• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

2

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026

3

Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026

1

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

2

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026

3

Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026
SuccessAirbnb

Brian Chesky says Sydney Sweeney’s Airbnb skit on ‘Saturday Night Live’ didn’t sting as it just proves ‘we’re part of culture’

Eleanor Pringle
By
Eleanor Pringle
Eleanor Pringle
Senior Reporter, Economics and Markets
Down Arrow Button Icon
Eleanor Pringle
By
Eleanor Pringle
Eleanor Pringle
Senior Reporter, Economics and Markets
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 20, 2024, 7:08 AM ET
Brian Chesky, co-founder and chief executive officer of Airbnb Inc
Brian Chesky, cofounder and chief executive officer of Airbnb, said an "SNL" skit that aired earlier this year didn't "sting."Eric Thayer—Bloomberg/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

They say there’s no such thing as bad press, and Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is proving the point by insisting a Saturday Night Live skit taking aim at his company just proves the brand has become a true household name.

Earlier this year, actress Sydney Sweeney and comedian Chloe Troast appeared in the SNL bit, which labelled Airbnb setups as “bland, generic, and downright uninviting.”

They continued: “Why stay in a hotel when for basically the same amount of money you could stay in a place with worse sheets and a camera in the toilet?” (Indoor cameras in Airbnbs were banned in March.)

In addition to jibes about home decoration, the skit took aim at the locations of some of the properties, a lack of privacy, and complex instructions for taking out the trash and accessing the property.

But the tongue-in-cheek barbs didn’t faze Airbnb cofounder Chesky, who alongside Joe Gebbia became one of the first hosts on the platform in 2007.

In fact, Chesky seemed to welcome the notoriety in an interview with NBC News Nightly released this weekend. He said the skit didn’t “sting,” and added: “I felt if anything like we have a huge responsibility, we’re part of culture. The brand is a noun and verb used all over the world.”

Responding to customers’ criticism of Airbnb’s price and fees compared to hotels—as mentioned in the SNL skit—Chesky admitted that the company had lost its way “a little bit.”

Indeed, a study from Which? released last year of thousands of short-term rentals across 50 global locations found that hotels were actually cheaper on average. The rentals listed on platforms like Airbnb tended to average $152 a night compared to $128 for a hotel room.

Part of that sum will be the cleaning cost hosts charge to turn over the property between guests—a fee previously not shown in the “total” listing on the site.

But in September last year, Chesky confirmed that following an update—which saw the fees added to the total—more than 260,000 properties had lowered or removed their fees.

“Objectively the prices went up,” Chesky admitted.

“The way I think about it is you have to listen to the community, and when people tell us that Airbnbs aren’t as affordable as they used to be and they feel we’re nickel-and-diming fees, you take that very seriously.”

Chesky said the result of Airbnb’s work is that Airbnbs are cheaper than they used to be on a year-on-year basis, and hotels are going up.

Airbnb did not immediately respond to Fortune‘s request for comment.

The detector question

Over the years, Airbnb has also faced scrutiny over safety, particularly regarding the monitoring of carbon monoxide in its properties.

Previously the company said it wanted all Airbnb hosts to confirm they had carbon monoxide detectors in their properties, though Chesky walked back that mandate in the interview this month.

It comes following an investigation by NBC, which alleged that 19 deaths related to carbon monoxide occurred in Airbnb properties between 2013 and 2023.

Responding to a question about this investigation and the company’s previously proposed mandate, Chesky said: “It is very hard to verify whether or not a property has a carbon monoxide detector but we’re working really, really hard to make sure that every single property has a verified address, you understand where the place is, if there’s any complaints about the property we can respond to it.”

Airbnb does provide CO monitors to hosts free of charge if they ask for them.

Chesky added that the company also provides information to customers staying in properties that have a high risk of carbon monoxide and makes it clear to guests if the property does not have a detector.

“It’s really hard to mandate things in 220 countries and regions and cities all over the world,” he continued. “If you mandate something you have to have a mechanism to verify that it happens.

“There’s a really good question about whether a mandate is the right approach, but what is absolutely the right approach is to make sure that every single listing is safe, every single person is safe, and every single person knows what they’re booking.”

The Fortune 500 Innovation Forum will convene Fortune 500 executives, U.S. policy officials, top founders, and thought leaders to help define what’s next for the American economy, Nov. 16-17 in Detroit. Apply here.
About the Author
Eleanor Pringle
By Eleanor PringleSenior Reporter, Economics and Markets
LinkedIn icon

Eleanor Pringle is an award-winning senior reporter at Fortune covering news, the economy, and personal finance. Eleanor previously worked as a business correspondent and news editor in regional news in the U.K. She completed her journalism training with the Press Association after earning a degree from the University of East Anglia.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Success

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Success

Elon Musk and Sam Altman are accusing each other of scamming investors as SpaceX and OpenAI jockey to lead AI revolution
AIBillionaires
Elon Musk and Sam Altman are accusing each other of scamming investors as SpaceX and OpenAI jockey to lead AI revolution
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 13, 2026
12 hours ago
na
North AmericaEducation
‘We devalued the trades’: A Native American graduation miracle that isn’t what it seems
By Savannah Peters and The Associated PressJuly 13, 2026
15 hours ago
t
North AmericaElections
Trump floats Lindsey Graham’s sister as interim Senate replacement; Scott Bessent reportedly fields calls
By Meg Kinnard and The Associated PressJuly 13, 2026
15 hours ago
Jason Kidd, COO of Chipotle
SuccessThe Promotion Playbook
Chipotle’s COO takes employees to dinner every week to spot his next leaders—here are the 4 traits he’s seeking
By Emma BurleighJuly 13, 2026
16 hours ago
b
CommentaryWorld Cup
Columbia Business School professors: What the Balogun red card can teach us about AI and judgment
By Oded Netzer, Christopher Frank and Paul MagnoneJuly 13, 2026
16 hours ago
Trump stunned by sudden death of rival turned ally Lindsey Graham: ‘He was like a member of the family’
PoliticsAmerican Politics
Trump stunned by sudden death of rival turned ally Lindsey Graham: ‘He was like a member of the family’
By The Associated PressJuly 13, 2026
18 hours ago

Most Popular

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
Innovation
The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 12, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 13, 2026
22 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 13, 2026
22 hours ago
Trump embraces Australian retirement system backed by Larry Fink
Personal Finance
Trump embraces Australian retirement system backed by Larry Fink
By Brianna Sosa and BloombergJuly 12, 2026
1 day ago
How Pete Hegseth's DEI order just put Scouting America's future at stake
North America
How Pete Hegseth's DEI order just put Scouting America's future at stake
By Seth T. Kannarr, Derek H. Alderman and The ConversationJuly 13, 2026
13 hours ago
The U.S. and Iran can't agree on fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The solution could be straight out of the Old Testament
Middle East
The U.S. and Iran can't agree on fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The solution could be straight out of the Old Testament
By Jason MaJuly 11, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.