Airbnb to block, cancel reservations in DC during Inauguration week

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - Airbnb has announced they will be canceling reservations in the D.C. metro area during the Inauguration week due to local, state and federal officials asking people not to travel to the District.

Security measures ramp up in the District ahead of inauguration

FOX 5’s Bob Barnard reports from downtown Washington, D.C. as security measures ramp up in the District ahead of inauguration.

They also say they will prevent any new reservations from being made in the D.C. area during that time. HotelTonight reservations also will be canceled.

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Guests whose reservations are canceled will be refunded in full. Airbnb will also reimburse hosts, at Airbnb’s expense, the money they would have earned from any canceled reservations.

"Mayor Bowser, Governor Hogan and Governor Northam have been clear that visitors should not travel to the D.C. Metro area for the Inauguration," Airbnb stated in a press release. "Additionally, we are aware of reports emerging yesterday afternoon regarding armed militias and known hate groups that are attempting to travel and disrupt the Inauguration."

The company says they are continuing efforts to ensure that members of hate groups are not part of the Airbnb platform.

"As we’ve learned through media or law enforcement sources the names of individuals confirmed to have been responsible for the violent criminal activity at the United States Capitol on January 6, we’ve investigated whether the named individuals have an account on Airbnb," the press release continued. "Through this work, we have identified numerous individuals who are either associated with known hate groups or otherwise involved in the criminal activity at the Capitol Building, and they have been banned from Airbnb’s platform."