Airbnb wants a piece of the luxury market and is hoping to be the home of the affluent and luxury seeking traveller with it’s new Airbnb Luxe tier.
Travellers will be able to pick from exceptional experiences — from basically holidaying in homes that are destinations in themselves. Some of the options include staying at incredible places in New Zealand and South Africa, castles in France and historic villas in Tuscany. Literary fans can experience beachfront luxury at The Fleming Villa in Jamaica where Ian Fleming wrote his famous James Bond spy novels. Others may prefer complete privacy and exclusivity by booking an entire island with its very own self-declared time zone at the incredible private atoll in French Polynesia, Nukutepipi, curated by Guy Laliberte, founder of Cirque du Soleil and Lune Rouge.
In a statement it said: “Eleven years ago our founders, Brian and Joe, inflated three airbeds in the living room of their San Francisco apartment and Airbnb was born. From airbeds, we expanded to spare rooms and then to entire homes, to Airbnb Plus and even to boutique hotels. Today we’re bringing the same innovative approach to luxury travel by introducing Airbnb Luxe — a new luxury experience that makes personal and bespoke travel more accessible to everyone.”
The personalisation goes one step further with a dedicated trip designer with every Airbnb Luxe booking, who’s on hand to plan and coordinate activities and services tailored precisely to each traveller’s needs. They will even arrange a private chef, personal trainer or in-house massage therapist.
According to Arabian Business, the luxury travel market is a fast-growing one, already worth an estimated $200 billion (Dhs735 billion). Airbnb has picked up on the trend towards higher-end travel amongst its guests; the company reported a 60-percent increase in bookings for $1,000-a-night properties (around Dhs3,700).
Brian Chesky, Airbnb’s Co-Founder, CEO and Head of Community, explains: “Today’s luxury traveler is craving more than just high-end accommodations; they seek transformation and experiences that leave them feeling more connected to each other and to their destination. With Airbnb Luxe we are applying the same approach we’ve used since we launched Airbnb more than 11 years ago — creating local, authentic and magical travel moments now in amazing places to stay — to reimagine the way people think and experience luxury travel.”
