UPDATED 19:38 EDT / FEBRUARY 22 2018

APPS

Airbnb Plus targets wealthy guests with higher standards

Airbnb Inc. celebrated its 10-year anniversary today by announcing some new changes coming to its vacation rental platform.

The company is adding a few new property types like bed-and-breakfasts and vacation homes, and it is also launching Airbnb Plus, a new tier of hosts that must meet hotel-like standards of amenities, cleanliness, aesthetics and more.

Much like Uber Black, Uber Technologies Inc.’s premium black-car tier, Airbnb Plus is aimed at people who are willing to pay extra for luxury and quality. Airbnb not only guarantees that its Plus hosts have a review score of 4.8 or higher, but the company also visits the properties in person to check for more than 100 different amenities and features that are frequently requested by guests. These include services such as Wi-Fi, cooking essentials, televisions with streaming capabilities, well-maintained appliances and living spaces, and so on.

Although the standards for Airbnb Plus are demanding, hosts who are accepted into the program enjoy a number of benefits, including top search placement, interior design consultation, professional photography and priority support. In addition to its new host tier and property categories, Airbnb co-founder and Chief Executive Brian Chesky laid out its roadmap for how it plans to “bring magical travel to everyone” in the next decade.

“Ten years ago we never dreamed of what Airbnb could become,” he said in a statement. “Today, millions of people every night do just that. But we want to go further by supporting and expanding our community so that in 10 years time, more than 1 billion people per year will experience the benefits of magical travel on Airbnb.”

Airbnb said its hosts have earned more than $41 billion since the platform first launched in 2008, and the company has had more than 300 million guest check-ins across tens of thousands of different cities.

Airbnb’s long-term success has left investors wondering if and when the company will decide to go public, but following the recent departure of Chief Financial Officer Laurence Tosi, Chesky said that Airbnb will not have an initial public offering this year. However, the CEO made it clear that an IPO is still in the company’s future. “We’re working on getting ready to go public,” he said, “and we will make decisions about going public on our own timetable.”

Photo: Airbnb

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