Airbnb showed off redesigned apps for iOS and Android on Tuesday morning designed to make the service easier to use on mobile devices. The new apps feature a dashboard called "Host Home" that lets hosts book rooms, respond to messages, and update their calendars, among other things, all directly from the smartphone. The apps also give hosts a guide to making their rooms more professional by emphasizing basic hospitality standards. And for hosts who want to learn from their peers, a new groups feature allows them to talk about best practices through the app.
For travelers, the app offers a new Discover feed designed to showcase Airbnb's best listings. The company now has 350,000 hosts and 500,000 homes in 34,000 cities co-founder Brian Chesky said at an event Tuesday at the company's San Francisco headquarters. Recently, more than 175,000 people stayed in an Airbnb listing in a single night.
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