• by Tanya Gazdik , Yesterday

Megan Thee Stallion has been tapped for Airbnb Originals.

Airbnb is introducing Airbnb Services and Airbnb Experiences in a redesigned app that will allow users to further customize their vacations.

“Airbnb Services, which users can order directly to their place of stay, will include services such as chefs, spa treatments, personal training and professional makeup artists, among others,” according to USA Today. “Airbnb Experiences, on the other hand, will allow locals to host events such as trips to museums and landmarks, cooking classes, and outdoor experiences.”

Airbnb says its services are vetted for quality through an evaluation of "expertise and reputation," and that service hosts have an average of 10 years of experience. 

“The company tested the idea when it launched Airbnb Experiences in 2016, but faced issues over quality and reliability,” according to The New York Times. “In the reboot, Airbnb said it is focusing on quality and professionalism, with rigorous, ongoing vetting of tour providers’ 'expertise, reputation and authenticity.'”

Airbnb said that many users found the company’s earlier experiences too expensive. At an average price of $65 per person, the new experiences are more affordable, Airbnb said, and are easier to organize. With the new app, users will be able to book homes, experiences and services in one place.

Staying at an Airbnb can be a tough sell for hotel lovers.

“It’s not always the more affordable option anymore,” notes The Washington Post. “Check-in can be a chore. And with added cleaning fees alongside an unpredictable standard of service, booking an Airbnb comes with more risk than an established hotel brand."

However, the company is trying to change that narrative with the new services. 

“To educate consumers about the new features, the booking platform has revealed a new ad and a social-first marketing strategy,” according to Marketing Dive. “At the heart of Airbnb’s latest marketing push is a 60-second spot, 'The Grand Adventure,' that unravels an animated storybook about travel, from the carriage rides, steam locomotives and grand ocean liners of the past to the hallmarks of contemporary travel that feel like 'less of an adventure [and] more of a checklist.'"

The spot will air on TV, streaming and online in the U.S., Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, China and Korea throughout the summer. it was created by Airbnb’s in-house team.

"Airbnb has created more than a dozen social-only videos that highlight Airbnb Experiences in top travel destinations including Florence, Lisbon, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Mexico City, Miami, Milan, Paris, Rome, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Tokyo and Venice, with more to come," according to Marketing Dive. "Searches for those cities on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube will deliver the videos with a call-to-action that delivers them directly to the booking page for those experiences."

Travelers can book never-before-offered services through the app, such as meals prepared by professional chefs, and salon treatments like hair, nails and makeup, all provided on-site at the airbnb. 

“As part of the brand’s new Airbnb Originals series, travelers and music fans alike can now ‘transform into your anime alter-ego,’ as Airbnb puts it, and request to book a Otaku Hottie Quest Airbnb Experience with Megan Thee Stallion," according to Rolling Stone. “That also includes hanging out with Cherry Glazerr and recording a song in a studio — which we actually did (and you, can, too later this summer), spending a day with Sabrina Carpenter  for 'a day of glam, dancing, and espresso,' or ‘learning how to throw the perfect spiral and enjoying Kansas City barbecue’ alongside Chiefs’ star quarterback Patrick Mahomes."