US hoteliers find Airbnb in Cuba, before them

Washington

STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts this year became the first US hotelier to ink a deal in Cuba in nearly six decades. Marriott International quickly announced plans to do the same, and a number of big-name competitors have since expressed interest in expanding to the island nation.

But as US hotels look to move into Cuba, they face a massive number of unknowns related to the country's business policies, infrastructure capabilities and economic embargoes, as well as another formidable rival: Airbnb.

The home-sharing site, which quietly arrived in Cuba in the spring of 2015, has established a stronghold in the country, …