Airbnb is launching an all-new version of its iOS and Android app thats designed for more than just booking great places to stay. The new app lets you enhance each trip with opportunities to make memories and enjoy unique experiences around your destination. Thats because Airbnbs major app redesign supports a new initiative called Airbnb Services, a modern take on hotel amenities for the Airbnb era.
With Airbnb Services, the company is expanding from being primarily known for connecting travelers with a place to call home for a few nights. Going forward, Airbnb aims to make booking things to do as much a part of the product as finding places to stay.
No need to spend time researching local experts, sorting through recommendations, or juggling reservations in different apps. Airbnb Services offers a trusted vetting process with the same easy-to-use booking system youre already using.
Airbnb Services isnt just an add-on to the stay booking experience either. The new app treats Airbnb Services with the same attention and care that users expect when booking a place to stay.
The idea is simple: hotels offer amenities like fine dining and fitness centers, and Airbnb changed how people book stays. Now, Airbnb wants to change how people discover local experts who provide great services in photography, cooking, wellness, and more.
Airbnb Services is launching today with 10 categories across 260 cities to start:
- Chefs Fully customizable in-home meals from professional chefs.
- Photography Personalized photo sessions from experienced photographers.
- Massage Restorative massages including Swedish, deep tissue, and reflexology from certified therapists.
- Spa treatments Facials, microdermabrasion, body scrubs, and other treatments provided by licensed estheticians.
- Personal training Yoga, strength training, HIIT, and more, with personal trainers, including renowned fitness professionals and world champion athletes.
- Hair Professional haircuts, blowouts, and more from experienced stylists.
- Makeup Makeup for every day or special occasions from professional makeup artists.
- Nails Manicures and pedicures from experienced nail specialists.
- Prepared meals Ready-to-eat meals prepared by professional chefs.
- Catering Full-service catering with custom menus, decor, and equipment, plus setup and cleanup.
Like Airbnb stay listings, Airbnb Services are meant to be for everyone. For that reason, the company says that prices on many offerings start below $50. Expect the service to go live in more cities regularly over time.
Alongside Services, Airbnb is putting more weight behind Experiences, its curated lineup of activities hosted by locals, as part of its effort to provide great solutions for making the most of each trip.
The company says each Experience is vetted for quality, with a focus on expertise, authenticity, and strong guest feedback. Hosts are chosen based on their connection to the location and their ability to deliver something memorable, not just a generic tour.
A new addition called Airbnb Originals takes things up a notch. These are exclusive experiences created just for Airbnb, often hosted by public figures and celebrities. You can make pastries with chef Raphaelle Elbaz at the cult-favorite French Bastards bakery in Paris or play beach volleyball with Olympian Carol Solberg on Rios Leblon Beach.
Originals also include over-the-top moments with big names like Megan Thee Stallion, who invites guests to become their anime alter-ego in her Otaku Hottie Quest. You can also join Sabrina Carpenter on the Short n Sweet set for a day of glam, dancing, and espresso, or hang out with Patrick Mahomes to learn how to throw the perfect spiral and eat Kansas City barbecue.
And you dont have to be traveling to take part in Airbnb Experiences. Airbnb wants Experiences to be something you actually want to book in your own city too.
Pairing Airbnb stays with services feels so natural its surprising it didnt exist already. But the reason Airbnb Services works now is because it is built on years of product iteration and a global network of partners who make it possible.
Airbnb Services, along with Experiences and Originals, turns the app into something like a world menunot just places to stay, but things to do and memories to make along the way.
The redesigned app is full of rich iconography, fluid animations, and thoughtful choice that sets the tone before the trip even begins. It adapts to what youre doing, whether youre planning, traveling, or reminiscing afterward in a way that should feel rewarding to use.
Airbnb is making Experiences more social too. Later this year, youll be able to see who else is attending before you book, message the group or individual guests during the experience, and stay connected afterward.
The idea is to make it easier to join with friends or meet new people along the way and stay connected. Seeing technology get out of the way and embrace human connection in a way that people want and need is so refreshing to see.
For a company thats nearly 20 years old and such a part of everyday life, Airbnb has built an app experience thats both new and actually gives you a reason to plan your next trip. Pulling that off is neither easy nor guaranteed, yet Airbnb is doing both with a sense of fun and intention thats delightful to see.
Download the all-new version of Airbnb for iOS and Android today. Happy travels!
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