The site promises to pair customers with a locally versed Airbnb Concierge for access to "premier service" and information on local food, top travel tips and trip logistics.
"Why should Airbnb guests have to choose between a unique local travel experience and being pampered with world-class service?" Airbnb says of its new service.
Guests will receive a phone number to dial with each reservation made through the site. Travelers can call the concierge day or night -- "24 hours a day, 7 days a week," according to Airbnb -- for local weather forecasts, show tickets, dinner reservations, flight assistance, help with medical inquiries and so forth. Presumably, valet parking, laundry service and baggage assistance is not included.
Airbnb partnered with personal assistant service MyAssist on the initiative, Christopher Lukezic, director of communications tells Mashable. The Airbnb Concierge service will be free for users during a three-month trial period, at which time the company will assess if the extra service is adding value to users' trips. The startup has no plans to charge for the service at this time.
"This is in line with the commitment we have to build products and features that make the experience on Airbnb better," Lukezic says. "It's a nominal cost considering the value it brings to our community."
The convenience, a counter to concierge services offered by hotels, may help sway first-time guests to book with Airbnb, as well as send a little positive PR in the direction of the heavily financed site, which is still recovering from an unfortunate summer scandal.