Airbnb may have started out as a simple home-sharing platform, but it has come a long way since then.
Last year, Airbnb launched services – such as spa treatments and photography sessions – and reinvented its Experiences platform to help travelers experience destinations in more authentic ways.
Now, Airbnb has added some interesting new categories to these offerings. He also launched hotels; yes, real hotels, not just vacation rentals.
“The best trips help you explore, learn, and come home a little different than when you left. That’s what we’re building at Airbnb,” said Brian Chesky, the company’s co-founder and CEO, according to a Press release. “And this summer, we’re giving people even more ways to do that: from incredible places to stay and boutique hotels that feel like Airbnb, to unforgettable World Cup experiences and amenities that make your trip easier.”
Let’s take a look at what’s new.
Related: Renting an Airbnb this summer? Here are the best credit cards to use
New services to speed up your trip
A key update is the addition of new service categories, specifically those aimed at optimizing the travel experience, along with savings and offers for Airbnb guests. These include:
- Rental Cars: You can now reserve a car directly in the Airbnb app, which will display vehicles near your listing and suggest the right vehicle for your group. The first time you rent a car on Airbnb, you’ll receive a 20% credit toward your next stay, experience, or select services.
- Grocery Delivery: Through Airbnb’s partnership with Instacart, you can order groceries during your trip or have them waiting at your Airbnb when you arrive in over 25 U.S. cities. Plus, Airbnb guests get $0 delivery and $10 off an order of $50 or more.
- Airport Pickups: Airbnb has also partnered with Welcome Pickups, a private car service where a driver tracks your flight and meets you curbside after you land. The service is available in more than 160 cities around the world and Airbnb guests can save 20% on each trip.
- Luggage Storage: The Airbnb app will show you the closest Bounce drop-off locations (over 15,000 locations in 175 cities) and Airbnb guests get a 15% discount.
According to a press release from Airbnb, “This is just the beginning of the new services guests can book on Airbnb this year,” so more categories may be on the way.
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More local experiences
Airbnb already offers a variety of tours, classes, and other experiences that you can book while on a trip or in your own backyard. The app will even recommend activities based on your group size.
This summer, the platform will add thousands more experiences led by local experts in its most popular categories:
- Landmarks: See iconic attractions, from the Tower of London to the Taj Mahal, with a local guide.
- Food Culture Experiences: Through partnerships with Chef’s Table and Grand Central Market, you can get a behind-the-scenes look at a location’s food and drink culture, meet Michelin-starred chefs, and more.
- FIFA World Cup 2026: You can’t get tickets through Airbnb, but you can book exclusive experiences, like a United States-Australia watch party with World Cup champions Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy.
While you can’t book these activities directly with points, you can with some hotel platforms like Discovering the world of Hyatt and Hilton Honors ExperiencesThere are some unique options available only on Airbnb.
Boutique and independent hotels
For the better part of two decades, Airbnb has grown from simple shared accommodation to a wide variety of vacation rentals, from luxurious tree houses to cozy B&Bs. The platform goes a step further with the introduction of boutique and independent hotels.
You can now book thousands of hotels through the platform, each carefully selected for its location, design and hospitality to make you feel as homely as Airbnb. These properties are currently available in 20 popular destinations around the world, such as New York, London and Singapore, with plans to add more destinations throughout the year.
Airbnb also gives users more reasons to book boutique hotels through its platform. If you book a “featured hotel,” you can receive up to 15% credit toward your next Airbnb stay. And with Airbnb’s price match guarantee, if you find a lower price for the same hotel elsewhere, you’ll get the difference as an Airbnb credit.
With these features, the program appears to be trying to encourage users to stay within its ecosystem, possibly the closest Airbnb has ever come to loyalty program territory.
In a nutshell
Since I book through Airbnb quite frequently for their unique stays (most recently, an unforgettable hobbit house near the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. I’m always happy to see the platform add new features. It’s convenient to be able to book other elements of the trip, like groceries and airport pickup, all in one place, and Airbnb offers some unique local experiences you won’t find anywhere else.
However, you can often earn many more points by booking through credit card portalswhich generally offer independent hotels, car rentals, tours and Airbnb-like activities. So in case you’re reading this, Brian Chesky, this writer is still eagerly waiting for an Airbnb loyalty program or credit card.
