Airbnb’s Latest Updates

For years, travelers have turned to Airbnb for its array of alternative accommodation options, from treehouses to yurts to locals’ apartments in city centers. The home-sharing site is a welcome diversion from the stuffy hotels of the past, and the site isn’t stopping there with its innovative and unique lodging opportunities. Airbnb has a goal of becoming accessible and of interest to all travelers, not only those seeking offbeat places to stay. As such, the company rolls out a few new plans for 2018 with a goal of welcoming 1 billion annual travelers in its properties by 2028.

One of Airbnb’s new initiatives is called Airbnb Plus and includes a portfolio of homes that have been carefully vetted and are run by hand-selected hosts. All properties must meet standards according to a 100-item checklist, and the ads will feature photos taken by professional photographers. Airbnb hopes to offer up to 75,000 Airbnb Plus homes worldwide by the end of the year, with nightly prices starting at $250.

Airbnb guests who use the site frequently for their travel needs soon will be rewarded for their loyalty with Airbnb’s new Superguest program. As guests collect points for stays, they can be redeemed for services like stocked refrigerators, airport transfers and personalized concierge assistance.

Finally, Airbnb will launch Airbnb Categories and Airbnb Collections, two web-based services to help travelers find exactly what they are looking for when browsing properties. New filters include terms like “boutique,” “chef’s kitchen” and “near a zoo.”