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Airbnb has announced new features including a wider variety of listing types and luxury custom trips in an attempt to attract more high end travellers.
The home-sharing platform will add four new property types to its platform – Vacation Home, Unique Space, B&B and Boutique.
A new tier called Airbnb Plus will see homes inspected and verified in person against a 100-plus point checklist covering cleanliness, comfort and design. Airbnb said the feature is intended for guests “looking for beautiful homes, exceptional hosts and added peace of mind”. The new tier has launched with immediate effect with 2,000 hosts in 13 cities.
An additional tier, Beyond Airbnb, will offer custom-designed trips and “some of the finest hosts” on the platform. The move follows the company’s acquisition of Luxury Retreats and will launch in spring.
Airbnb co-founder, chief executive and ‘head of community’, Brian Chesky, said: “10 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 one billion people a year will experience the benefits of magical travel on Airbnb.”
Airbnb Collections is also seeing an update with the launch of Airbnb for Family and Airbnb for Work. Collections for social stays, weddings, honeymoons, group getaways and dinner parties will launch later this year.
