Airbnb introduces Rooms and 50+ upgrades in one of its biggest updates ever

Airbnb, the world's largest online marketplace for short-term lodging, is gearing up for a record-breaking travel season with the introduction of several new features and upgrades. These include Airbnb Rooms, a fresh take on the company's original concept, and over 50 other features based on community feedback.

Airbnb Rooms is a new category with over one million listings which features a curated set of private bedrooms with access to shared spaces, like the kitchen, living room, or backyard. Every Airbnb Room comes with a Host Passport, providing guests with more information about their host, such as a larger photo, work and education details, and social interaction preferences. Privacy features have also been added, indicating whether the bedroom door has a lock, whether bathrooms are shared or private, and whether people other than the host will be in the home during the guest's stay.

The upgrades extend to other aspects of Airbnb's service, with more than 50 new features and upgrades. The total price display now shows the total price with fees before taxes across the entire app, including in search results, price filter, maps, and listing pages. Transparent checkout instructions allow guests to view checkout instructions on the listing page before booking, and they'll receive a reminder before they leave the home. The ability to pay over time with Klarna, the new and improved maps offer faster performance, persistent pins when zooming and panning, and more results when searching. Redesigned wishlists now include a one-tap saving feature and an improved calendar that shows availability of wishlisted properties. Other upgrades include a simplified guest review process, new messaging features, improved search results, enhanced safety and security measures, and more.

Here is a list summarizing the new features mentioned and some others:

• Airbnb Rooms
• Host Passport
• Dedicated category for Airbnb Rooms
• Redesigned filters
• Updated privacy features
• Total price display
• New mini-pins on maps
• Redesigned wishlists
• Improved monthly search
• Transparent checkout instructions
• Pay over time
• Faster maps
• Persistent pins on maps
• Smarter search autocomplete
• Wishlist one-tap save
• Wishlist calendar
• Wishlist notes
• Lower fees for monthly stays
• Pay by bank
• Monthly payments display
• Checkout reminders
• Checkout feedback in reviews
• Instant rebooking credit
• Priority customer support on a trip
• Distance from points of interest
• Highlighting infant-friendly homes
• Highlighting kid-friendly homes
• Highlighting homes for monthly stays
• Identity verification of Hosts
• Improved identity verification process
• Appeals for blocked bookings
• Dynamic price filter
• Airbnb Rooms bathrooms filter

• Many more 🤯

As you can see, the changes/new features are too many to list them all here, so we encourage you to go to the official summer release announcement to know every single detail about them.

Airbnb hopes that these upgrades will help attract more guests, especially those looking to travel affordably and connect with people for authentic experiences after being isolated during the pandemic. Brian Chesky, Airbnb co-founder, and CEO believes that Airbnb Rooms "are often more affordable than hotels, and they're the most authentic way to experience a city. This is the soul of Airbnb."