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· Posted on
February 21, 2024

Airbnb just decided it's time for a makeover, and we're here for it

Travel protection? Better search? Airbnb has made some savvy changes.

What's the key learning?

  • Using a marketplace business model brings challenges when it comes to customer support.
  • Airbnb's changes will bring the experience closer to that of a big hotel chain, which might entice hesitant customers.

👉 Background: Airbnb is the accomodation-sharing platform that took the world by storm when it launched in 2008. Since then, it's largely stayed the same - a place to book cool places to stay.

👉 What happened: After doing some deep customer research during COVID, Airbnb has introduced some biiig changes. They'll:

  • Let you split your stay between two homes on the same booking.
  • Give you free travel protection in case something goes wrong.
  • Help you search by home type or proximity to attractions, instead of only location.

👉 What else: It's all part of Airbnb's plan to elevate the experience around marketplace businesses... which historically haven't been great.

🔔 What's the key learning?

💡 One of the greatest challenges of a marketplace business model is balancing unique and varied experiences with consistent support. It's a widespread issue (i.e. dodgy Facebook marketplace deals and fake tickets on Gumtree).

💡Airbnb's greatest charm is it's one-of-a-kind options. Who else lets you book a house shaped like an acoustic guitar in South Korea 🎸?! But with unique experiences comes variability, and that opens the door to issues.

💡Without standard operating procedures and the resources of big hotel chains, some people have been hesitant to use Airbnb. But new features like travel protection might get apprehensive guests as close to a hotel guarantee as possible.

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