It Just Got Easier for Business Travelers to Book Rooms on Airbnb The room-rental company launched new features aimed at making it more seamless for employees to book rooms, submit bills and keep track of expenses.

By Laura Entis

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Airbnb | Facebook

Airbnb wants to help you book a room on your next business trip.

Today, the peer-to-peer room rental company launched a new suite of tools aimed at making it easier for employees and companies alike to manage and track travel itineraries booked through the site.

Those traveling for work can now open an account that includes a central billing system, allowing them to directly expense all Airbnb costs. Meanwhile, businesses can create a dashboard that catalogs current and upcoming employee trips, exports financial data and reports, and manages approved and pending employees who have been permitted to book business travel using Airbnb.

Related: This All-in-One Travel Jacket Is Approaching $1 Million on Kickstarter

The company first announced its business travel program a year ago. Since then, it says the number of companies that use Airbnb has grown to 250 while the program itself has grown by 700 percent.

"Our employees worldwide appreciate the choice and flexibility that Airbnb listings provide them when they're on the road — whether for conferences, meetings, or team offsites," Darragh Ormsby, a global travel manager at Google, said in a statement. "It's great that Googlers can easily access Airbnb's wide range of accommodations as they make their travel plans."

Airbnb is a small but rapidly growing business expense for companies. According to a recent report by travel and expense management software provider Certify, corporate travel receipts for Airbnb jumped 143 percent from Q1 of 2015 to Q2. Airbnb is currently the fifth most popular online travel-booking site, according to the report.

Related: The 10 Best Apps to Pack for Business Travel

Laura Entis is a reporter for Fortune.com's Venture section.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

This Gen Zer's Stylish Side Hustle Earns About $20,000 a Month and Paid Off His Parents' $200,000 Debt: 'I Enjoy the Hands-Off Nature'

Ray Cao went from working as a barista for $8 an hour to being a successful seller on online marketplace StockX.

Business News

Make $177,566 With No Experience in 3 Months: A Popular Online 'Side Hustle' Course Is Under Investigation After Customers Complain About Its Deceptive Claims

"All you need is a phone, a laptop, wi-fi and one to three hours a day," one affiliate marketer said in a video posted to social media.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

'A Lobstrosity': Social Media Is Losing It Over Martha Stewart's Latest Meal Posting

The 82-year-old caused quite a stir on Instagram this week.

Business News

This Retailer Is the Latest to Remove a Major Feature From Its Stores Due to Rising Theft

Five Below CEO Joel Anderson addressed the company's plans to combat theft in an earnings call earlier this week.