For 17 years, Airbnb has won the hotel industry, with 2 billion guests now in the company's competition since then. In today's announcement, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said the company will offer the types of services that are normally found at hotels, including room service, spa treatments and personal training, which can be booked with Airbnb's redesigned app. Other services include meals prepared by professional chefs and salon treatments such as hair, nails and makeup.
The company is also rethinking the Airbnb experience, offering tours and events organized by experts to highlight authentic culture, cooking, sports and wellness activities run by locals. The first products will be available in 100 cities, including Axelle Ponsonnet, one of the architects who restored the cathedral after partial burnout in 2019, and a tour of the recently restored cathedral in Paris.
“Airbnb is currently used as a noun and verb, meaning where you will stay,” Chesky said in a recent interview. “The question we then asked was what would happen if Airbnb or above could essentially monetize the greatest assets of your life. This is probably not your home, it's time, passion, and skill set.”
The company tested the idea when it launched the Airbnb experience in 2016, but faced issues with quality and reliability.
Mitchbach, CEO and co-founder of Trip School, an independent organisation that trains tour guides, said the main problem with the original deployment is that experience providers lack the professionalism of trained tour guides despite their deep integration into the local culture.
Airbnb “deliberately avoided tourist attractions like GetYourguide and Viator, which are market bread and butter,” Bach said. “I think their bet was that they could organically expand this around that brand and the genius of Airbnb's position in the market, but they discovered that they couldn't do that very clearly.”
In the reboot, Airbnb said it is focusing on quality and professionalism, following a rigorous and continuous review of the tour provider's “specialty, reputation and credibility.”
Chesky said the new product is still its own “Airbnb.” “We find the most interesting people in the world and design new experiences,” he said. Notre Dame Tours are cited as an example of using experts outside the travel industry to provide unique lenses.
In some cities, Airbnb has begun a series of experiences called “originals” designed for companies. These include making pastries with French Bastard Bakery chef Rafael Elbaz in Paris or playing beach volleyball at Olympian Carol Solberg and LeBron Beach in Rio de Janeiro. The company also collaborates with celebrities such as Megan The Seatlion and Sabrina Carpenter to host dance and glamour sessions.
Airbnb said many users have found the company's previous experience to be too high. Airbnb said the new experience, which averages $65 per person, is more affordable and easier to organize. The new app allows users to book their homes, experiences and services in one place. Once your booking is confirmed, the new “Trip Mode” allows guests to view and edit itinerary. There is also a social component that allows people to see and interact with people booked in the same experience.
“I always believed that Airbnb was destined to do more than just providing a place to stay,” Chesky said.
Follow the New York Times Travel Above Instagram and Sign up for Travel Dispatch Newsletter To get expert tips to travel smarter and inspirational travel for your next vacation. Are you dreaming of a future vacation or travelling an armchair? Check us 52 locations in 2025.
