Airbnb has announced a new service that it says will dramatically enhance the travel experience. Beautiful homes. Exceptional hosts. Verified for quality. Airbnb Plus is a new selection of only the highest quality homes with hosts known for great reviews and attention to detail.

Airbnb Plus is a new, higher-end tier of Airbnb. All Airbnb Plus has been verified by the company for “quality and comfort,” it said in a statement on Feb. 23. All of the homes are “beautiful,” Airbnb says, and are comfortable and come with many of the things you’d expect from a hotel room, like towels and sheets.

Starting with 2,000 homes in 13 cities, “Airbnb Plus” is intended for guests looking for beautiful homes, exceptional hosts and added peace of mind.

In order to qualify for an Airbnb Plus designation, homes must satisfy a 100-point checklist. Some of those items are simple and others not so simple to achieve. Here’s a collection of some of the boxes the homes must check in order to qualify for the Airbnb Plus program:

● “Is the home thoughtfully designed and does it feature the host’s personality?
● Does it come with a fully-equipped kitchen – including cookware, servingware, and cooking essentials?
● Is there a cohesive interior style?
● Is the property clean with no clutter, and well-maintained?
● Does it have a fully-featured bathroom with shampoo, soap, towels, a hairdryer, and more?
● Is it comfortable?
● Is it easy to check in, meaning it has a lockbox, a digital lock, keypad, or someone on-site to let the guest in?
● Is it equipped with a TV with media entertainment (e.g. Netflix, Roku, or cable) and a remote control?”

“Ten years ago we never dreamed of what Airbnb could become. We want to go further by supporting and expanding our community so that in 10 years time, more than 1 billion people per year will experience the benefits of magical travel on Airbnb,” Brian Chesky, Airbnb Co-Founder, CEO and Head of Community, said in a statement on Friday.

Airbnb today is one of the world’s largest accommodation platforms with 4.5 million places to stay in 81,000 cities.

Over the last 10 years, Airbnb hosts earned more than $41 billion and guests have checked into an Airbnb more than 300 million times.

It’s no surprise that I love this booking site. It’s my first choice when I travel and I’ve rented an apartment over a dozen times (I can’t remember the last time I stayed in a hotel). Click here to get $25 credit toward your first booking.

 

Photo: AirBnb