Airbnb’s 2025 Summer Release: What’s New for Hosts?

It’s that time of the year again—Airbnb recently shared its 2025 Summer Release, announcing several updates that could be game-changers for guests and hosts alike.

Key changes:

• Airbnb Services: Airbnb is expanding its offerings to include additional services like private chefs, photographers, massages, fitness classes, and more. Guests can book these services even if they’re not staying in an Airbnb.
• Reimagined Experiences: In addition to increasing its focus on high-quality, immersive experiences, the platform is also launching Airbnb Originals and a social component.
• A new app: A redesigned app improves booking and travel planning for users, and makes it easier than ever for hosts to manage their businesses.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky set high expectations for these changes, saying:

Seventeen years ago, we changed the way people travel. With the launch of services and experiences, we’re changing travel again.”

That’s a big promise—but does it hold up? Let’s take a closer look.

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Airbnb Services

The first major update: The platform is rolling out Airbnb Services to enrich the travel experience.

The goal? To become a one-stop shop for guests to organize their entire trip, similar to hotels.

People choose hotels for their services. People choose Airbnbs for the space. Now, we’re giving you the best of both worlds—amazing homes with services that make them even more special.” – Brian Chesky

For now, Airbnb Services is launching in 260 cities with 10 categories of offerings, including services such as:

• In-home dining, prepared meals, and full-service catering
• Personalized photo shoots
• Massage and spa treatments
• Private fitness and yoga sessions
• Hair, makeup, and nail services

How will Airbnb Services impact hosts?

Airbnb Services are clearly a win for guests, but will they have an impact on your business? Surprisingly, not as much as you might think.

Here’s what hosts need to know about Airbnb Services:

• Chances are, you can’t offer your own service. That’s right: While applications for Airbnb Services are open, Services hosts have an average of 10 years of experience, must submit relevant licenses and certifications, and are often “renowned in their fields.” That’s all to say that the average host won’t qualify to offer their own service.
• You won’t make any money off of Airbnb Services. As Annie Sloan, co-founder and CEO of The Host Co, said on LinkedIn: “They’re not offering any ancillary revenue to the host for these services. We’re in a place now where ancillary services and upsells are becoming the norm, which is great, but we’re also seeing that those operators—those hosts and property managers—should be making money off of those services.”
• Services will be allowed at your property by default. Services can take place anywhere, including the provider’s place of business, the guest’s own home, and your Airbnb. If you want to opt out, you’ll need to contact Airbnb Support.
• You won’t be notified if a guest books a service provider to come to your property, as there’s no approval process. So if Airbnb Services have launched in your city, now’s a good time to make sure you’re okay with them.

What you can do is recommend or refer third-party service providers to help encourage bookings and improve your guests’ experience.

Reimagined Airbnb Experiences

As part of the Summer Release, Airbnb is also reimagining its Experiences program with activities “hosted by locals who know their city best.” Guests can tap into experiences that help them “live like a local,” spanning categories such as culture, cuisine, the outdoors, art, and fitness.

But none of this is exactly new, so what is changing?

• The platform is launching Airbnb Originals, made up of “extraordinary experiences hosted by the world’s most interesting people.” These experiences are designed exclusively for Airbnb and include activities such as visiting the Short n’ Sweet set with Sabrina Carpenter or playing beach volleyball with Olympian Carol Solberg on Rio’s iconic Leblon Beach.
• Airbnb Experiences are now built to be social. Soon, guests will be able to see who’s attending, chat with others, and stay connected after—all with easy privacy settings that let them decide what they share and with whom. And they don’t have to travel to join in, but can attend experiences in their own city.
• Quality is becoming even more important, with applications being vetted for expertise, reputation, and authenticity. Airbnb also says it will be regularly reviewing experiences to ensure they continue to meet their standards.

Airbnb’s reimagined Experiences program is launching in 650 cities around the world, with more to come every day.

How will Airbnb Experiences 2.0 impact hosts?

In this case, there’s not as big of an impact on hosts. Keep in mind that stays and Experiences remain separate offerings, and you can’t bundle them.

But this is a good reminder that Airbnb Experiences are an excellent way to add another stream of revenue to your business. Interested? Apply to host an Airbnb Experience here.

A new app

Airbnb Services and Experiences are all about helping guests book their entire trip in one place—so it’s no surprise that Airbnb also rebuilt its app to do just that.

For travelers, the app now provides personalized recommendations, day-by-day itineraries, and on-the-go discovery of nearby experiences. A redesigned Explore tab makes it easy to browse homes, services, and activities around the world, while a new messaging platform enables photo/video sharing and smoother coordination with hosts and other guests.

But what’s most exciting for hosts is that this isn’t just a guest-facing update. The Airbnb app has been reimagined to make it easier than ever to manage your business—whether you host a home, offer a service, or lead an experience.

Airbnb app updates for hosts

Changes to the app for hosts include:

• Airbnb Setup: This is a simplified tool that makes it faster and easier to create or update a listing—whether you’re hosting a home, a local service, or an experience.
• Today tab: A new hub for managing daily operations, the Today tab lets you view upcoming reservations, guest details, and key check-in info all in one place—no more back and forth between your messages and calendar.
• Redesigned calendar: See your schedule hour-by-hour with an improved daily view. The calendar now integrates in real time with Google Calendar to help you stay organized and avoid double bookings.
• Listings tab: Easily manage every detail of your listings—from pricing and availability to location and service details. The tools are optimized for hosts offering not just homes, but also services and experiences.

This host-focused rebuild is powered by a new tech stack and a refreshed design system that brings the Airbnb platform to life with intuitive navigation and a more fluid, responsive interface. To get started with these new updates, enroll in Airbnb Early Access in the app.

Takeaways

Airbnb’s Summer Release marks a major shift from a short-term rental platform to becoming a full-service travel and lifestyle brand. With the introduction of Airbnb Services and a reimagined Experiences program, the focus is on giving guests everything they need in one place—from homes and activities to personalized add-ons.

But for hosts, the impact is more nuanced. While Airbnb Services won’t directly affect your business (at least for now), Airbnb Experiences continue to be a potential additional revenue stream.

Of course, the real game-changer for hosts is the redesigned Airbnb app. With new tools like the Today tab, improved calendar integration, and streamlined listing management, the app now makes it much easier to run your business—and we hope you start feeling the benefits soon.

Lodgify is an official Preferred+ Partner of Airbnb and offers a powerful Airbnb PMS and channel manager. With seamless integration to Airbnb, hosts can automatically sync calendars, prices, and reservations—reducing manual work and minimizing double bookings. Start your free 7-day trial now and unlock the full potential of your vacation rental!

Don’t see the form to download our Airbnb Host Guide? Click here.