Airbnb has revealed new changes on its platform, with the CEO calling it “the biggest change in a decade”.
The new features that will come with an update will enhance the guest experiences on the platform and in real life.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said the new features will smoothen the guests’ staying experiences while also giving them different options to choose from.
The new update with features was released on Wednesday in the US and is set to roll out globally this week.
Here are the new features on the app:
Categories
There’s a new search function designed to help find different homes at different locations. Users can discover homes according to 56 different categories that organise them based on location, style, and proximity to an activity.
The app will let the users choose the location, while also showing different style categories and activities they could go with. The organised categories will be relevant to the destination.
The categories will show different locations such as national parks, beaches, or vineyards, style categories will include “amazing views” to “earth homes”, while activity categories include things like, surfing, golf, camping, etc.
“Airbnb categories easily filter out location and environment that the users are looking for, organising homes what makes the new feature unique, it helps people discover places they wouldn’t have otherwise found,” the company said in a release.
Aircover
When it comes to protection, Airbnb is always there. In the past, the protection was only offered to hosts to cover things like liability and damages.
But with the new Aircover feature, the guests will also get protection from the company. The new update will provide a booking protection guarantee.
The new booking protection means if a host cancels a booking within 30 days of check-in, the company promises to find a similar or better home or provide a refund.
There is also a check-in guarantee, where if a guest is unable to check into a home and the host can’t resolve the problem, the company will again find a similar or better home or provide a refund.
Meanwhile, there is also a three-day window during which they can report if a listing is not as advertised, and again the guests will be provided a refund.
Split Stays
With Split Stays feature, the guests will now be able to book multiple homes within the same trip.
This feature will automatically appear in search results for specific destinations with 14 different categories.
If any guest wants to search for accommodation over a long period, the app will automatically let the guest divides the trips between two homes.
