Get ready to vacation in the lap of luxury, even if you don’t normally live in it. Per a report from Bloomberg, Airbnb is in the process of launching a new service (known within the company as Airbnb Lux) specifically for mansions, penthouses, and other abodes of the truly affluent. It’s not quite the same thing as the rumored Airbnb Select, a premium service the rental company is said to be debuting in order to compete with high-end hotels, but it certainly feels like the same vein. According to Bloomberg’s sources, this new luxury service will be available in some markets by the end of 2017. Airbnb, unsurprisingly, has not commented on these claims.
Sure, Airbnb already has a version of this up and running thanks to Airbnb Select. But Airbnb Lux (the final name has yet to be determined) is meant to take things to the next level. If this concept sounds familiar, it may because Airbnb recently acquired Canadian company Luxury Retreats, which specialized in upscale villas and vacation homes. Luxury Retreats had more than 4,000 listings available at the time of its acquisition, and while Airbnb has yet to separate out those properties into a different section, the arrival of Lux may shake things up a bit.
Given that Airbnb makes money by taking a percentage of the cost of each booking, the more expensive the property, the bigger the company’s profit. And given that the company is already valued at $31 billion, having this higher stream of revenue could certainly boost investor confidence in the company.
This is by no means the first time Airbnb has attempted to cater toward a higher echelon of customers. Late in 2016, the company started offering some pretty fancy experiences, like truffle tastings and guided tours from experts. And as Bloomberg reports, Airbnb is also exploring other areas of the travel industry and has folks building a tool to help you book flights.
So if you are looking for luxury in your next vacation, you may not need to look at a resort — just look at Airbnb and its new selection of swanky settings.
