Mansions, islands and castles: Airbnb Luxe is PEAK travel goals
If you've ever dreamt of staying on your own private island with white sand beaches and turquoise seawater or basking in the Tuscan sun in a private mansion, the new Airbnb setting may be exactly what you need.
The company has launched it's Airbnb Luxe service with over 2,000 hand-picked listings on offer for travellers looking to spend a minimum of $1,000 per night. Yes, you read that number right.
Award-winning homes are available to stay in, following a rigorous evaluation with over 300 criteria to consider, so expect to find elevated design standards, rare features, chef-grade appliances and about a million bathrooms
Among the chosen homes include island locations like New Zealand, South Africa, historic Tuscan villas, and even the Jamaican beachfront property where Ian Fleming wrote his iconic 007 spy novels.
Other customers may prefer the complete privacy and exclusivity of booking an entire island with its very own self-declared time zone at the incredible private atoll in French Polynesia, Nukutepipi.
Curated by Guy Laliberte, founder of Cirque du Soleil and Lune Rouge, you can only imagine how Instagrammable this homes is. The high-end settings will cost you a fortune, however.
Included in the Airbnb Luxe experience is a dedicated trip designer, on hand to ensure your "bespoke experiences" are "truly magical" and to arrange any spa, personal trainer or childcare appointments for you.
The designers also provide deep local knowledge, end-to-end trip planning, concierge services and 24/7 VIP support, if you don't mind. Posh folk need constant care, it seems.
Some of the home options include additional services like butlers, personal drivers, chefs and medieval farm-to-table dinner experiences.
Airbnb Luxe plans to add properties in at least 12 more cities this year, following the success of listings in London and Los Angeles. Fancy places aren't just situated in exotic lands, gals.
The company has come a long way since it's humble beginnings, which began as three friends using an air mattress in a San Francisco apartment.
The home-rental company has been adding new services over the last few years like 'heritage travel' and adventure holidays, and is now pushing into the traditional hotel industry.
Airbnb feel that it's customers are ready for high-end getaways, after the number of bookings for listings worth at least $1,000 per night increased more than 60 percent in 2018.
Who are these people with all this disposable cash, can I ask? The luxury travel market is currently estimated to be a whopping $200 billion.
The company are claiming to make bespoke travel more accessible to anyone. Brian Chesky, Airbnb Co-Founder, CEO and Head of Community spoke about the launch;
“Today’s luxury traveller is craving more than just high-end accommodations; they seek transformation and experiences that leave them feeling more connected to each other and to their destination.”
“With Airbnb Luxe we are applying the same approach we’ve used since we launched Airbnb more than 11 years ago — creating local, authentic and magical travel moments now in amazing places to stay- to reimagine the way people think and experience luxury travel.”
We'll probably just stick to our trusted air mattress, but thanks Brian. Drool over Airbnb Luxe for yourself on their website. The jealousy is just that little bit too real.
