The China Mail - Airbnb expands into hotels, cars, groceries

The rollout marks the latest step in Airbnb's push to capture more of the travel spending that currently flows to competitors like Booking.com and Expedia.

This evolution -- 18 years after the company's scrappy beginnings in San Francisco -- is one of Airbnb's answers to increasingly tough restrictions on short-term rentals in key markets.

In December, Spain hit the company with a 65-million-euro ($75 million) fine over more than 65,000 non-compliant listings, and Barcelona decided not to renew thousands of rental licenses when they expire in 2028.

New York has banned nearly all short-term private rentals since 2023, and Paris stepped up its crackdown on illegal listings in 2026.

"Travel shouldn't just be convenient. It should be meaningful," CEO Brian Chesky said in a statement. "The best trips help you explore, learn, and come home a little different than when you left."

The updated app adds grocery delivery through Instacart in more than 25 US cities, as well as airport and train station transfers and luggage storage services in more than 160 cities worldwide.

The platform will also offer car rentals, though the company has not yet named its partners.

The app is also getting a range of artificial intelligence features, including a virtual support assistant available in 11 languages.

Airbnb posted revenue of $2.68 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 18 percent from a year earlier.

S.Wilson--ThChM