Airbnb Plus’ Risky Bet to Push Homesharing to a New Level
Photo Credit: An Airbnb Plus host in her home in San Francisco. In February, Airbnb officially launched Airbnb Plus, a new tier of vetted and verified homes. Airbnb
Skift Take
If Airbnb is successful with Airbnb Plus, it will ensure that alternative accommodations are no longer seen as an alternative. But making it a success will be easier said than done.
When Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky took to the stage in San Francisco on February 22 and said that "Airbnb is for everyone," it was more than just a company slogan.
It was a statement about the evolution of the sharing of homes that's becoming more professionalized, more standardized, and in some cases, a lot more like a hotel.
Of all the new features and products Chesky outlined, the official launch of Airbnb Plus in February was particularly emblematic of this convergence taking place in the hospitality industry where the traditional categories of lodging are beginning to blur.
Piloted under the project name Airbnb Select over at least a two-year period, Airbnb Plus consists of 2,000 verified listings in 13 cities around the world. These homes, Airbnb attests, have been verified by Airbnb to be "beautiful homes" with "exceptional hosts" and "premium support" for both customers and hosts, Chesky noted. And they include both entire homes, as well as private rooms and bathrooms.
