Airbnb relaunches experiences and adds services. Will travelers care this time?

Airbnb launched Services, recognizing the travelers’ preference for hotel amenities. For example, 85 percent of hotel guests prefer properties that offer wellness and spa amenities. In response to customer expectations, the company introduced its set of offerings.

The initial launch includes 10 categories: chefs, photography, massage, spa treatments, personal training, catering, prepared meals, hair, makeup, and nails. Options vary from price points below $50 to premium sessions with a celebrity trainer.

The services are mobile: travelers can schedule a massage at home, and they don’t even need to stay at an Airbnb.

Airbnb Services are delivered on-demand, like ordering an in-home prepared meal or scheduling a makeup session.

Airbnb Experiences are activities designed to help travelers connect with the local culture and community. They include cooking classes, art workshops, wildlife experiences, landmark tours, shopping with a stylist, and horseback riding.

So, while Services focus on enhancing the comfort of a guest’s stay by catering to their personal needs, Experiences are mostly tied to the destination itself, aiming to immerse travelers in the local culture and lifestyle.

Initially, Airbnb launched Experiences in 2016, but it didn’t work as expected. They partnered with casual experience providers who lacked the expertise of professional tour operators, leading to quality inconsistencies.

Airbnb also prioritized niche experiences (like night sky photography classes) and lacked conventional tourist activities (like tours of the Colosseum in Rome). The COVID-19 pandemic further negatively impacted the initiative.

Now, according to Airbnb, the experience hosts will be assessed based on their background, connection to the destination, and guest feedback. The company introduced a broader range of options and more mainstream activities.

Additionally, Airbnb is launching Airbnb Originals — events hosted by celebrities, such as spending a day with Patrick Mahomes or Sabrina Carpenter.

There’s also an update for group activities—travelers will now be able to see in advance who’s joining, message them, and stay in touch afterwards.

For guests, key upgrades include a redesigned Explore tab that presents services and experiences options, a dynamic Trips tab with itineraries, new Messaging features, such as media sharing and payment in chat, and a redesigned Profile showcasing travel history and connections made along the way.

For hosts, the new app offers a dashboard for upcoming reservations, a calendar with daily view and Google integration, and of course, a listing management tool for service providers and experience hosts.

We don't know. On one hand, travelers may still prefer using specialized platforms that they already trust for booking non-accommodation services. Plus, many users might see unique services like celebrity trainer sessions or private chefs as non-essential or too expensive.

On the other hand, Airbnb’s integrated approach may appeal to travelers who trust the brand and wish to manage all aspects of their trip in one place. The popularity of wellness and experiential tourism also suggests potential for success, as offerings like spa treatments, massages, and landmark tours are well-aligned with modern preferences.

While we cannot determine the exact outcome, similar features are already in place on other platforms, indicating a proven demand for this type of offering. Here are some examples.

Vacayou is a travel agency that combines accommodation offers with tours, wellness services (spa, fitness, esthetician procedures, etc.), and active experiences (sailing, surfing, golfing, and more).

AirAsia launched the AirAsia Super App in 2020 to expand beyond flights and now offers more than 15 types of products and services, including food delivery and online shopping.

Traveling Spoon is a culinary tourism platform that provides both services (in-home meals) and experiences (market visits with a host).