Tag: Airbnb

Airbnb Launches New Feature For Solo Travelers

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Solo travel is skyrocketing among all ages and large companies are looking to adapt to the growing trend. A few weeks ago the cruise line Oceania Cruises announced new cabins for solo travelers, and now Airbnb has developed a new feature for this type of traveler.

On Monday, the American company Airbnb announced a new safety product for solo travelers in a press release, an in-app feature that will help solo travelers have safe and secure experiences.

According to the information shared on the official website, the company noticed that in 2021 about 26% of nights booked were for solo travelers, and during the first quarter of 2022 that number has increased: over 50% of the nights registered for long-term stays were booked by solo travelers.

Airbnb stated: “As the ‘live anywhere’ phenomenon has taken off among people who are able to work remotely, our platform has become increasingly integral to solo travelers.”

One of the main concerns for solo travelers is safety, and that is why Airbnb’s Trust team has been working since 2021 on a new product to guarantee safe and secure experiences. This new feature is now available for English-speaking guests.

How The New Feature For Solo Travelers Works

The new feature for solo travelers will activate when a guest books a private or shared room. The specialized in-app experience, as Airbnb calls this new feature, will show the solo traveler “expert tips” to help them stay safe.

Solo travelers will now be able to share where they are staying and their reservation itinerary with family and friends. Trusted people will be able to see the address, check-in and check-out dates, and reservation codes.

After a guest has booked a room, the new feature will also provide automated prompts and help solo travelers ask relevant questions based on research and other travelers’ experiences in that location. “Is there anything I should know about the neighborhood?” and “will you be available if I need help during my stay” are two examples of the questions the app will tell travelers to ask their hosts.

With this strategy, they hope to build a safety net and encourage solo travelers to book comfortably: “Our hope is this new product will better equip solo travelers on Airbnb to be more informed travelers by getting their pre-trip questions answered, giving them a better understanding of their surroundings, and informing the important people in their lives about where they will be and for how long.”

The new in-app experience is only available in English, but Airbnb hopes to expand to other countries and languages soon. Another specialized experience for women is part of the company’s main concern, but for now, the new feature will be available for all solo travelers regardless of their gender identity.

Airbnb’s New Updates And Features

Airbnb has been very active recently including new features to their app, sharing relevant travel data, and even making major updates to their platform. The company has recently included new buttons and categories for its over 6 million listings to provide more exciting and interesting options for travelers, such as the OMG homes.

Now that the pandemic is more under control and more travelers want to explore the world and work remotely, the company has been adapting to satisfy current travel needs. Airbnb has already heard and acted to satisfy remote workers’ needs and constantly updates COVID-related measures depending on local restrictions and worldwide health developments.

The current concern seems to be safety, so besides the new solo traveler feature, the company has also recently added a 24/7 safety line for travelers, a Local Emergency Services in-app experience to reach emergency services locally—recently extended to 70 countries— and now users can also add an emergency contact to their profile to help the company reach out to a friend or family member in case of emergency.

Read More:

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Oceania Cruises Adds Cabins For Solo Travelers, Expands Eco-Friendly Tours

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June 16, 2022
Airbnb Makes Major Updates To Platform And Adds New Features For Travelers
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The platform now includes a category feature and a split house function

The American Company Airbnb recently made major updates to its platform. Now, every user who visits the official website, will find a six minutes film where Brian Chesky, Co-founder and CEO, explains the new features and shows travelers a new lifestyle.

On Wednesday, Chesky announced “the biggest change to Airbnb in a decade”, during the company’s virtual summer event, which includes a new search function called “categories”, a new feature called “split homes”, and new travel insurance for guests called “AirCover”. The website and app have been redesigned to showcase the company’s new strategy.

These recent updates allow travelers to expand experiences and discover new exotic locations adapted to their needs and lifestyles. According to the information shared in a press release, Airbnb is adapting to what travelers and remote workers currently need.

Chesky explained the reasons for the new features: “First, people are more flexible about where they live and work, so we’ve designed a new way to search with Airbnb Categories. Second, people are taking longer trips, so we created Split Stays to give you more options by splitting your trip between two homes. And third, we’re introducing AirCover for guests, giving you the confidence to book knowing that Airbnb’s got your back.”

Since last year, the company has been making updates and optimizing services— they made 150 upgrades in 2021— to adapt to the pandemic and satisfy customers. Despite its struggles, the changes have worked and Airbnb’s future is looking brighter. Their business model is currently being adopted by other companies in the travel industry: Marriott is now offering short-term rentals to reach similar audiences

More About Airbnb 2022 Summer Release

Airbnb reported an increase in bookings for summer 2022 of 80% compared to the summer of 2019. The company also noticed different behaviors: longer stays from travelers who work remote and interest in different travel experiences.

Airbnb considers that a new travel era has begun. “We think people are ready to dream again,” said Chesky. The CEO also added: “A lot of people have been sequestered at home for two years. Many people haven’t taken that big trip for the first time. And so we want to encourage people to get out of their house and venture into this big world.”

Here are more details about the new features:
- Airbnb Categories: the new redesign now shows 56 categories of unique homes—from tiny houses to a yellow submarine treehouse— to match users’ interests and help them discover new fascinating listings.
For this feature, the company selected 6 million homes across the world that offer guests special experiences. Travelers will be able to choose their preferred unique homes from categories like “castles”, “caves”, “farms”, homes with “amazing pools”, “mansions”, and even “OMG”.
- Split Homes: Considering that travelers are choosing longer stays, this new feature allows guests to split a trip between two different houses in the same area.
Split stays can be also combined with 14 categories so that travelers can have similar homes or preferred activities. For example, a guest can split stays and find two homes near the coast to surf in different locations in the same region.
- AirCover: This new insurance offers four different types of protection. A booking protection guarantee that finds a guest a similar home in case the host cancels a reservation within 30 days of check-in, a check-in guarantee that finds solutions in case a guest can’t check into the home, a get-what-you-booked guarantee that offers guests alternatives in case the home doesn’t look as advertised, and a 24 hours safety line if a guest doesn’t feel safe in one of the listings.
The new redesign and features of the Airbnb 2022 Summer Release are already live for users in the United States and will be visible from other countries throughout the week. The company created a page where travelers can learn more about the new updates.

Read More:

Marriott Now Offers Short Term Rentals Competing With Airbnb

Travel Insurance That Covers Covid-19

Airbnb Will No Longer Offer Refunds For Covid-Related Cancelations

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Disclaimer: Current travel rules and restrictions can change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling. Travel Off Path does not endorse traveling against government advisories
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May 14, 2022
Marriott Now Offers Short Term Rentals Competing With Airbnb

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Marriott International, the world’s largest hotel company is now offering private homes for rental, directly competing with Airbnb.

The short-term rental market has seen an incredible uptake in demand over the past years and Marriott International is now offering a new service that is meant to break into the short rental market.

The service is called Homes & Villas which has already 60,000 properties at its disposal. Travelers will be able to select private homes and villas in around 75 countries.

These properties range from unique collections of private homes, beachfront bungalows, sprawling villas, grand chateaus, cozy cabins, ski chalets, and characterful townhouses, flats, apartments, to penthouses.

Homes & Villas even hosts castles on their website.

A major difference between Homes & Villas and other home rental companies.

Homes & Villas, unlike other short-term rental companies, works with select professional home management companies to ensure that the properties are of the highest standards.

With most traditional home rental companies, properties are directly listed by the homeowner themselves, enabling almost anyone to list their property.

Working only with select professional home management companies, Marriott is ensuring exceptional standards across their properties.

Loyalty Rewards Program.

Another big benefit Homes & Villas has over Airbnb is that travelers will be able to accumulate and redeem Marriott points. Being able to provide a unique rental experience in an upscale home while also giving consumers a chance to earn and redeem points is a huge win for Marriott International.

People naturally want to feel included and appreciated and being part of a loyalty rewards program is a great way to ensure consumer satisfaction.

The cost of it all.

Although Marriott is targeting upscale, high-end properties with its new rental service, the prices do not only have to necessarily reflect that. Many of the properties on the site go for $700 to $1000 a night, but you can find beautiful apartments and homes for under $200 a night.

In Barcelona, you can find a 2-bedroom apartment for $171 a night. Miami offers 1-bedroom apartments for as low as $161 a night. You can enjoy Paris for as low as $120 for a one-bedroom flat.

If Homes & Villas is proving one thing already it’s that good taste doesn’t always equate to high cost.

An Obvious Downside.

As good as this new service offered by Marriott International may be for travelers across the globe, there is one startling downside to the rental company.

Homes & Villas does not offer a very generous cancellation policy. If there is one thing we’ve all learned over the past 2 years is that nothing is guaranteed, and unforeseen things happen all the time.

Vacations unfortunately don’t always happen. Flights get canceled, people fall ill, and trips ultimately don’t always come to fruition.

In a world full of uncertainty, traveling needs to remain flexible, and unfortunately, after reviewing Homes & Villas’ cancellation policies, I can’t help but realize that its cancellation policy is not kind to unforeseen circumstances.

In fact, it has one of the worst cancellation policies I have ever seen.

You can only really get a refund on a property you’ve booked if you cancel within 48 hours of booking. After that, you’re no longer eligible for a refund.

This seems like a major downside to this service.

Bottom Line

Ultimately Marriott International expanding its operation into the short-term rental market is great news for travelers. A market with multiple players and plentiful options means competitive prices for consumers.

Individuals will be able to decide for themselves what accommodation suits them best for their next vacation.

READ MORE:

Travel Insurance That Covers Covid-19 For 2022

Airbnb Blocks Short Stays For Users With No Reviews Over Summer Holidays

↓ Join the community ↓

The Travel Off Path Community FB group has all the latest reopening news, conversations, and Q&A’s happening daily!

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Disclaimer: Current travel rules and restrictions can change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling. Travel Off Path does not endorse traveling against government advisories

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May 10, 2022