Airbnb expands into hotels, cars, groceries
Airbnb is expanding its services to include boutique hotels, car rentals, and grocery delivery in response to stricter regulations on short-term rentals. The company aims to become a comprehensive travel platform, competing with established players like Booking.com and Expedia. CEO Brian Chesky emphasized the importance of meaningful travel experiences as the app introduces new features and partnerships.
- ▪Airbnb announced on May 20 that it will add boutique hotels, car rentals, and grocery delivery to its app.
- ▪The expansion is a response to tighter local regulations on short-term home rentals in key markets.
- ▪The updated app will include grocery delivery through Instacart in over 25 US cities and luggage storage services in more than 160 cities worldwide.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Airbnb expands into hotels, cars, groceriesSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxThe app is also getting a range of artificial intelligence features, including a virtual support assistant available in more than a dozen languages.PHOTO: REUTERSPublished May 21, 2026, 09:55 AMUpdated May 21, 2026, 09:55 AMSAN FRANCISCO – Airbnb, facing tighter local regulations on short-term home rentals, announced on May 20 it is adding boutique hotels, car rentals and grocery delivery to its app in a bid to transform itself into a one-stop travel shop.The rollout marks the latest step in Airbnb’s push to capture more of the travel spending that currently flows to competitors such as Booking.com and Expedia.This evolution – 18 years after the company’s scrappy beginnings in San Francisco…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Straits Times — World.