‘A strategic attempt to turn Airbnb into a lifestyle platform’

Airbnb is evolving yet again. This time, the behemoth online travel agency is blending the freedom of short-term rentals with luxury of high-end hotels. In a major update to its app, the vacation rental giant announced that users will now be able to book a range of services directly from the platform, including chefs, personal trainers, make-up artists, and more.

This marks another step in Airbnb’s shift beyond simple accommodation booking and towards a full-service travel experience. The move comes amid signs of a potential slowdown in US bookings – reportedly linked to broader economic uncertainty, including the impact of trade policy (AKA Trump’s Tariffs) on consumer confidence.

Services start from $50 – and you don’t need to be staying in an Airbnb

The new luxury services – rolling out in 260 cities – start at under $50 (£37.57) and are available not only to Airbnb guests but also to non-staying users. The aim is to position Airbnb as a lifestyle platform rather than just a place to find holiday homes.

Also included in the app revamp is an updated 'experiences' tab, originally launched in 2016. This now features bespoke tours, exclusive activities, and cultural experiences designed to meet the growing demand for personalised travel.

A new ‘originals’ tab for exclusive encounters

Another standout addition to the app is the originals tab, which lets users book once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Think playing volleyball in Rio de Janeiro with Olympian Carol Solberg or spending a Sunday with NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes. These premium encounters are aimed at the traveller who’s 'been there, done that' and is constantly seeking something new.

Let's go behind the headlines

What does the update mean for short-term rental hosts and property managers across the globe? We asked Host Planet Columnists Richard Vaughton, Cristiana Carpini, and Zak Ali for their input.

Richard Vaughton: A strategic attempt to turn Airbnb into a lifestyle platform

Airbnb is unmistakably reshaping how hosting, managing, and even travelling works on its platform – and the latest release only deepens this shift. While headlines focus on the return of experiences, the real play is bigger: Airbnb is now introducing a whole suite of in-home services. And the updated app? Often ignored in analysis, OTA apps are crucial to marketing costs and engagement. It now looks and feels like a tech accessory, meets travel hub, meets social network, layering in upsell services that managers have been working hard to assemble themselves and diluting third-party tech opportunities. Smart!

This isn’t just fluff; it’s a strategic attempt to turn Airbnb into a lifestyle platform and a micro-business Airbnb franchise, not just a place to book accommodation. This move aligns perfectly with Airbnb’s bigger strategy of centring the host and co-hosts within its eco-system, offering native tools, bookings, and now even guest services while quietly making life trickier for naturally channel-agnostic professional managers.

Airbnb’s terms and conditions could also become more tightly enforced as these services are baked into the platform. The message is clear: ‘stay inside our system, and you can share the upsides. We have cumulatively booked over 2 billion guests, and we have the data to drive this’.

Airbnb isn’t banning professional managers – it’s nudging them to play ball in a system where it owns the tech, the guest relationship, and increasingly, the entire experience. It’s platform-first, owner-centred, and designed to keep operations and revenue streams close to home.

Don’t get me wrong – it's a bold move with many moving parts and potential potholes, but the overarching strategy is clear, and this May release is just another part of the jigsaw.

It’s trying to own the whole journey, but the guest is still king, so expect more!

Cristiana Carpini: It’s time to build your strategy outside of Airbnb

When Airbnb first started gaining traction in Europe, I labelled it as ‘cute’. Back then, it was very focused on B&Bs. Then it started shifting towards vacation rentals, making the job seem easy for any homeowner – and thus creating a kind of unfair competition and de-professionalisation of our industry.

With the arrival of 2020, I saw Airbnb change its direction every six months – services, experiences, different homes, whatever. Remember when even if you had a stunning villa with all the amenities in Chianti, it was virtually invisible because Airbnb had decided it was cooler to promote a container in the middle of nowhere?

And now? They’ve jumped into luxury services that can be booked by anyone – even by those not staying in an Airbnb. Nothing wrong with that – they’re trying to diversify their business in a year that’s proving tough, even for them. But here’s the difference between them and a professional property management company (PMC): true knowledge and passion for our industry.

Airbnb is a platform with millions of users. They could start selling tomatoes and it would probably still work thanks to the database they own. In a time of crisis and tightening regulations, what are they doing? Selling services. And yes, it will work. They’ll attract new users who might eventually book a home (or a container).

But what does this mean for PMCs who proudly hold the 'Superhost' badge? Keep in mind: every time Airbnb launches a new project, it pours most of its resources into it. And that means less visibility for you. Not only that – if you’re already offering add-on services like in-home experiences, your provider will also now need to register on the platform for guests to book through it (with Airbnb taking a commission, of course).

So yes, it’s time to build your strategy outside of Airbnb. But in the meantime, to stay somewhat visible, you might want to link your home with services that Airbnb promotes nearby – like private chefs, yoga instructors, etc. because it takes time and resources to build a direct booking strategy.

Zak Ali: This is not just a threat. It is a challenge (and opportunity) to evolve

Airbnb’s latest update is more than a user experience refresh. It’s a clear move to own the full guest journey. From a revenue perspective, it makes perfect sense: increase share of wallet, reduce leakage, and deepen brand stickiness.

But for operators, especially those managing multiple units or portfolios, it changes the landscape. If more of the in-stay value is captured by the platform, whether that’s services, upsells, or curated experiences, hosts risk being edged out of key commercial moments and losing visibility within their own product.

There is also a growing question of operational control. In professionally managed properties, the host is not on-site, but the responsibility still falls. If guests are booking services directly through Airbnb, without the operator’s oversight or participation in the revenue, it introduces risk without reward. You are accountable for the guest experience but increasingly excluded from shaping or monetising it.

That said, this is not just a threat. It is a challenge, and an opportunity, to evolve.

Professional managers already have the operational infrastructure to compete; the real question is whether we are packaging our offer clearly enough, building brand equity beyond the platform, and keeping hold of the guest relationship over time.

From a revenue management point of view, the focus must shift from just pricing the night to maximising value across the stay. Airbnb is doing that at scale. We need to be doing it with intent and with ownership.

What do you make of Airbnb’s latest update? Let us know in the comments.