For Entrepreneurs Seeking Inspiration: Merge up Airbnb & OpenTable App Models

Do you want to start a vacation rental business? Yes! Go through these Airbnb & OpenTable App Models.

Almost a decade ago, Airbnb was launched in a way to rent air mattresses on someone else’s floor.

Today, once a startup and now a billion-dollar brand, took a mammoth step to become the next OpenTable in the travel and hospitality industry.

Now, users will get the facility of restaurant reservation directly in Airbnb to book a table at a restaurant.

Indeed, in one of our blogs, we took a cue from the Airbnb’s Product Chief, Joe Zadeh, and scraped the interpretive possibilities of Airbnb’s next genius step.

READ HERE

So, what did Joe hint about?

Joe said, “We see ourselves as moving into offering the entire trip, from where you want to stay, to what you do, and even how you get there.

We want to design an end-to-end user experience for a traveler.”

Airbnb is the first travel app to truly integrate restaurant reservations directly into the traveler experience.

— Brian Chesky (@bchesky) September 20, 2017

This is how the heads at Airbnb started giving subtle hints about their camouflaged intentions to move a step beyond accommodations. Thus, owning and providing a complete travel experience.

The Announcement of Restaurant Reservation in Travel app by Airbnb

Airbnb is now trying to disrupt not just the hotel industry, but the entire travel industry. That’s why they just added restaurant reservation in app.

Airbnb said in an interview, “The ability to book reservations at a curated selection of restaurants is part of our ongoing commitment to focus on the entire trip, not just homes, and follows the launch of experiences last year.”

ICYMI: Now you can easily find where to eat, and book a table, right in the Airbnb app. https://t.co/Wao9jmF9t1 pic.twitter.com/QAS9pjUIZQ

— Airbnb (@Airbnb) September 23, 2017

Food should be a highlight of your trip, not a hassle.

Restaurant reservations are now available on Airbnb.https://t.co/2CrnFqA1OR pic.twitter.com/WXMSidUx7F

— Airbnb (@Airbnb) September 20, 2017

Airbnb’s restaurant reservations are going live through a partnership with Resy, the online restaurant reservation portal.

By integrating with Resy, Airbnb provides its users with the ease to make a table reservation directly from the application.

This expansion of Airbnb into the restaurant reservations will allow Airbnb travelers to experience their different take on what a restaurant reservation can mean.

The service is currently limited to only the U.S. so far. However, visitors traveling to cities with Resy will be able to see the restaurants in their native language. This takes the confusion out of visiting a foreign country and not knowing how to arrange a good meeal for yourself.

Airbnb says Resy stands out from its counterparts by focusing on offering better technology for restaurants and better curation for its customers.

Adding restaurant reservations continue to push Airbnb away from being just an alternative to hotel booking platform.

If we predict the future of Resy, it could offer special group dining reservations to Airbnb guests so travelers from around the world could share a group table.

Since Resy is newly launched, Airbnb is not currently making any money of off the reservations but is exploring ways to turn the restaurant business into an additional source of revenue down the line.

If you can read between the lines, this partnership of Airbnb with Resy represents some competition for other online table reservation applications.

This reminds me of OpenTable, the million-dollar online restaurant reservation portal.

Similar to OpenTable, Airbnb guests can search within Airbnb for the cuisine, dates, guests, time of the day, type of the meal, and location.

However, there is a ground difference between the Airbnb & OpenTable App Models

Timeline Of Airbnb & OpenTable App Models

OpenTable Timeline Feature

The timeline features show the floors, table numbers, the number of people a table can accommodate, reservations, number of guests per reservation, the current status of a dinner, reservations per shift, etc. Timeline helps channelize the time while effectively managing the resources in order to make optimum use of the time slots between two consecutive reservations.

Resy Timeline Feature

The restaurants presented on Airbnb’s app will be curated by Resy, and the companies are considering offering special features like fixed priced menus only, for Airbnb guests.

Features of OpenTable App Model

►Google Map Integration

The integration of Google map can effectively help the restaurants since the diners can easily find the location of the dining area.

►Instant Confirmation

The customers can get their tables quickly booked after selecting the table of their choice consisting of the cuisines, types of date, time of the day, type of the meal, number of guests accompanying, etc.

►Multiple Language Support

The customers can access the platform and can select any language of their choice supported by the platform.

►Table Combinations

The restaurateurs can add availabilities for larger parties. The table combination allows creating spaces for the parties, thereby avoiding the disccmfor to the customers by making them sit at a single table.

►Reservation Management

A well-organized calendar style reservation diary lets the user quickly add phone and walk-in bookings simultaneously making its management simple and quick.

►Moving Bookings

The customers can list out their priority list of the restaurants. Now when the seats are not available in the restaurant of the customer’s choice, the portal can automatically suggest and move bookings across restaurants or show availability in the restaurant of the customer’s choice.

Features of Airbnb App Model

►Integrated CRM/Table Management/ Waiting List

It is the most advanced front-of-the-house hospitality management tool. It helps the restaurateurs see their bookings, take reservations, and manage guest notes from anywhere and anytime. The tables can also be configured to reward loyalty.

►Two-way SMS confirmation and Reminder

Whenever a table is ready, it sends an SMS to both, the restaurant owners and the guest. This allows both parties to either confirm or cancel the booking via a text. It can also aid in informing the a particular customer is running late.

►Ticketing with PCI Compliant CC Handling

Unlike OpenTable, ticketing and reservations are handled by the same platform. There is no more transferring of names and payment info back and forth.

►Customer Profile Control

With the help of the application, every customer writes their own bio; provides special occasion information like birthdays, anniversaries, and indicates allergies and dietary restrictions.

►Advanced Feedback Loop

Reviews and ratings if not the very heart, but are very important for an online table reservation system. Following every meal, customers have the opportunity to rate the overall experiences and the service concerning the restaurant.

►100% Platform Agnostic and Trackable

The online reservation booking platform widget works seamlessly in any browser. This indeed helps to know the exact source of every guest, whether they book through the restaurant website or through an email blast or via a marketing partner.

►Real-time POS Data

The portal helps connect item-level POS data with the guest profiles. This helps track preferences and real-time trends to serve the guests better.

►Google Map Integration

With the help of the Google map integration, the restaurant owners can pinpoint their precise location and guide the customers effectively.

►ResyPay

Resypay supports a wallet on the portal which enables transaction between the customer and the restaurant owner.

Pricing of Airbnb & OpenTable App Models

►Price of OpenTable

For an electronic reservation software booking that OpenTable provides, it charges an amount of $199 per month. Apart from this, OpenTable charges a fixed price of $1.00 per diner if one makes a reservation from their platform and charges $0.25 per diner if they make a reservation from the restaurant’s platform.

►Price of Resy

For all the facility that Resy provides, OpenTable charges a subscription amount of $189 per month.

Payments Methods Of Airbnb & OpenTable App Models

►OpenTable

On OpenTable, there are absolutely no transactions handled. Diners pay directly to the restaurants for the meal and the restaurants pay directly to OpenTable for all the reservation related assistance.

►Resy

Resy has got its own wallet and it insists on its customers to make use of the wallet rather than other offline payment methods.

Selecting Meal Type In Airbnb & OpenTable App Models

►OpenTable

OpenTable does not bind the diners with any type of meal restrictions and that the users can select any of the given options.

►Resy

►Fixed Price:

In this, the users pay in advance to choose courses from a fixed menu.

►Prime Seat:

Lets the users pay to secure a spot at restaurants that are usually fully blocked.

►Deposit:

Users can pay part of the bill in advance to secure the reservation.

How The Filter Functions in Airbnb & OpenTable App Models?

►OpenTable

In OpenTable, the search can be made on the basis of the total number of guests, date, time of the day, location, cuisine, neighborhood, and price.

►Resy

In Resy, the search can be made on the basis of the dates, guests, time of the day, type of meal, and cuisines.

Restaurants Coverage in Airbnb & OpenTable App Models

Considering the age of OpenTable, it has got a whopping number of restaurants listed on the platform as compared to that of the Resy.

OpenTable has got 42,000+ restaurants listed under its name and Resy has got 600+ restaurants listed.

Mine of The Data

Accommodation – Renting out the places

Event Booking – Booking the experiences

Restaurant – Booking the table of the restaurant

Next, Airbnb is hinting to get on board the flight booking as well.

Imagine the success of Expedia $8.7 billion. Event Brite at $960 million. OpenTable at $190 million.

Now, imagine Airbnb at $3 billion along with these businesses!!!

Whopping BIG.

This is the potential of Airbnb as a business.