On the cusp of its 10-year anniversary, Airbnb has unveiled their press release with an extensive roadmap which highlights goals for the coming decade.
As well as sharing objectives such as achieving one billion yearly travelers in the next 10 years, in this update, Airbnb has revealed plans to roll out an abundance of new features for guests and hosts alike.
Let’s take a look at these updates and what they mean for property owners in the vacation rental industry.
1. New property types
Traditionally, Airbnb has relied on three key property types to categorize accommodation listings – these are Shared Space, Private Room and Entire Home.
Now there are over 4.5 million listings on the site, there is a much more diverse offering, including many alternative and non-traditional accommodation options. By expanding the metrics used to classify these properties, not only will guests find it easier to stumble upon the right property, but it will improve hosts’ chances of visibility.
This summer, Airbnb is adding four new property types to the platform for the first time since its launch in 2008. Along with the three aforementioned categories, there will now be the option to list a property as a Vacation Home, Unique Space, B&B or Boutique. This announcement aims to improve the process of matching guest needs with the properties that are available to rent.
2. Airbnb Collections
While Airbnb originated with the solo traveler in mind, it has come to be one of the world’s most well-known platforms for all kinds of traveling. With this new update, the channel is inaugurating Airbnb Collections. The site will pick “perfect homes for every occasion” which will, at present, be suitable for Family and Work. In the coming months, Airbnb will also release Collections for Social Stays, Weddings, Honeymoons, Group Getaways and Dinner Parties.
3. New Tiers
There are also two new tiers of properties which Airbnb have announced in this update.
Airbnb Plus
The first of these is called Airbnb Plus – they are properties which have been verified personally by Airbnb staff for their quality and comfort. At the moment, there are an exclusive 2000 homes available in just 13 cities. Airbnb Plus guarantees peace of mind for guests by providing them with beautiful, professionally vetted properties which meet strict requirements covering a range of topics from cleanliness to design and comfort.
For vacation rental owners, Airbnb Plus will give them greater visibility in search results, plus additional services such as expert photography, premium support and design consultations.
Airbnb Plus homes are currently available in the following worldwide locations:
- Austin
- Barcelona
- Cape Town
- Chicago
- Los Angeles
- London
- Melbourne
- Milan
- Rome
- San Francisco
- Shanghai
- Sydney
- Toronto.
Luxury
An additional new tier of properties has also been added to cater for the luxury market, following the site’s acquisition of Luxury Retreats in 2017. In Spring 2018, Airbnb will begin to offer once-in-a-lifetime packages which include some of the most luxurious properties, tailored experiences and unparalleled hospitality.
4. Superhost update
There is no denying Airbnb already recognizes hosts who work hard. Take the Airbnb Superhost program as an example, which now boasts over 400,000 members around the world. With this update comes a fresh development of the program, bringing a plethora of new advantages for those considered Superhosts.
These include better and increased marketing (opportunities to be featured across the Airbnb site), custom URLs (ideal for building your vacation rental brand), exclusive offers on Nest smart home products, access to webinars/events and $100 annual travel credit.
Airbnb hopes this release will enable hosts to become more successful, cater to more guests and ultimately, achieve more bookings.
