SAN FRANCISCO — Airbnb has unveiled a roadmap for the future of its homes business.
This announcement includes the creation of four new property types — Vacation Home, Unique, B&B and Boutiques (in addition to its existing Entire Home, Private Room and Shared Space categories); new Airbnb Plus and Beyond by Airbnb tiers; Airbnb Collections — curated home offerings for every occasion; and investment back into the Airbnb community through a revamped Superhost program and a new guest membership program launching later this year.
“Ten years ago we never dreamed of what Airbnb could become. In fact, people thought the idea that strangers would stay in each other’s homes was crazy. Today, millions of people every night do just that. But we want to go further by supporting and expanding our community so that in 10 years time, more than 1-billion people per year will experience the benefits of magical travel on Airbnb,” says Brian Chesky, co-founder, CEO and head of Community, Airbnb.
Airbnb Collections are created to address the increasingly diverse needs of the platform’s users. Collections currently includes Airbnb for Family and Airbnb for Work, with collections for social stays, weddings, honeymoons, group getaways and dinner parties coming later this year.
The new Airbnb Plus tier is designed to recognize hosts who go above and beyond to provide outstanding hospitality. The homes featured in this tier have been personally verified for quality and comfort, with 2,000 homes in 13 cities currently featured in the category. The platform’s luxury tier — Beyond by Airbnb — is set to launch this spring and will offer “custom-designed trips of a lifetime,” including custom experiences and world-class hospitality.
