Thanks to AI and the revamped app, renting on Airbnb is even easier

A further step forward for the platform, an evolution made possible by technology that aims to make it simpler and more convenient both to stay and (and above all) to rent one's accommodation away from one's home. And that's not all: among the new features of Airbnb's 'Winter Release 2024' are more than 50 updates to make the app's user experience more personalised, from the search phase to the booking phase.

There is a percentage that explains well the meaning of the upgrade made to the platform and it is as follows: over 40% of homeowners operating on Airbnb would host more if they had more time and resources (as well as skills) to devote to this activity. The answer to this need is the new network of co-hosts, i.e. 'experienced' and neighbourhood owners with an average rating of 4.86 stars on the platform, whom hosts can find and engage, by consulting their profiles and reviews in advance, to let them manage their home/apartment. A host, in other words, can now get personalised assistance according to their specific needs: from setting up the listing to managing bookings and communicating with guests, having the possibility to send messages to their co-host, open access to their calendar, share fees and more. All this is done digitally, on the app or on the web, drawing on a marketplace with over 10,000 active references in 10 different countries (73% of these are Superhosts and 84% manage accommodation in the "Loved by guests" category, i.e. the most popular listings on the platform) and exploiting the suggestions provided by Airbnb's algorithm on the basis of over 80 factors including location, experience as a host and type of accommodation.

Airbnb's new service does not have a predefined fee schedule for co-hosts, by virtue of the fact that the host owning the ad and the selected 'partner' freely agree between themselves, through private negotiation. The former, in particular, sets the fees of the latter, who in turn specify their requests on their own page; once a host has set his co-host's fee, the latter has 14 days to confirm or reject the offer (requesting a new proposal if necessary) and only after confirmation will he begin to receive fees for bookings after guests have checked in. Any updates that a host makes to existing amounts will only apply to the co-host's fees for bookings after his or her acceptance of the change.

Airbnb's Winter Release, as already mentioned, also brings with it several updates to the app under the banner of total customisation of the path from selecting an accommodation to booking it. Among the new tools available to guests is, for example, the guided welcome tour managed with a virtual overview, while as far as recommended destinations are concerned, the app will suggest locations based on search and booking history, proposing quick routes to find past queries and recently viewed listings. The app will also show relevant tips to help find last-minute stays, discounts offered by hosts and more: if a guest wishes to book accommodation for six days, for example, they will be advised to extend their stay by one night to take advantage of a weekly discount. Last but not least, improvements in search-relevant details (those travelling with children will be shown services such as a playroom), a new simplified checkout page for recurring guests and, soon to be introduced, more than 20 methods to pay worldwide directly on the platform, including Vipps in Norway and MobilePay in Denmark. Also benefiting from the round of updates will finally be hosts, to whom are dedicated interventions that stem from feedback sent to Airbnb by the owners themselves. These include 'price recommendations', which allows users to view suggested rates based on similar accommodations in the area and apply recommendations with a simple tap; 'new quick answers', i.e., customisable templates that allow users to quickly send welcome messages, check-in details and other guidance; and the 'earnings desk', with dedicated reports to view their earnings and filter them by source.