-service luxury villa rental company founded in 1999 and headquartered in Montréal, Canada. Originally an independent operator that built its catalog through three acquisitions (Fabulous Homes in 2006, ApartmentsBA in 2011, and Carimo in 2011) and two institutional funding rounds totaling approximately $16 million led by Inovia Capital, the company was acquired by Airbnb and now operates as Luxury Retreats International ULC, a wholly-owned subsidiary brand within Airbnb's corporate structure. Leadership comprises Mark Styles as CEO, Bertrand Cesvet (Chairman and Senior Partner at Sid Lee), Julien Zakoian as Chief Revenue Officer, and Nick Guezen as VP of Product Development, with the company employing 101-250 people.
The company offers personalized luxury villa rentals across vacation destinations globally, leveraging Airbnb's marketplace platform technology rather than operating standalone infrastructure. The underlying technology stack is Airbnb's mobile-first platform, which incorporates AI-powered personalization, facial recognition for guest/host identity verification, smart home device integration, and risk-scoring systems designed to detect potentially disruptive gatherings. Protection programs such as AirCover for Hosts and $1 million Experience Protection Insurance extend to Luxury Retreats bookings, and the brand benefits from Airbnb's enterprise integrations with Google, PayPal, Stripe, and Klarna.
Luxury Retreats' commercial model is embedded within Airbnb's broader two-sided marketplace. Revenue is generated through transaction-based commissions — hosts pay approximately 3% in service fees while guests pay 6-12% per booking — supplemented by revenue from insurance and protection products such as AirCover, Host Damage Protection, and Host Liability Insurance. Distribution is primarily self-serve through Airbnb's website and mobile applications, with luxury-specific curation handled by the Luxury Retreats brand. Customer segments are horizontal, spanning leisure travelers (primary), business travelers via Airbnb for Work, hosts/property owners, and experience hosts, giving the brand a low concentration risk profile within the parent's 275 million user base.
Luxury Retreats firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Luxury Retreats
- Legal name
- Airbnb Ireland UC
- Website
- https://airbnb.co.in
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Luxury Retreats, founded in 1999 in Montréal, is a full-service luxury villa rental brand now operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Airbnb (NASDAQ: ABNB). It serves leisure and business travelers seeking curated, high-end villa accommodations globally through Airbnb's marketplace platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Luxury Retreats industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Luxury Vacation Rentals
- NAICS
- All Other Traveler Accommodation (721199), Accommodation (721)
- SIC
- Hotels & Motels (7011), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Luxury Vacation Rental Marketplaces (Curated/Verified Villas) (THAMALAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Luxury Vacation Homes & Residences (THAMAEAB), Luxury serviced apartments (premium) (THAMACAE)
Keywords
Where Luxury Retreats is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montréal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
Luxury Retreats business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Booking Commissions: Airbnb charges commission fees on bookings made through its platform. Hosts typically pay approximately 3% in service fees while guests pay 6-12% depending on the booking details. This represents the primary revenue stream from the two-sided marketplace transaction model.
- Host Services and Experiences: Revenue from hosting services, experiences, and related offerings beyond basic accommodation bookings. Includes fees for hosting tools, co-hosting services, and experience hosting platforms.
- Travel Insurance and Protection Products: Revenue generated from optional insurance products including AirCover for guests, Host Damage Protection, and Host Liability Insurance programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Host Service Fees |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Guest Service Fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Luxury Retreats product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Luxury Retreats is a full service villa rental company offering personalized luxury villas for vacation rentals. The company curates and manages a portfolio of high-end villa properties in premier destinations worldwide, providing end-to-end services including booking, concierge support, and on-ground villa staff.
Product overview
The source data is primarily about Airbnb's platform and services. Luxury Retreats is mentioned as a booking entity within Airbnb's corporate structure (Luxury Retreats International ULC), which handles luxury accommodation bookings in specific regions. No standalone product pages, feature descriptions, or portfolio details are available for Luxury Retreats in the provided sources. The primary data covers Airbnb's Homes, Experiences, and Services offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Luxury Retreats: Luxury accommodation booking service operated by Luxury Retreats International ULC, a subsidiary of Airbnb, offering premium vacation rentals and high-end properties.
Products and services
- Luxury Villa Rentals
Quantifiable outcome
- $11.1 billion in 2024 revenue, up 12.1% year-on-year
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Luxury Retreats
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Luxury Retreats technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Luxury Retreats partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- World Animal ProtectioncorePartnership with World Animal Protection to develop Animal Welfare Guidelines for Airbnb Services and Experiences. The guidelines establish standards for wild animals, domesticated animals, and rescue/sanctuary operations, covering topics like prohibiting direct contact with wild animals, restrictions on elephant and big cat interactions, and requirements for working animals.
- Red CrossminorPartnership with the Red Cross providing first aid tips and guidelines for hosts and guests. Includes information on first aid kits and emergency procedures for travelers.
- Safe Kids WorldwideminorPartnership providing water safety tips and guidelines for guests. Part of safety resource content for travelers using Airbnb platform.
- PolariscorePartnership with Polaris (human trafficking organization) to provide training resources for identifying signs of trafficking and exploitation. Includes free online training courses through Polaris Human Trafficking 101 program.
- ECPAT InternationalcorePartnership with ECPAT International to counter child exploitation. Provides free online Child Protection Course specifically designed for hosts of accommodation booking platforms.
- GooglecoreGoogle integration for authentication (login with Google), Maps/Earth services for location features, and Google Pay for payment processing. Subject to Google Maps/Earth Additional Terms of Use and Google Privacy Policy.
- FacebookcoreFacebook integration for social login functionality, allowing users to sign in or create accounts using Facebook credentials.
- PayPalcorePayPal payment integration for processing guest payments and host payouts. Subject to PayPal Privacy Statement.
- StripecoreStripe payment processing integration for handling financial transactions on the platform. Subject to Stripe Privacy Policy.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Luxury Retreats competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Marriott Homes & Villas: Marriott's curated luxury and upscale home rental program, directly competing for high-end travelers seeking vetted villa stays with hotel-grade loyalty integration.
- Onefinestay: Luxury short-term rental and serviced accommodation brand (owned by Accor) offering high-end homes with hotel-style service, a direct competitor in the premium curated villa space.
- Le Collectionist: Curated luxury villa rental specialist focused on ultra-premium homes in Europe, the Caribbean, and ski destinations, directly comparable to Luxury Retreats' niche.
- Plum Guide: Curated luxury vacation rental platform with a home-vetting methodology, directly competing with Luxury Retreats on the curated, high-end tier of the short-term rental market.
- Vacasa: Large-scale vacation rental management and marketplace company with significant premium inventory, comparable in business model and customer base to the broader Airbnb/Luxury Retreats ecosystem.
- Vrbo (Expedia Group): Expedia Group's vacation rental marketplace offering a large two-sided platform for whole-home short-term rentals, directly comparable to Airbnb/Luxury Retreats in category and transaction model.
Emerging players
- Sonder: Tech-enabled hospitality operator offering apartment-style short-term stays with hotel-like consistency, intersecting with Luxury Retreats' premium serviced-apartment use case.
Broad incumbents
- Booking.com Vacation Rentals: Major OTA with a significant vacation rental inventory that competes head-on with Airbnb; its scale and breadth position it as a broad incumbent in the same marketplace category.
- Tripadvisor Vacation Rentals: Major travel platform with a vacation rental offering, serving as a broad incumbent in the same horizontal marketplace category with overlap on the leisure traveler audience.
Regional players
- Sotheby's International Realty (vacation rental arm): Luxury real estate brand with vacation rental exposure through affiliated agents, competing for the same high-net-worth traveler seeking premium villa stays in destination markets.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Luxury Retreats social profiles
Digital presenceLuxury Retreats financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Luxury Retreats leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Luxury Retreats subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Luxury Retreats funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Luxury Retreats M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Luxury Retreats
What does Luxury Retreats do?
Luxury Retreats is a full service villa rental company offering personalized luxury villas for vacation rentals. The company curates and manages a portfolio of high-end villa properties in premier destinations worldwide, providing end-to-end services including booking, concierge support, and on-ground villa staff.
Is Luxury Retreats a public or private company?
Luxury Retreats is a public company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Luxury Retreats founded?
Luxury Retreats was founded in 2008. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Luxury Retreats based?
Luxury Retreats is headquartered in Montréal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Luxury Retreats make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Booking Commissions are the primary driver. The others are host Services and Experiences and travel Insurance and Protection Products.
Who are Luxury Retreats's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Marriott Homes & Villas, Onefinestay, Le Collectionist, Plum Guide, Vacasa and Vrbo (Expedia Group). Sonder is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Booking.com Vacation Rentals and Tripadvisor Vacation Rentals. Sotheby's International Realty (vacation rental arm) is listed as a regional player.
Does Luxury Retreats have an API?
Yes. Airbnb has an API Terms of Service document referenced in the Legal Terms section, indicating the existence of an API for developers. However, no specific details about API type (REST/GraphQL), authentication methods, rate limits, or public availability are provided in the source material. The API Terms of Service can be found at /help/article/3418. Developer documentation is at www.airbnb.co.in/help/article/3418.
What industry is Luxury Retreats in?
Luxury Retreats's product category is Luxury Vacation Rentals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAMALAH, Luxury Vacation Rental Marketplaces (Curated/Verified Villas), with a secondary code of THAMAEAB, Luxury Vacation Homes & Residences. Its NAICS code is 721199 and its SIC code is 7011.