Editors’ Picks: Airbnb Magazine Favorites of 2019
From halal travel and houseboats to shopping and a singular snake house, here are a few standout projects that inspired our creative team this year.
Solo Travel cover
“I loved watching illustrator Guy Shield’s solo travel cover coming together from concept brief and initial sketches through final selection as the cover. I found the illustration so empowering as a woman who loves to travel and who dreams of visiting Japan. And when Guy animated this cover for Instagram, it was an unexpected and joy-eliciting gift — and a creative twist that inspired us to partner with Apple on future animated covers for Apple News+, to bring greater exposure to the awesome artists we work with on each issue.”
— Erika Ehmsen, Program Manager
How Migrant Teens are Finding a Home in Fortnite
“Brooke Jarvis’s piece seemingly effortlessly brings the headlines about both screen time and deportation into focus through the story of an innocent teenager, uncovering a fascinating and complex subworld I hadn’t read about before. Her reporting is beautiful and incisive, and I challenge you to leave the piece unmoved.”
— Sophie Brickman, Executive Editor
Smart Travel
“I’ve really enjoyed working on this series. There’s surprisingly valuable information, and we get to hire interesting illustrators to explore the tips creatively! And as part of that series, we’ve designed a few Instagram stories that include animation, which has been a blast.”
— Laura Bagnato, Digital Design Lead
On the Waterfront: What’s It’s Really Like to Live in a Houseboat
“I’m one of those Instagram obsessives of all things tiny homes, treehouses, and the like, so of course I relished the chance to deep dive into the world of houseboats (all in the name of professional research, of course). I was delighted to get to work with writer Margot Kahn, as well. It turns out, she’s an Airbnb home host — a community I hold near and dear after working for three years on Airbnb’s host communications team.”
— Andrea Minarcek, Editorial Lead
Fat Travel, With Virgie Tovar & Friends
“I hate picking favorites, but if I have to choose, then I pick our first community spotlight on Fat Travel, led by contributing editor Virgie Tovar. From hiking Machu Picchu to the founding of Camp Thunder Thighs, this suite of personal essays and smart travel stories shines a light on body diversity within the realm of travel. My goal as the managing editor on the digital side of Airbnb Magazine is to ensure we are using our power and privilege to amplify diverse voices and working to make the world a move inclusive place for all travelers. This Fat Travel series is a perfect example of how powerful publishing can be when we hand over the mic to let the community lead the way.” — Anisse Gross, Managing Editor, Digital
“My favorite project of the year was the Fat Travel package, specifically Traveling Abroad Is When I Get to Eat Without Shame.” — Joel Kato, Social Specialist
Behind the ’Gram: Salvation Mountain
“A beautifully perceptive article with quirkily surreal images of one man’s nondenominational tribute to love, and why it has become an experience destination.” — Vicky Walker, Copy Editor, Digital
The Newest Way to Decorate Your Home? Stay at an Airbnb — and Shop It
“All three Airbnb homes are beautiful and inspiring, and full of clever, doable ideas from the design-centric hosts. Plus, this story spotlighted the trend of staying in a ‘“’shoppable home.’ (Guests can easily buy the gorgeous linens, comfy bed, vintage rug, and more after getting a chance to ‘try them out‘ on their Airbnb stay first.)” —Betsy Goldberg, Deputy Editor
So I Slept in… a Snake
“I really enjoyed writing about my experience spending a few nights in Mexico City’s Snake House. The host, Pato Castillo, is one of the warmest, most welcoming humans I’ve met through Airbnb to date, and exploring the property in her care with our design lead, Laura Bagnato, was one of my favorite experiences this year. We had maybe too much fun frolicking around the estate, slipping down slides, and cozying up into weird nooks and secret passages. It was an incredible break from the day-to-day.” —Janine Kahn, Editorial Manager
“I loved the Halal Travel piece! (What It’s Like to Travel Solo as a Muslim Woman)” — Ben Kasman, Magazine Head
Aperture Partnership
“I’m so proud of our continued support of the Aperture Foundation, most recently by sponsoring a book launch by Antwaun Sargent. In relation to the launch, we worked with six photographers from the book in our past few issues. These photographers were Tyler Mitchell (the youngest and first black photographer to shoot the cover of American Vogue), Ruth Ossai, Micaiah Carter, Adrienne Raquel, Jamal Nxedlana, and Quil Lemons.”
— Sally Carmichael, Design Lead
How Palermo Became a Host to African Refugees
“I thought Ashley Powers’s story was thoroughly and empathetically reported, and it shined a light on an important international issue that I haven’t seen a huge amount of feature reporting on. To me, a piece like this — one that’s rooted in a local perspective but obviously has much broader social implications — is the best of what Airbnb Magazine can be.” —Grant Rindner, Assistant Editor
101 Movies That Will Inspire You to Travel the World
“We partnered with so many incredible contributors this year that this question is really impossible to answer. But I did get outsized satisfaction from working on this piece in our Movies issue. For me, that period of anticipation and planning that leads up to a trip is almost, if not as rewarding as the trip itself. And for me a big part of that process includes binging on local film, TV, books, and music.”
—Mike Steele, Editor in Chief
A Modern Day Road Trip Through the Land of Grimm’s Fairy Tales
“It was a fun challenge to be able to find the right art to work with the story and photography, but we really pulled it together with Bill Mayer’s gorgeous illustrations. He’s an eccentric angel to work with. We had a lot of fun with this one and it picked us up some awards.”
—Mallory Roynon, Creative Director
Travel Back in Time at These Eight Historic Airbnb Homes
“There’s something so compelling about a home that still exists today but was built in another era, and staying there knowing all the events that have taken place in the same space. Many people I’ve shown the magazine to point to the Stay section as their favorite part of the book — it invites you to dream. I couldn’t think of a better theme for this section; all the homes had special stories behind them and the photography made you feel reminiscent.” —Christine Lee, Editorial Assistant
