8078 TRAVEL TRAVEL ++ LEISURE / JANUARY 2017 LEISURE / JANUARY 2017
BEYOND
SpotlightAirbnb wants to do more
than just rent you a room.
Jaya Sharma attended the
digital event of the year—
the Airbnb Open 2016 held
in November in LA and
featuring an astounding
line up of speakers and
events: From Ashton
Kutcher, to Gwyneth
Paltrow; from Maroon 5
to Lady Gaga. Still reeling
from it all, she tells us how
Airbnb will change the way
we experience places.the magic in
TRAVELLING
like a LOCAL
M
y 10-year visa to the US is going to
expire in 2018, and for the last two
months I had been contemplating a trip
to my second home—because I have
at least one friend in every state; and because
travel isn’t all about suites and room service.
Travels create your story, making you a part
of places, and people who become like an
extended family. So when I heard I’m travellingto Los Angeles for the Airbnb Open 2016, it was
as if Google Maps had displayed a search result
of the exact place and type of experience
I’d been looking for. When I received my itinerary
I was further psyched—I was going to be in the
same room as Ashton Kutcher. Plus, I was going
to see Maroon 5 live in concert. My good karma
had paid off in an unexpected bundle of days.
Christmas had come early. CHARLEY GALLAY/GETTYIMAGES