Airbnb expands platform with hotel-like services
Airbnb has further diversified its platform with the launch of Airbnb Services and a revamping of its Airbnb Experiences program.
Airbnb Services offers hotel-like amenities across 260 cities globally, with users able to book services like personal chefs, photography sessions, massages and other spa treatments, personal training, hair styling and catering directly through the Airbnb app. According to Airbnb, these services are available at "nearly every price," with entry level offerings starting at around $50.
Airbnb Services can be booked regardless of whether a user is staying at an Airbnb property or even traveling at all.
"People choose hotels for their services," said Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. "People choose Airbnbs for the space. Now, we're giving you the best of both worlds -- amazing homes with services that make them even more special."
Concurrently, Airbnb has expanded its Experiences tours and activities business, which will now operate in 650 cities worldwide. Airbnb said its reimagined Experiences concept puts more focus on activities hosted by locals with verified expertise and connections to their cities.
Examples of the platform's new offerings include a tour of Notre Dame led by an architect involved with the Paris cathedral's restoration (starting at $95 per guest) and a ramen cooking class with a Michelin Bib Gourmand chef in Tokyo (starting at $145 per guest).
Airbnb launched Experiences in 2016, with the platform growing to over 13,000 experiences across 180 cities by 2018. Although the company temporarily pivoted to digital experiences during the height of the pandemic, the platform resumed, with Chesky describing Experiences as "ready to scale" in 2023.
Airbnb is also enhancing its experiential offerings with Airbnb Originals, a premium tier of experiences created exclusively for Airbnb. Some Originals are hosted by celebrities, including experiences featuring rapper Megan Thee Stallion, singer Sabrina Carpenter and NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Users can request to book these offerings via the Airbnb app, with winning guests chosen at random by Airbnb.
Airbnb's latest batch of fresh features comes as the company unveils its latest app redesign, which features an "Explore" tab for discovering offerings, a "Trips" tab providing detailed itineraries, enhanced messaging capabilities and redesigned profile pages highlighting verified users.
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