Xiaozhu is a Chinese booking website used by consumers to find short-term accommodations and daily room rentals. Xiaozhu has been called China's Airbnb and offers a guarantee for all transactions booked through the site. As of early 2016, Xiaozhu has already established a considerable presence across China, with offices located in 20 Chinese cities and with over 30,000 properties included in its listings. The booking service offers more humanized accommodation options in over 130 cities in China.
The Xiaozhu platform also has an enviable social aspect, with elements that emphasize interaction between landlords and tenants by generally enhancing social mechanisms. With the sharing economy growing internationally, China has developed a particularly fast-growing P2P market of its own, with other Chinese Airbnb-like services including Tujia, which was recently valued at US$1 billion.
Chinese Room Booking Sites
Xiaozhu is a Chinese Booking Service for Short-Term Room Rentals
Trend Themes
1. Chinese P2P Room Rentals - The success of Xiaozhu indicates an emerging trend towards P2P room rentals in China, creating opportunities for disruptive innovation in the sharing economy.
2. Social Interaction in Accommodations - Xiaozhu's emphasis on social mechanisms presents a trend towards more interactive accommodations, creating opportunities for disruptive innovation in social networking platforms for room rentals.
3. Localized Booking Platforms - The demand for Xiaozhu's humanized accommodation options in over 130 cities in China presents a trend towards localized booking platforms, creating opportunities for disruptive innovation in regional booking services.
Industry Implications
1. Online Hospitality Services - Xiaozhu and other Chinese P2P room rental services represent a growing industry in online hospitality services, creating opportunities for disruptive innovation in the sharing economy.
2. Social Networking Platforms - Xiaozhu's emphasis on social interaction presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in social networking platforms for the hospitality industry.
3. Regional Booking Services - The success of Xiaozhu's localized booking platform presents an emerging industry in regional booking services, creating opportunities for disruptive innovation in regional hospitality booking platforms.