Airbnb has fired back at the hotel industry in wake of a controversial ad linking the home-sharing platform to terrorism.
According to the New York Daily News, the Hotel Association of New York City spent roughly $500,000 on the 30-second ad that began running on various cable networks in New York on July 31.
The 10-day ad, which cites media reports connecting May's Manchester Arena bombing suspect to an Airbnb unit, asks viewers "So who's in your building?" before replying "Airbnb won't say."
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The polarizing spot quickly prompted a response from Airbnb public policy director Josh Meltzer, who penned a letter to several hotel companies that are members of the hotel association.
"First and foremost, Airbnb had nothing to do with this tragedy, and using these attacks in a cynical corporate PR campaign is despicable. Your company and the front groups you fund may oppose Airbnb and middle-class people who share their homes, but using a global terrorist attack to protect your bottom line is beyond the pale and should have no place in any civil discourse," Meltzer wrote in the letter obtained by the New York Business Journal.
"For our part, we have already taken a series of steps to ensure home sharing works for everyone in New York: Airbnb screens all hosts and guests globally against regulatory, terrorist, and sanctions watch lists," added Meltzer.
"For United States residents, we also run background checks for certain felony convictions, sex offender registrations, or significant misdemeanors."
The battle between Airbnb and the hotel industry has been heating up for some time. The industry has been accusing the San Francisco-based startup of operating illegal hotels for several years, while Airbnb has continually stressed its significance as a lifeline for the middle class and accused the hotel industry of price-gouging travelers.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Hotels' Strategy to Fend Off Airbnb Leaked[/READMORE]
According to the Daily News, the hotel industry is currently backing a bill that would require home-sharing websites to feature ads that include full location details for listed units, including street name and number, apartment number, borough, town and county.
With Airbnb being valued at more than $30 billion and the hotel industry having claimed some significant regulatory victories in places like New York, it's doubtful the drama will go away anytime soon.
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