The topic Airbnb will now let you order groceries in advance and stay in hotels, too is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
Airbnb started as a place to find someone’s spare bedroom, but twelve years later, it’s trying to be the only travel app you need.
With the 2026 Summer Release update announced today, you can not just book a bedroom or a house, but also order groceries, schedule airport pickups, car rentals, boutique hotels, access the AI planning tools, and access the FIFA World Cup experiences, all within the Airbnb app.
Airbnb has already launched two new services today. The first one is airport pickups (through Welcome Pickups), which, as the name suggests, lets you book a ride from airports in 160+ cities worldwide, with 20% off on all bookings.
Then there’s luggage storage (via Bounce), which is also live now, offering you 15% off at 15,000+ locations across 175 cities for the time before check-in and after check-out.
One of the biggest updates, grocery delivery (via Instacart) is also live, bringing food to your rented location before you even arrive or any time during the stay, with $0 delivery fee and $10 off on orders of $50 or more, in nearly 30 cities in the US.
In fact, hosts can even pre-stock the home before you check in, which might reflect in their review later.
Car rentals are also arriving later this summer. The app suggests a vehicle based on your group size, and first-timers get 20% credit toward a future Airbnb stay.
In a surprising move, the platform has also started accepting bookings for boutique and independent hotels in 20 cities, including New York, Paris, London, Rome, Singapore, and Madrid, among 14 others.
What’s good is that the company is hand-picking properties that complement the neighborhood. You also get a price match guarantee and up to 15% credit toward a future home booking. While Booking.com has mixed hotels and rentals for a decade, it’s good to see Airbnb catching up.
As for the FIFA World Cup 2026, Airbnb, being the official Tournament Supporter, is offering exclusive experiences across six host cities, including a watch party with Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy and pitch training with Javier Mascherano.