Back in 2014, we introduced a way to instantly book a listing on Airbnb, aptly called ‘Instant Book.’ Rather than messaging a host to request to book, Instant Book lets guests simply choose travel dates, book a preferred listing, and then discuss the trip and arrival details with their host.
Since making Instant Book available, we’ve seen it improve experiences for both guests and hosts on Airbnb. Instant Book gives hosts convenience and control, more guest interest, and can increase bookings. For guests, Instant Book gives them flexibility and confidence, whether booking an annual vacation, a quick weekend getaway or last-minute accommodations.
Today, more than 40 percent of listings on Airbnb are instantly bookable. When hosts bring new listings to Airbnb, we’re seeing even more growth: 70 percent of new listings on Airbnb have hosts using Instant Book from the very beginning.
Guests love it, too — so much so that 60 percent of bookings by guests are now secured with Instant Book.
As popularity continues to grow, we receive lots of feedback from hosts about how to improve Instant Book. Acting on this feedback, over the coming months we’ll begin rolling out a number of new Instant Book features to make Airbnb even easier for hosts. Here’s a snapshot of what we’re working on:
- Improved calendaring — giving hosts with multiple listings (for example, a host with a listing for an entire home and a separate listing for a room inside that home) controls to link their Airbnb calendars and prevent double-bookings, as well as the ability to set minimum night requirements for specific dates.
- The ability to save days for guests inquiring about a listing — allowing hosts to hold certain days from being instantly bookable (by other guests) if they are already in conversations.
- Tools to better manage guest expectations — via a new guest-education capability, where all first-time guests will receive education on how Airbnb is a different experience from hotels. Existing Airbnb guests now need to to read and agree to hosts’ house rules and expectations about their listing before booking.
- Check-in/check-out parameters — giving hosts flexibility to only allow check-ins/check-outs on specific days of the week and at certain times, since some hosts prefer to be present to greet guests and help them get settled.
- Rebooking controls — restrict guests that have been rated three stars or lower by a host from being able to instantly book with that host again.
As our community grows, we’ll continue improving the booking process for guests and hosts, so keep an eye out for additional updates.