The line between Airbnb and the traditional hotel market continues to blur ever more.
It is moving ever closer to a conventional hotel industry model with the launch of new property types and a guest loyalty programme.
The new categories are vacation home, unique space, B&B and boutique which will give the company ‘an unprecedented level of detail in the travel industry’ it said in a release.
It also positions the company right in the mainstream, fighting for the same customers as traditional hospitality firms.
"We want to have tighter host standards. Groups that provide mass-produced hospitality, who don’t offer belonging, who don’t care about what we care about — they don’t meet our standards, and they find somewhere else to do their business," CEO Brian Chesky said.
These standards are being realigned with two new tiers – Airbnb Plus and Beyond by Airbnb.
Potential Airbnb Plus listings will be personally inspected for quality and comfort and it starts kicked it off with 2,000 homes in 13 cities.
These homes will be checked against exacting criteria such as cleanliness, comfort and design.
The Beyond by Airbnb tier will feature ‘custom experiences and world-class hospitality’ from luxury listings, supported by its recent acquisition of the Luxury Retreats vacation rental portfolio.
Beyond by Airbnb will launch later in the spring.
The company also announced an upcoming launch of a guest loyalty programme offering frequent users ‘benefits across the entire trip’ although few details have been unveiled.
It will begin a pilot scheme of the ‘Superguest’ programme later this year for 10,000 guests.
Additionally it will also revamp the ‘Superhost’ programme for hosts.
