Airbnb Plus Explained [Airbnb’s Vetted Listings]

Airbnb
Written By Taz Zaidi

What Is Airbnb Plus?

Airbnb Plus showcases Airbnb’s high quality homes.

Plus homes are a great option for travelers who have the means, and prefer to stick to a certain “standard”. By booking an Airbnb Plus home, you can save time browsing and avoid dealing with inexperienced hosts.

In this guide, we’ll cover what you should know about Airbnb Plus.

After explaining three main benefits of booking a Plus stay, I’ll cover the requirements for hosts to join the Plus program, how to book a Plus stay, regular listings vs. Plus listings, Airbnb Plus vs. Superhosts, and lastly how to get help with a Plus booking.

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The Benefits Of Airbnb Plus

Airbnb’s Plus program provides high quality homes. But this level of quality means that Plus homes aren’t ideal for all budgets or “types” of travelers. Here are three main benefits of booking a Plus stay:

Benefit #1: You’ll Save Time And Worry

  • New Airbnb users are sometimes disappointed by their first stay, especially if they did not know how to spot quality listings and trustworthy hosts prior to booking. However, Plus homes can be trusted at face-value, as each is personally inspected by an Airbnb employee. To see some examples of Plus homes, click here.

Benefit #2: You’ll Feel “At Home”

  • Plus homes “feel like home”, but with the cleanliness of a hotel. In a “regular” Airbnb, you may feel like a guest in someone else’s home - especially if the place isn’t particularly clean and some amenities are missing. Plus homes provide all important amenities, offer self check-in, and are designed for your relaxation. To learn more about what Plus homes offer, click here.

Benefit #3: Plus Hosts Are Experienced

  • Plus hosts are experienced, which improves your check-in, stay and overall experience. Plus hosts can provide assistance to guests who need it, yet will allow independence to those who prefer it. Experienced hosts may consider smaller details that can improve a stay - such as including an ironing board or hair curler (for example).

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Host Requirements For Airbnb Plus

Airbnb Plus is an invite-only program for homes that meet specific qualifications (fully-equipped kitchen, strong wi-fi, etc.). After a home meets qualifications, an Airbnb employee will go inspect the property. This employee provides a checklist of features to be added or improved upon, and will offer professional-level photography. To learn more about the qualifications for homes to join Airbnb Plus, click here.

The requirements for a home to be considered for Airbnb Plus are:

  • Provide self check-in

  • Overall rating of 4.8 or higher

  • Located where the Plus program is available

  • No cancellations in the past 12 months (except extenuating circumstances)

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How To Book An Airbnb Plus Listing

*As a guest, there are no guidelines limiting you from booking a Plus home. However, booking requests are more likely to be accepted if you already have a high guest rating and past booking experiences, since Plus homes are often in high demand.

To find a Plus listing on Airbnb.com, enter your destination, dates and number of guests in the search bar, then click “Search”. To filter your results to only display Plus listings, clicking “More filters”.

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In the pop-up, select “Airbnb Plus” under “Verified places”.

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From here, only Plus listings will be displayed in the search results. You can spot Plus listings by the purple “Plus” badge in a listing’s thumbnail (example below).

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After finding a listing that suits your taste and budget, complete your booking as usual. If you need help in the booking process, use our Airbnb Booking Guide.

*Vrbo.com is the best alternative to Airbnb for apartment and house rentals. For today’s deals, click here.

Regular Airbnb vs. Airbnb Plus

Plus stays aren’t necessarily better than “regular” stays.

Many “regular” Airbnb homes offer better value than Plus homes. For example, a quirky, unique home may not have the “mainstream appeal” to generate as many bookings/reviews as more generic homes - but it may fit you better. After all, Airbnb’s variety of options is what separates it from other major booking sites.

A key difference between Airbnb Plus and “regular” homes is that Plus properties are verified in-person to ensure they meet certain standards. Regular homes are not. This means you can book a Plus stay with more confidence, knowing it meets quality standards set by Airbnb, and provides certain amenities.

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*To see today’s deals on hotels in any destination, click here.

Airbnb Plus vs. Superhosts

Airbnb Plus is a listing classification. Superhost is a host classification.

Hosts with a high guest satisfaction rating and many completed bookings (with few issues) are eligible to receive the “Superhost” status from Airbnb. Superhost status has nothing to do with the Plus program. If a Superhost creates a new listing from scratch (with no reviews), the listing must still earn Plus status through its own merit. To learn more about Superhost status on Airbnb, click here.

Help/Support With Plus Bookings

If you need help with your Plus booking, contact the Plus host or use Airbnb’s Help Center. As of 2023, Airbnb does not provide a designated phone number or email address for support with Plus bookings. For a complete guide to contacting Airbnb, click here.

The cancellation policy for Plus listings is the same as for regular listings - determined by the host, and their guest agrees to it at the time of booking. For the full guide to Airbnb’s cancellation policy, click here. For the Plus program’s terms and conditions, click here.

*For the 5 things you should bring to an Airbnb stay, click here.

Conclusion

Hopefully you found this guide helpful.

Airbnb Plus stays are a great option for any traveler who prefers a certain “standard” of home. By booking a Plus home, you can also save time browsing and avoid dealing with inexperienced hosts. To learn more about Airbnb, explore our other guides below.

Enjoy your travels!

Learn More About Airbnb

Introduction To Airbnb

Understand Your Options

Get Started With Airbnb

Know Before You Go

Specific Types Of Bookings

Cancellations, Refunds And Changes

Airbnb’s Other Listing Categories

Airbnb’s Other Features

Help With Your Account

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Taz Zaidi [Author]
Taz Zaidi [Author]

Taz Zaidi is an American travel writer and the founder/creator of TRVLGUIDES.com. Connect with him on Instagram (@tazzaidi) or on his personal website, at tazzaidi.com.

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Taz Zaidi
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