THIS year Airbnb is expecting 300 million people to travel and host on its app.
To prepare, it is making improvements to Airbnb, starting with the introduction of Airbnb Rooms, an all-new take on the original Airbnb. It is also launching over 50 new features and upgrades that address top feedback from guests and hosts.
Introducing Airbnb Rooms
Airbnb began as a way to stay in a room in someone else’s home. This original idea of sharing a home offers two unique benefits.
First, it’s more affordable for guests. More than 80% of private rooms are under US$100 (about RM445)/night, with an average rate of US$67/night. Second, staying with a host is a great way to meet someone new and experience the city like a local.
Today, Airbnb is introducing Airbnb Rooms. Guests have said that they want to know more about who they're staying with. Every Airbnb Room features a Host Passport, which helps guests get to know their host before booking their stay.
It also created a Rooms category with over 1 million listings, redesigned filters and added new privacy features.
“With Airbnb Rooms, we’re getting back to the idea that started it all – back to our founding ethos of sharing,” said Brian Chesky, Airbnb co-founder and CEO.
“Airbnb Rooms are often more affordable than hotels, and they’re the most authentic way to experience a city. This is the soul of Airbnb.”
- Host Passport – Exclusive to Airbnb Rooms, the Host Passport helps you get to know your host before booking your stay. Simply tap the Host Passport to view a larger photo and details Hosts have shared about themselves, including where they went to school, what they do for work, fun facts about themselves, and much more.
- Airbnb Rooms category – Airbnb Rooms are easy to discover, with a new category featuring a curated set of 1 million private bedrooms. Listings include access to shared spaces, like the kitchen, living room, or backyard.
- Redesigned filters – Airbnb redesigned the “type of place” filter to make it easy to switch between Airbnb Rooms, entire homes, or all types of places. It’s simple to view the average price for each type of place with an enhanced price filter that updates based on your choice.
- New privacy features – All Airbnb Rooms will clearly state if the bedroom door has a lock. The listing page also shows whether the bathrooms are shared or private, and whether people other than the host will be in the home during your stay.
50+ new features and upgrades based on feedback
To improve its service, Airbnb took a design-driven approach. It started by storyboarding the guest and host journey – from sign-up to checking out, and every step in between.
It created a blueprint of the experience – every screen, every policy, and every interaction with customer support mapped out. Then, Airbnb analysed millions of customer service tickets and mapped them across the journey.
It also reviewed thousands of social media posts and spoke with hundreds of thousands of guests and hosts about how to improve Airbnb.
“Millions of people have given us feedback on how to improve Airbnb. We’ve listened,” said Brian Chesky.
“Today, we’re introducing the most extensive set of updates ever. Our design-driven approach means we’re always making Airbnb better, and our over 50 new features and upgrades are just the beginning. We will never stop improving Airbnb.”
Here are just a few of the features and upgrades Airbnb is launching for guests starting today:
- Total price display – Guests can view the total price with fees, before taxes, across the entire app including in search results, price filter, maps, and listing pages.
- Transparent checkout instructions – Guests can now view checkout instructions on the listing page before booking, and they’ll receive a reminder before they leave the home. During the review process, guests can tell Airbnb about any excessive requests. And listings with repeated low ratings from unreasonable chores will be removed from Airbnb.
- Improved maps – Used by more than 80% of guests, Airbnb has updated maps with faster performance, persistent pins when zooming and panning, and more results when searching.
- Redesigned wishlists – Wishlists now include a redesigned interface, one-tap saving, and an improved calendar that shows availability of wishlisted homes. Guests can also add notes to any wishlisted listing – making it easier to remember why they loved it.
- Simpler and more affordable monthly stays – For stays over three months, the travel company is significantly reducing the guest service fee after the third month. Guests in the US can also save for stays over one month when paying with their linked bank account. And when searching, the new Months tab features an all-new interface that makes it easy to dial in a range from 1-12 months.
- Priority customer service on a trip – Airbnb created a dedicated 24/7 support team for priority access when you’re on a trip, with a goal of answering 90% of calls in English in two minutes or less.
- Pay over time – Through a new partnership with Klarna, guests in the US and Canada can apply to pay for stays in four interest-free installments over six weeks. For bookings over US$500, guests can apply to pay monthly (US only). More countries will be added throughout the year.
- Instant rebooking credit – If a host cancels within 30 days of arrival, most guests will receive an instant credit that can be used to rebook another stay immediately.
Airbnb is also launching 25 improvements for hosts, including new pricing tools to help hosts set competitive prices, easily add weekly and monthly discounts, and compare their listing to similar ones in their area.
It is also including a yearly view in calendar, the ability to easily enter checkout instructions, read receipts and new quick replies in messaging, and more.
Worldwide rollout starting today
Airbnb Rooms and over 50+ new features and upgrades for guests and hosts will begin rolling out this week. Hosts can try new features today by enrolling in Airbnb Early Access. – The Vibes, May 4, 2023
