The rental service is getting more social and more AI.
Airbnb
Airbnb has announced a sweeping array of product features coming to the service as part of its fall update. The platform is adding a new social angle, allowing users to see where people they know have stayed on past travels. Airbnb will let people set their own privacy preferences about whether a trip is shared with others and how much detail is provided about that journey. Connections can view each others’ past and upcoming trips, while a new Travel Map lets you browse their rentals as well as the services and experiences they booked through Airbnb. The update will also let you read reviews left by your social network and add their favorites to your own wishlists. You’ll also be able to message connections within Airbnb’s app.
The new interactive maps can also reveal neighborhood summaries, displaying an overview of an area based on data provided by guests and hosts. The post from Airbnb said these summaries would also include insights from “other sources,” but did not elaborate on what that external information might be.
As you might expect, there are also new AI tools coming to the service in search, filters, listing descriptions, listing comparisons and customer support. Those resources will initially be rolling out in the US, but no timeline was given.
The Airbnb Services section of the app is continuing to build on the additions it introduced this spring. In Europe, users will soon see options for meal and grocery delivery. US users in select cities will be able to order quick-turnaround laundry services through Rinse or baby gear rentals via BabyQuip to their temporary lodgings. Airbnb is also partnering to offer more local activity bookings specific to certain locations, such as rentals for boats in South Florida or ski and snowboard gear in the French Alps.