(Credit: Kimberly White/Getty Images for Airbnb)
Airbnb clearly wants travelers to book more than just a home stay on its app.
The company began expanding into additional services last year with bookings for chefs, trainers, hairstylists, and local experiences. This year, it's going even further to add support for hotel bookings, car rentals, airport pickups, luggage storage, landmark visits, and other experiences.
“Travel shouldn’t just be convenient. It should be meaningful. The best trips help you explore, learn, and come home a little different than when you left. That’s what we’re building at Airbnb,” said Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb.
The company had already confirmed its planned expansion into hotel bookings last month. Starting this summer, users will be able to book hotels in 20 cities worldwide, including New York, Paris, London, Madrid, Rome, and Singapore. Each hotel will be selected by Airbnb based on its neighborhood, design, and hospitality. More cities and hotels will be added throughout the year.
(Credit: Airbnb)The other noteworthy addition is support for more services on a trip. You can now book a private car service in over 160 cities on Airbnb through Welcome Pickups, and a driver will track your flight to meet you at the curbside when you arrive.
Airbnb is also adding support for grocery delivery. You can place orders before you arrive or anytime during your trip, and get them delivered to where you stay. This feature is debuting in 25 cities across the US in partnership with Instacart.
(Credit: Airbnb)Starting this summer, Airbnb guests can also rent cars. Airbnb will show available vehicles near your stay and also recommend the best car for your group. Luggage storage before check-in and after checkout is another addition. In partnership with Bounce, the app will show nearby drop-off locations in nearly 175 cities.
New tourist experiences are also being added to the app. You can now book a visit with local experts to 3,000 famous landmarks across the globe, including the Tokyo Skytree and the Taj Mahal. During the FIFA World Cup 2026, set to be co-hosted by the USA, you’ll be able to book watch parties with footballers or even train with one of them.
(Credit: Airbnb)Of course, no app update is complete without AI features these days. Airbnb is adding AI-powered comparison for stays as well as AI-powered review highlights. Additionally, the app’s AI customer support assistant now supports 11 languages and will soon offer voice support, so you can get your questions answered over the phone.
The new Airbnb services, hotels, and experiences are rolling out to select countries right now, while car rentals and other app features will become available later this summer.