Airbnb to offer exclusive "experiences"
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Airbnb is launching a new tier of exclusive, curated "experiences" — think hip hop wine tours in Portland or a Kansas City barbecue with Patrick Mahomes.
Why it matters: The company is increasingly going beyond what it is best-known for, arranging home rentals for travelers.
Driving the news: The so-called Originals is one of several new offerings announced at Airbnb's 2025 Summer Release event this week in Los Angeles.
What they're saying: Jay Carney, the company's global head of policy and communications, tells Axios that Originals events are the highest tier of experiences they have to offer.
- "These are once-in-a-lifetime kind of experiences because of who the host is and what they're offering. It's that combination of 'I can't believe I'm doing this with this person' and the fact you can only do it on Airbnb."
Airbnb has been offering "experiences" since 2016, but the new Originals promise to be more exclusive, with prices ranging from $20 to $200 per guest.
How it works: From the home page, search your city or the one you're visiting under the Experiences tab, select dates and the number of guests.
- Originals will be labeled as such in the search results and you can book by clicking on the listing.
Airbnb also announced that Experiences will be "vetted for quality" and are now available in 650 cities worldwide.
- Later this year, guests will be able to see who's going before they book, message the group or individual guests during the experience, and stay in touch afterward.
The bottom line: The vacation rental company is aiming to get people to use the app even if they aren't traveling.
- "You're using the technology as a tool to get you to do something real in front of someone real that you're going to remember for a long time," Carney says.
