Apartment-style provider Frontdesk by the end of December will add New Orleans to its growing list of destinations when it takes over 28 former Stay Alfred units in the city, the company announced. Additional former Stay Alfred inventory now in the Frontdesk portfolio include nine units in Indianapolis and 18 in Pittsburgh.
With the addition of New Orleans, Frontdesk will be in 29 markets across 16 U.S. states, with 580 units. The company's goal is to have 1,500 units by the end of 2021, co-founder and chief product officer Jesse DePinto said in a statement.
Despite Airbnb's successful initial public offering Thursday, the short-term rental industry has taken some hits this year, with Lyric leaving the space, Stay Alfred going out of business and Domio looking to sell its assets. Still, Sonder raised $170 million in June, Kasa Living raised $30 million in October, and Mint House has taken over some Lyric units and continues to see growth.
Founded in 2017, Frontdesk has raised $11 million in capital to date. Pre-pandemic, about one-third of its bookings were from business travelers, according to a company spokesperson.