Airbnb Is Using AI To Help Plan Your Next Holiday So There Aren’t Any (Bad) Surprises

Gawthorne’s Hut, Mudgee, NSW
Gawthorne’s Hut, Mudgee, NSW
Gawthorne’s Hut, Mudgee, NSW
Gawthorne’s Hut, Mudgee, NSW
A Desert Dream, California, USA
La Piazzetta, Montepulciano, Italy
200 year old house, Yamanashi-ken, Japan
La Cabin, Quebec, Canada

Gawthorne’s Hut, Mudgee, NSW ·Photo: Courtesy of Airbnb

The platform’s new Guest Favourite tag is like asking a mate where they stayed last time they went away. And a rural NSW town is home to one of the best-rated properties in the world.

There are more than seven million homes listed on Airbnb. And guests have left over 371 million reviews for their stays. That’s a lot of information to absorb when you’re trying to find the perfect place for your next holiday.

Users can already sort by categories like beach front, amazing pools, tiny homes and even castles. But the just-launched “Guest Favourite” tag is like you’re getting a recommendation from a friend.

“People often describe checking into an Airbnb as a ‘moment of truth’ – when you find out if the home you booked meets your expectations,” Airbnb’s co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky said in a statement. “Too often, it doesn’t. We’re changing that today. With Guest Favourites, revamped reviews and the new Listings tab [a host tool], you’ll now know exactly what to expect every time you book.”

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The platform has enlisted AI to help sort through the comments. Properties that are marked as a Guest Favourite have excellent reviews (rated above 4.9 stars on average). These homes also receive high marks for ease of check-in, cleanliness, listing accuracy, host communication, location and value. A property must have at least five reviews recorded to be considered. There are currently two million properties globally which meet this criteria – including a handful in Australia.

Gawthorne’s Hut in Mudgee, NSW, has been called out as one of the best places to stay on Airbnb. It’s listed as one of the best properties to book right now alongside A Desert Dream in California’s Yucca Valley, Quebec’s La Cabin, La Piazzetta in the Italian town of Montepulciano and this 200-year-old house in Yamanashi-ken, Japan.

The platform, which considers itself a tech company that specialises in travel and accommodation, is exploring the power of AI for its hosts as well. Hosts can now create a photo tour, which organises photos by rooms to help guests understand the layout of their home. The photo tour is powered by a custom-built Airbnb AI engine trained on over 100 million images. This also helps guests in the long run, so you’re not left imagining the floorplan of your potential stay – and possibly being disappointed when you check in.

airbnb.com.au

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