It’s not the typical bed and breakfast advertisement.

“Hey, I’m Rita!” reads the caption beside a pretty woman’s smiling face. “I am originally from the Midwest, but my latest adventures have brought me working and living in New York City.”

A brief description of Rita’s interests and profile information, including her graduation from the University of Michigan, accompanies her listing of an apartment available for “booking” through the informal lease or short-stay subletting of Airbnb.com. A list of reviews by folks who’ve been guests at Rita’s digs accompanies the web posting as they share how they liked the cleanliness and comfort she offered without ever having to don a blazer at a check-in desk. Some describe her kindness and mention she even gave a few names of friends they might contact in case of emergency.

“In our Detroit community 47 percent of the hosts say it’s helping them pay their bills.” -Will Burns, Senior Advisor, Airbnb

Browsing Rita’s page is a quick glimpse of the timesharing-meets-social media platform that has begun generating use and quietly stimulating tourism in Detroit. After positive responses on the East Coast since its formation in 2008 Airbnb is building steam in the Midwest.

“In our Detroit community 47 percent of the hosts say it’s helping them pay their bills,” says Will Burns, an Airbnb senior advisor. “Eighty-two percent of the hosts are sharing their houses.”

While downtown Detroit is featured prominently on Motown’s section of the national site, host space in neighborhoods like Jefferson Chalmers, Woodbridge and is also showcased. Some listings advertise an “entire home” of apartment space for less than $50. Other single rooms in a house, or bookings of an entire dwelling, vary in price, according to location, view of the community and other amenities.

Everything from making payments to sharing “house rules” and communication between hosts and their guests is made possible online. With 2.5 million listings worldwide, Airbnb is in 31,000 cities and almost 200 countries, according to the company.

Among specific neighborhoods researched by Airbnb, Cass Corridor near the Cultural District has generated about $138,000 for hosts during the past year, while LaSalle Gardens on Detroit’s west side generated $167,000.  Corktown generated about $197,000 and Woodbridge brought in $209,000. Hosts in Hamtramck and Highland Park earned $184,000.

The figures are a testament to the “shared economy” the program promotes, benefiting people of low and moderate income, Burns says.

“They talk about the money they make, they talk about their interesting experiences, and people start to want to do it,” he says.

Looking to supplement her income, Allanté Whitmore began hosting at her downtown apartment in August 2015. She says she’s earned enough to help support “The Happening,” her pop-up brunch catering business and is also looking to launch a design company with her earnings.

“I literally have had guests from around the world stay at my apartment,” she says.

The earning opportunity is especially convenient since Whitmore is usually away from home due to the travel requirements of her job at Wayne State University.

While she doesn’t get a lot of time to spend with her guests she enjoys telling them out Detroit.

“I think the coolest thing is exposing people to the beauty of the city,” she says. “I get messages asking, ‘Where should I go? What should I do?’ and I’m happy to share those hidden gems.”

To further enhance Detroit’s status, the city was one of 12 chosen around the world for the recently launched “Airbnb Experience,” a platform that expands the adventure beyond vacation rentals to personal hobbies and passions. Through the new component guests can navigate the site to connections with fellow surfers, music-lovers, bicyclists, gardeners or other enthusiasts. Locals serve as guides into diverse realms of choice, ranging from nature to crafts.

The “Experience” also promotes Detroit’s diversity, with 15 of its 19 current hosts as people of color, adds Burns.

An added bonus of Airbnb lodging is the benefit of neighborhood treasures and attractions seldom discovered by guests who only rest in commercial hospitality rooms.

“What they’re really doing is connecting our tourists to points of interest that they might not experience at downtown hotels,” Burns says. 

Photos courtesy of Airbnb

  airbnb, City of Detroit tourism, Corktown, Jefferson-Chalmers, University of Michigan, Woodbridge