VRBO has no plans to cancel reservations in the DC area during the inauguration next week, although competitor Airbnb has already done so.
VRBO first reported in a blog post on Friday afternoon that it was "encouraging" hosts to cancel bookings during that time "if they believed a guest was violating their policies but stopped short of blanket cancellation.
Following the January 6th attack on the Capitol, officials said they encouraged Americans to "virtually attend" the inauguration.
VRBO confirmed in his blog post that officials reported "the potential for violence and armed protests" in DC and in state capitals over the coming weeks. "The safety of our guests and hosts is of the utmost importance to us," says the blog post. “If you plan to travel during this time, please follow local regulations and check the latest news for updates. “
Airbnb is blocking all reservations in the Washington, DC area during Housewarming Week. Airbnb announced that there were reports of "armed militia and known hate groups" wanting to come to DC.
So They Did What Anyone Would Do... Assume All Their Customers Were Nazis.
Existing Airbnb reservations were canceled in order to issue guests full refunds, and Airbnb said this would Compensate hosts - the owners of the rental property - for the amount they would have made for the canceled bookings.
Airbnb had previously said it was working to ban members of the mafia who attacked the Capitol from its platform and had banned some people who were part of the mafia or were connected to hate groups.
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Author: Garrett Kain
Silicon Valley Newsroom
