The pandemic is finally over, this year more than 300 million guest arrivals are expected on Airbnb. To prepare, we’re making the most extensive set of improvements in the platform’s history, starting with the introduction of Airbnb Rooms, a completely revamped version of Airbnb. We’re also releasing more than 50 new features and improvements based on feedback from both Hosts and Guests.
Discover Airbnb Rooms
Airbnb started as a way to stay in a room in someone else’s home. This original idea of sharing a home offers two unique advantages. First of all, it is cheaper for guests. More than 80% of private rooms cost less than $100 per night, with an average price of $67 per night. On the other hand, by staying with a Host, you travel in a much more authentic way because you meet new people and you are encouraged to live a few days as a local.
We believe that today this idea is more important than ever. In today’s economic climate, people want to continue traveling without spending too much. After the years of isolation that we lived through during the pandemic, today there is a need to meet other people and travel in a more authentic way. So now is the ideal time to stay in a room in someone else’s home. But for even more people to dare to try it, they must feel comfortable staying with a Host.
Today we’re introducing Airbnb Rooms, a completely revamped version of Airbnb. Guests have told us that they would like to know more about the person who shares their home with them. The Host Passport will now appear in all Airbnb Rooms listings, helping guests get to know their Host better before booking their stay. We also created the Rooms category, with over 1 million listings, redesigned filters, and new privacy features.
In the words of Brian Chesky, Airbnb Co-Founder and CEO, “With Airbnb Rooms, we are going back to where we started, to the idea that started it all: the spirit of sharing. Airbnb Rooms are usually cheaper than hotel rooms and are the most authentic way to discover a place. This is the soul of Airbnb.”
- Host Passport: We want every guest to feel comfortable staying with a Host. The Host Passport, an exclusive feature of Airbnb Rooms, helps you get to know the Host a little better before you book your stay. Just tap the Host Passport to open a larger photo and view details Hosts have shared about themselves, like where they went to school, what they do for a living, a fun fact about themselves, and more.
- Category Airbnb Rooms: Airbnb rooms are easy to discover, with a new category offering a curated set of 1 million private rooms. Listings include access to shared spaces, such as the kitchen, living room, or backyard.
- Redesigned filters: The “room type” filter has a new design to make it easier to switch between Airbnb Rooms, entire places, or any type of space. It’s easy to identify the average price of each type of accommodation thanks to the price filter that updates based on what you choose.
- New privacy features: We know that privacy is important when you share a space. All Airbnb Rooms listings will clearly state if the room door has a lock. The listing page will also specify if the bathrooms are shared or private, and if anyone other than the Host will be present in the home during the stay.
Over 50 new features and improvements inspired by your feedback
We’re gearing up for an unprecedentedly anticipated travel season with improvements based on feedback from our community that touch nearly every aspect of the Airbnb service.
We take a design-driven approach to improve our service. We start with a storyboarding of the guest and Host journey, from creating an account to completing a reservation and everything in between. We created a map that encompassed the entire experience: every screen, every policy, and every customer service interaction. Then we analyzed millions of customer service incidents and associated them with that journey. We also reviewed thousands of social media posts and talked to hundreds of thousands of guests and Hosts about how we could make Airbnb better.
“Millions of people have given us feedback on how to make Airbnb better, and we listen,” Brian Chesky said. “Today we are introducing the most extensive set of novelties in our history. Our focus on design means we’re always making a better Airbnb, and these 50 new features and improvements are just the beginning. We will always keep improving Airbnb.”
Here are just a few of the 50+ new features and enhancements we’re rolling out to travelers starting today:
- Total price display: Guests can see the total price with rates before taxes, throughout the app, including in search results and price filters as well as in maps and advertisements.
- Clear check-out instructions: Guests can now view check-out instructions on the listing page before booking, plus they will receive a reminder prior to departure. Then, when they leave their review, guests can let us know if any of the tasks seemed excessive. Listings that repeatedly receive low reviews for unreasonable task requests will be removed from Airbnb.
- improved maps– Used by over 80% of Airbnb guests, we’ve updated maps for faster performance, how markers work when you zoom or move the map, and what results show when you search.
- Redesigned Favorites: Favorites now includes a new interface with one-touch saving of listings and an improved calendar that shows data about the availability of saved accommodations. Plus, travelers will be able to add notes to any listing they’ve saved to their favorites, making it easier to remember why they loved it.
- Cheaper and simpler monthly stays: For stays longer than 3 months, we significantly lower the guest service fee after the third month. For searches, we have a new interface with a dial that you just have to drag to choose a stay between 1 and 12 months.
- Priority assistance during a trip: We’ve created a dedicated 24/7 support team for priority assistance during your travels, and we’ve set a goal of answering 90% of calls in English in two minutes or less.
- payment in installments– Through a new partnership with Klarna, guests from the US and Canada can apply to pay for stays in four interest-free installments over six weeks. For reservations over USD 500, guests may apply to the monthly payment (US only). More countries will be added throughout the year.
- Immediate credit for reservation change: If a Host cancels with 30 days or less to arrival, most guests will immediately receive a credit so they can book another stay as soon as possible.
Among the more than 50 new features and enhancements, we’re rolling out 25 for Hosts, including new tools that will help Hosts determine their prices competitively, add weekly and monthly discounts more easily, and compare their listings with similar ones on their area. We’re also adding an annual calendar view, a feature to more easily add checkout instructions, message read confirmations, new quick replies to messages on the platform, and more.
