Airbnb Summer Update 2025: New Revenue Streams for Hosts

The Airbnb Summer 2025 Update brings massive changes. For the first time in years, Airbnb is expanding its host offerings to include bookable services and experiences that go well beyond traditional accommodations. This places additional services, such as massages, chef services, and guided tours, directly at the center of the platform experience.

For hosts, this presents a clear opportunity to enhance their offerings. Those who can offer more than just a comfortable bed and a great location can specifically target guests looking for a memorable stay. This not only enhances the guest experience but also creates an opportunity to increase revenue and improve occupancy, especially during the summer peak season, a time of high demand and potential for growth.

What's new in the Airbnb Summer 2025 Update?

The Airbnb Summer 2025 Update expands the platform beyond just booking accommodations. It introduces new features that both enhance the guest experience and provide additional capabilities for hosts. A massive step for Airbnb!

New bookable services

Airbnb now offers ten categories of additional services in 260 cities worldwide, including:

• Chefs: Customizable meals prepared by professional chefs directly on site.
• Photography: Personalized photo shoots with experienced photographers.
• Restorative massages, including Swedish, deep tissue, and reflexology, are offered by certified therapists.
• Spa treatments: facials, microdermabrasion, body scrubs, and other therapies by licensed estheticians.
• Personal Training: Yoga, strength training, HIIT, and more with personal trainers, including renowned fitness professionals and athletes with World Championship experience.
• Hair: Professional haircuts, blowouts, and more from experienced stylists.
• Makeup: Professional makeup for everyday use or special occasions.
• Nail care: Manicures and pedicures by experienced nail specialists.
• Prepared meals: Meals prepared by professional chefs.
• Catering Full-service catering, customized menus, decoration, and equipment, as well as setup and dismantling.

These services can be easily booked directly through the Airbnb app, providing a seamless and convenient experience for both hosts and guests. Furthermore, these services are also available to guests who have not booked accommodation through Airbnb, thereby expanding the potential reach and impact of your offerings.

Revised Airbnb Experiences

The platform has redesigned its "Discoveries" and now offers activities led by local experts in over 650 cities worldwide. These include:

• Cultural tour: Guided tours of landmarks, museums, and cultural institutions.
• Culinary experience cooking classes, food tours, and shared meals with local hosts.
• Outdoor activities: water sports, hiking, and wildlife watching.
• Art and shopping tours: visits to galleries, art workshops, and local shopping experiences.
• Wellness and fitness offering: yoga sessions, personal training, and wellness workshops.

A special highlight is the "Airbnb Originals" – exclusive experiences developed in collaboration with well-known personalities.

New Airbnb app

The Airbnb app has been completely redesigned to make booking accommodations, services, and experiences easier. New features include:

• Explore tab: Discover accommodations, experiences, and services based on the user's location and interests.
• Trips tab: Clear travel plan with all booked services.
• Messaging feature: Improved communication with hosts and service providers, including photo and video sharing.
• Profile area: Display of previous trips and connections to other users.

For hosts, the app offers a range of new tools for managing bookings, a redesigned calendar with a daily view, and simplified listing management. These features are designed to empower hosts, making it easier than ever to manage your listings and provide the best possible experience for your guests.

New revenue streams through Airbnb Services

The ability to offer bookable services through Airbnb brings a whole new dynamic to the table for hosts. These services can not only be provided as a complement to the st. Still, they can also be marketed separately, for example, to locals or guests in other accommodations in the area.

Three ways to generate additional income:

1. Offer your services
   Anyone with professional expertise or experience can get involved directly. This could be a host who teaches yoga on the side, cooks professionally, or has a background in photography. Such skills can now be monetized directly through your own Airbnb profile.
2. Collaborate with local service providers.
   For hosts without their services, the potential lies in collaborations. They may know someone in the area who offers massages, is a personal trainer, or runs a small catering business. These people can become active as service providers on Airbnb. Hosts benefit by specifically recommending or bundling these services. Depending on the agreement, a percentage share is also possible.
3. Assemble packages and advertise them accordingly.
   . It's exciting when you offer themed packages as additional services. Examples:
   • "Wellness weekend with breakfast and massage"
   • "Active holiday with personal training and healthy meals"
   • "Photo walk plus romantic dinner for two"

Such offers can be mentioned directly in the accommodation description or included in guest communications. Creative approaches here enable you to specifically target audiences seeking a unique experience, not just a place to stay.

Why it's worth it

The demand is there. Guests are happy to spend more if the organization takes care of them. Especially in the summer, when travelers stay longer or celebrate a special occasion, the willingness to take advantage of additional services increases. Memories, new experiences, and beautiful videos mean a great deal more these days.

In addition, such services make your listing stand out from the competition, ensure better reviews, and make it easier to attract repeat guests. The Airbnb Summer 2025 Update demonstrates how strongly the platform is evolving toward experiences and additional services.

Stand out as a host with the Airbnb Summer Update

Meanwhile, the Airbnb summer update is bringing a breath of fresh air to the platform. At the same time, guest expectations are rising. To continue being well-booked, you should actively work on your presence now.

How to stand out from the competition

An attractive offer alone is often not enough. What matters is how you present it and how well you address new features. The following tips will help you strengthen your listing:

1. Actively display your expanded offer

2. Use good pictures

3. Use reviews strategically

4. Adapt to the season

5. Target the right guests

Questions you might have about the Airbnb Summer 2025 Update

Do I need to offer services or experiences to remain listed on Airbnb?

No. The Airbnb Summer 2025 Update expands the options for hosts, but it's not mandatory. However, those who offer additional listings can significantly improve their positioning.

Can small landlords with only one accommodation also benefit from this?

Absolutely. Individual landlords, in particular, often have a more authentic connection with guests through personalized services or local tips. Even small additions can make a big difference here.

How much effort does it take to create a discovery or service?

Airbnb provides a user-friendly interface. Depending on the category, you'll need to enter basic information, availability, and prices. For services, proof of qualification may be required.

Do I need additional insurance or permits for this?

This depends on the service and your location. Local regulations may apply to some service categories. Check ahead for any requirements.

Can I offer multiple services simultaneously?

Yes. You can create various services – either yourself or through partnerships. The important thing is that you keep track of them and reliably deliver what you promise.

How do I best promote my services or discoveries?

Utilize the property description, digital guest directory, and automated messaging. Specify the benefits that are most relevant to your target audience. Personal recommendations work particularly well.

How Smoobu supports you with the Airbnb Summer Update 2025

With the Airbnb Summer 2025 Update, communication is more critical than ever. A digital guest directory helps provide services or experiences clearly and directly on the guest's smartphone.

Automated guest communication ensures that critical information reaches the right people at the right time. This way, guests know exactly what to expect, and you avoid having to deal with repeated inquiries. This creates clarity and improves the experience for you and your guests. Sometimes guests don't even know what wonderful surprises await them, even if they're already mentioned in the description.