Transitioning from non-place to place through performative authenticity: Focusing on Airbnb accommodation experiences

This study aims to clarify the structural meaning of the process by which Airbnb guests develop performative authenticity through embodied practices, thereby transforming non-place accommodation into places. Applying Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological method, the study analyzed Airbnb experiences to derive 5 thematic clusters, 16 meaning units, and 70 significant statements. The findings reveal that: (1) In the initial stage, the experience is characterized by contractual relationships and non-place symbols based on temporary spatial use. (2) During the stay, performative authenticity is formed through embodied practices, emotional immersion and interactions with others, reaffirming the central importance of relationality, in performative authenticity discourse. (3) In the post-travel stage, memories, emotions, experience-sharing, and revisit intentions facilitate the placemaking of the accommodation. This research holds academic significance by addressing the limitations of existing existential authenticity studies—which often overlook spatial and social dynamics—by adopting a performative lens. It confirms the potential for placemaking in accommodation spaces and offers practical implications, such as designing spaces that invite embodied practices.