Rohan Gilkes is the founder of Innclusive.com, a peer-to-peer accommodations site slated to launch in September that he says is designed to encourage more diversity and eliminate discrimination by hosts. Gilkes, 40, was spurred to launch the site after having his Airbnb accommodations request this spring rejected by an Idaho host who then accepted a reservation request from Gilkes' white friend for the same dates. Gilkes spoke with senior editor Danny King.
Q: How will Innclusive.com prevent discrimination by hosts?
Rohan Gilkes
A: What people do on Airbnb is what we call "availability musical chairs." We're creating a system where if you say you're unavailable [for certain dates], you're unavailable for everybody. Also, we're going with the Uber model, where the driver doesn't see the user profile [before the ride is booked]. So that removes the possibility of a bias. And the third thing is the branding: We're very clear that we're interested in people from all backgrounds.
Q: Did you contact Airbnb about your Idaho experience?
A: Yes, but when I reached out to them, they said unless it's something very explicit, like the use of the N-word, there's nothing they could do. Then they said they'd forward my story to the correct department, but they didn't respond until my story went viral a couple weeks later. So I felt dismissed. [Airbnb didn't respond to Travel Weekly's request for a response last week.]
Q: Did the Idaho experience dissuade you from wanting to use Airbnb again?
A: Well, I stayed with Airbnb four [previous] times with no issues. And I still ended up staying at an Airbnb in Idaho because I had no alternatives, but I had a buddy of mine book it. And I could say, "Let me stay away from peer-to-peer," but I feel more connected to the millennial generation and the way they do things. We want to travel and see the world and be included. If the world is changing and people are having a really great time, I can't take part in that? No. I want to take part in that. This is how I live my life, and I'd rather be part of it with dignity and respect.
Q: What makes you think your site will garner enough demand?
A: A lot of people have emailed me and told me the situation is systemic. I just got off a call yesterday from a developer from northern India who's now based in Finland. He said that in order to book stays he has to get his Finnish friends to book for him. So he said, "I'm committed to helping you guys." At least 200 people have contacted me via email, Facebook, Twitter feed and the #airbnbwhileblack hashtag, because a lot of people are being ignored and dismissed. We have the ability and probably the obligation to do this.
Q: Have you heard any similar stories from minorities who've stayed at hotels?
A: No. Traditional hotels remove that bias. As long as your credit card works, they got you.
Q: Do you think Airbnb's hiring of ex-attorney general Eric Holder to address its anti-discrimination practices is progress or window dressing?
A: I think it's worse than window dressing. In any city in the U.S., you can find 100 lawyers with more experience with discrimination policy. The hire was about power, political access and the ability to help advance Airbnb.