AirBnb To Open 10-Floor Hotel In Rockefeller Center: Reports

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — The short-term rental company Airbnb is partnering with one of New York City's biggest landlords to open a 10-story hotel in Rockefeller Center, according to reports.

Airbnb and RXR Realty will rent out apartment-style rooms on 10 floors at the top of 75 Rockefeller Plaza, a 32-story tower located at the north end of the famous plaza and East 51st Street, the Wall Street Journal first reported. Airbnb's hotel will open sometime next year pending city approval, according to the report.

The partnership is an example of Airbnb branching out from its traditional business model, tech publication CNET reported. The company is no longer just a platform to facilitate short-term rentals of apartments and extra rooms. Airbnb has plans to allow hotels to list rooms on its platform and recently bought the hotel booking site Hotel Tonight, according to the report.

The move toward a more hotel-style operation could allow Airbnb to increase its operations in cities such as New York, which have passed strict restrictions on short-term rentals.

"When we launched Airbnb over 10 years ago, it was immediately clear how people opening their homes could make guests feel like locals," Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said in a statement acquired by CNET. "We hope to provide that same unique feeling, in the form of new spaces in the heart of Midtown Manhattan."

Rooms at RXR Realty and Airbnb's Rockefeller Center hotel will provide birds-eye views of the famous plaza, nearby landmarks and events such as the annual Christmas tree lighting, the Wall Street Journal reported. Details on pricing were not announced, but the rooms are described as luxury-style suites.

Read the full Wall Street Journal article here.