Airbnb is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and the company has announced a new service, called Airbnb Plus. The press event is still ongoing in San Francisco, but the website is already live.
Airbnb Plus essentially aims to identify properties that are unique, yet offer hotel-like services. According to Airbnb’s website, “every Airbnb Plus home is one-of-a-kind, thoughtfully designed, and equipped with a standard set of amenities—whether you’re in a private room or have the entire place to yourself.” Specifically, all properties under Airbnb Plus will be verified in person, and the home or room must offer all the amenities on Airbnb’s checklist of more than 100 items.
Airbnb Plus aims to identify homes that offer more hotel-like amenities in unique settings.
The New York Times already has an article about the new service, which includes many more details about these special homes.
Hosts will have to apply to be included in Airbnb Plus, and they must have a rating of at least 4.8 stars. Airbnb will send an inspector and a photographer to the home to make sure it’s up to their standards. So this probably won’t be like…a dorm room rented out by college students.
For example, these properties must offer filtered or bottled water, iron, and hairdryer; the kitchen must be stocked with cooking utensils and dinnerware; bedrooms must have “plenty of fluffy pillows and towels,” and all doors must have functional locks. Personally, it seems that many items on this check list seem to be pretty basic, but added together they probably signify a property that’s more put together than others.
Airbnb Plus homes will be on the more pricey side. A typical Airbnb rental costs about $100 a night, but Airbnb Plus homes will cost an average of $200 a night. The service will go live with a listing of over 2,000 homes, but will only be in 13 cities for the time being:
- Austin
- Barcelona
- Cape Town
- Chicago
- Los Angeles
- London
- Melbourne
- Milan
- Rome
- San Francisco
- Shanghai
- Sydney
- Toronto
You can watch the live press event on YouTube below:
Will you considering renting an Airbnb Plus home on your next vacation?
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