Airbnb undergoes massive redesign with new features

Airbnb has revealed several updates to its platform, which CEO Brian Chesky described as "the biggest change to Airbnb in a decade."

During the announcement on Wednesday, the company described key new features that would improve guest experiences on the platform and in real life.

The new app and features were released in the US on Wednesday and are expected to roll out globally this week.

This is ahead of what could be the biggest summer of travel in a few years since the pandemic. Earlier this month, Airbnb already announced that nights and experiences booked had surpassed pre-pandemic levels for the second financial quarter.

When the new and improved Airbnb arrives, here's what to expect:

New Categories

Have you ever felt strongly about the 'kind' of accommodation you want but felt flexible on where exactly it is? Then this new feature will be for you.

Airbnb is updating its search function so users can search for homes according to 56 categories that organise homes based on location, style and proximity to an activity.

Location categories could be beachside or vineyards, style categories include "creative spaces" and "amazing views" while activities include surfing or golf.

Houses that come under the "design" category have been chosen for iconic architecture and interiors and can include works by famous architects.

"Airbnb Categories organize homes by what makes them unique, which helps people discover places they wouldn't have otherwise found. This can help alleviate over-tourism by redistributing travel to new locations beyond the same popular destinations," Airbnb said in a release.

Split Stays

After noticing the global travel trend of people booking longer holidays, Airbnb will now allow guests to book multiple homes within the same trip.

When guests search for accommodation over a long period, Airbnb will automatically offer an option of splitting their trip between two different homes.

Not only can this increase the number of places that are available to book, but also make it easier to explore a certain region or do an activity like surfing in different spots.

AirCover

Bad experiences aren't fun to talk about, but when you travel enough, they will happen. While Airbnb has offered protection for hosts in the past, AirCover will provide better support for guests in three key ways.

Booking protection means if a host cancels a booking within 30 days of check-in, Airbnb promise to find a place that is similar, better or provide a refund.

Check-in guarantee means if a customer can't check into their home and the host cannot resolve the issue, Airbnb will again find a similar or better home or offer a refund.

Similarly, users now have a 3-day window during which they can report if a listing is not as advertised (e.g. fewer bedrooms than listed) and seek a refund or a new place to stay.

A 24-hour safety line will also be made available for customers.

"AirCover has been designed directly into the Airbnb app and website, making it easy for you to contact an agent and resolve issues quickly. We created a team of specially trained agents for last-minute rebooking assistance," Airbnb said.

The line will be offered in 16 different languages.