Airbnb Just Added Car Rentals, Grocery Delivery, and FIFA Experiences — Here’s What Travelers Need To Know

Updated: May 20, 2026, 2:13pm CDT

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Airbnb Is Expanding Beyond Vacation Rentals
Final Thoughts

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Airbnb is expanding beyond vacation rentals once again.

The company just announced a major summer update that adds car rentals, grocery delivery, airport pickups, boutique hotels, and new AI-powered planning tools — all designed to keep more of your trip inside the Airbnb app.

Here’s what you need to know about these newly announced features.

Airbnb Is Expanding Beyond Vacation Rentals

Airbnb rolled out several new features for summer 2026 as it looks to become more of a one-stop shop for travelers — helping users book not just a place to stay but also other parts of their trip.

Car Rentals Are Coming to Airbnb

Later this summer, travelers will be able to reserve rental cars directly through Airbnb. The app will suggest vehicles based on your trip and group size, and first-time renters will get 20% back in Airbnb credit.

Hertz Gold Star Presidents Circle car SUV Boston Airport — First-time Airbnb car rentals come with 20% back in Airbnb credit. Image Credit: Chris Hassan

For travelers already booking stays through Airbnb, the feature could simplify planning without having to bounce between multiple apps.

Grocery Delivery and Airport Pickups Are Now Built In

Airbnb is also adding several practical features designed to make trips smoother and easier to manage directly through the app.

Through a partnership with Instacart, guests in select U.S. cities can order groceries directly to their Airbnb — even before arrival in some cases. Travelers also get free delivery plus $10 off qualifying orders.

Instacart dad unpacking groceries — Travelers can now order groceries directly through the Airbnb app and have them delivered around the same time they arrive at their rental. Image Credit: Instacart

The platform is also launching airport pickup service in more than 160 cities worldwide through Welcome Pickups, including flight tracking and curbside meetups.

Hot Tip:

Several credit cards already offer Instacart perks that could stack nicely with Airbnb’s new grocery delivery feature. For example, cardholders of the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, and select Mastercard products currently receive complimentary Instacart+ memberships and monthly statement credits, which can help offset grocery delivery costs during your trip.

Boutique Hotels Are Joining Airbnb

The home-sharing platform is also adding boutique and independent hotels in cities like New York, Paris, London, Rome, and Singapore.

While Airbnb already owns HotelTonight, the hotel-booking app focused on discounted stays, this expansion brings more traditional lodging options directly into the main Airbnb app, giving travelers more choices beyond home-sharing.

en US StaysHotel — You will soon be able to browse both homes and boutique hotels directly through the Airbnb app. Image Credit: Airbnb

The company says the featured properties will focus on smaller, design-forward hotels, rather than major chains, and some bookings will come with Airbnb credits for future trips.

Exclusive FIFA World Cup Experiences Are Launching

The platform is also expanding its Experiences offerings with thousands of new activities led by local experts, including food tours, cultural outings, and guided visits to major landmarks around the world.

As part of the rollout, travelers will also see exclusive FIFA World Cup 2026 experiences added across 6 host cities. Fans will be able to attend intimate watch parties with U.S. soccer legends Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy in Los Angeles or even step onto the pitch for training sessions with Argentine soccer icon Javier Mascherano, the former Inter Miami manager and World Cup veteran.

en US ExperiencesAlts — Travelers will also see more experiences added to Airbnb this summer, including exclusive FIFA World Cup 2026 events. Image Credit: Airbnb

AI Features Will Help Travelers Book Faster

New AI-powered tools are also coming to the app, launched to help travelers spend less time digging through listings and more time actually planning their trips.

One of the more useful additions is AI-generated review summaries that highlight what travelers care about most, such as cleanliness, location, and amenities. The app will also introduce AI comparison tools for saved listings, along with shared itinerary features that make it easier for groups to plan trips together.

Final Thoughts

Airbnb’s new summer feature rollout clearly demonstrates that the home-sharing giant is trying to make travel planning a bit easier for travelers. Instead of juggling multiple apps for airport rides, grocery delivery, rental cars, and trip planning, travelers will soon be able to handle more of those details directly in Airbnb.

For travelers who already use the platform regularly, especially families or groups, some of these new features could make coordinating trips a little easier.