Airbnb Is Set to Launch a New Tier of Select Properties

Airbnb is close to announcing its newest product, Airbnb Select, perhaps as early as next week, Skift has learned. And it's good news for those who have always longed for more quality assurance or control in the Airbnb accommodation experience. Last month, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky tweeted that on Feb. 22, the company would share  "our biggest changes to our platform in our 10-year history" and it's a good bet that Airbnb Select is one of those changes. On Tuesday, the company would not confirm what it plans to announce on that date. https://twitter.com/bchesky/status/956607704541233152 Airbnb Select is a program in which Airbnb invites selected hosts with high ratings and reviews to be part of a curated collection of listings that undergo an inspection and professional photography process. Properties must also meet a lengthy checklist of requirements for particular amenities and safety features. Sometimes, the invitation also includes the opportunity for those hosts to improve their homes with financial aid from Airbnb. In return for being a part of Airbnb Select, these hosts' listings will show up more prominently in search, and they have the ability to raise their nightly rates, should they choose to do so. Airbnb Select listings aren't exactly hotels, but they're much closer, at least in quality standards, to the type of product and experience one might find in a hotel versus an average Airbnb listing. And it's something the company has been working on for some time. In April 2016, we reported on one of those pilots, which focused on listings in Sonoma, California. The program is yet another marker of Airbnb's continued progress toward becoming a comprehensive online travel agency, or what executives have previously described as becoming a "super brand in travel" that encompasses just about every aspect of the travel experience, from where guests stay to what they do and what they eat. It's also symbolic of the increasing professionalization of the alternative accommodation space, and the fact that the lines between alternative and traditional accommodations are blurring. Just last week, the company, which is valued at $31 billion, officially opened up its platform to boutique and independent hotels via a technology partnership with SiteMinder. Soon, those hotels will be advertised alongside the company's more than 4 million listings in total, which will also include Airbnb Select listings. How Airbnb Select Works While Air