This One Airbnb Perk Just Solved the Most Annoying Part of Traveling With Friends
When a big group trip comes together, something always feels a little frayed at the edges. Everyone arrives excited; the itinerary is ambitious, but by the second day, someone’s Googling nearby massage therapists while another person’s coordinating payment for the private chef on three different apps. It’s a classic case of travel admin burnout. This is exactly the kind of friction Airbnb now wants to erase.
The company has rolled out new features that shift it from a vacation rental site to what it calls a full-service travel platform. The headline change is a new section in the app called Airbnb Services. This lets travelers book chefs, trainers, spa pros, nail artists, and more—all directly to wherever they’re staying. It’s designed to cut down on planning fatigue, coordination stress, and those awkward budget spreadsheets we all forget to update until it’s too late.
The Services You Can Book
At launch, Airbnb Services includes ten categories across 260 cities. These range from practical to pampered: personal chefs, prepared meals, massage therapists, nail specialists, makeup artists, hair stylists, personal trainers, photographers, catering teams, and estheticians for spa treatments. Every provider goes through an identity and license verification process, and most have around a decade of experience in their field.
You can hire a chef for a multi-course dinner or schedule a strength training session with a certified coach. You can book a manicure without leaving your rental or hire a photographer for a shoot in your destination city. It’s low-effort and oddly satisfying to do all of this in one app.
Experiences Are Back, and They’re Sharper
Airbnb has also reintroduced its Experiences feature, which was first launched in 2016. These are city-based activities hosted by locals, like ramen-making with a chef in Tokyo or horseback riding through the Andes with a cultural guide. This latest version refines the concept. Hosts are now screened more thoroughly. Experiences are easier to find in the app, and in many cities, they’re more thoughtfully curated.
One example is in Paris. You can take a tour of Notre Dame with one of its restoration architects. In Rio, you can play volleyball with an Olympian. These are one-offs hosted by people with deep connections to the place.
Airbnb is also testing a splashier kind of experience called Originals. These are higher-priced and star-hosted, like having a sound bath and listening session with Chance the Rapper, or anime-themed cosplay time with Megan Thee Stallion. Other Originals might feature top-tier chefs or athletes. These bookings are exclusive to Airbnb and can’t be found on platforms like Viator or GetYourGuide.
The App That Plans With You
Image via Airbnb
To keep everything synced, Airbnb has redesigned its app from scratch. The new interface merges home bookings, services, and experiences into one central itinerary. The Trips tab now acts like a daily planner. It suggests things based on your group size, destination, and travel dates. Book something, and it appears alongside check-in info and day-by-day schedules.
There’s also a revamped messaging tool that supports payments, photo sharing, and custom service requests in the same chat. You don’t have to track down a phone number or toggle over to Zelle. It’s all inside the app. For groups managing multiple bookings, this is a noticeable upgrade.
Hotels have always had an edge in convenience because of room service, spa access, and concierge desks. Airbnb traditionally won on space and location, but guests still had to plan everything else themselves. This new update aims to close that gap. It turns the rental into something more like a private hotel suite with on-demand support. And it does it without giving up the independence that Airbnb regulars tend to favor.
You can still cook breakfast in your own kitchen or lounge in a backyard hot tub. But now you can also schedule a facial, book a family photographer, or get a meal delivered by someone with real kitchen credentials.
For Hosts, a New Way to Earn
This expansion isn’t only for travelers. Service providers and local guides can now become Airbnb hosts without offering a property. That means a yoga instructor or makeup artist can list their offerings directly through the app. Airbnb handles scheduling, verification, and payment, all of which make it more attractive to professionals looking to grow their side hustle or main gig.
The feature is available even if the guest isn’t staying in an Airbnb. Locals can book sessions at home, and travelers can book before they arrive. This opens up the platform in a way that creates new income channels for people with in-demand skills. And it nudges Airbnb a step closer to being something you use year-round, not just for vacation.