From art tours in Melbourne to Bowral beehives, Airbnb has just launched its biggest evolution yet.
Forget scrolling endless booking sites or relying on travel agents to curate your perfect escape. Airbnb’s latest global release redefines what the platform can offer, moving beyond accommodation to become a full-service travel companion that plans your entire trip.
Luxury services are now bookable
Book experiences and services through Airbnb now. (Image: Airbnb)
At the centre of the shake-up is Airbnb Services, a brand-new offering that lets users book top-tier professionals across 10 categories, with five of those launching in Sydney and Melbourne.
Need a private chef for an anniversary dinner? Want a photo shoot with an award-winning photographer? Prefer to skip the supermarket and have your Airbnb fridge pre-stocked before you arrive? It’s all now possible, straight from the app.
And these aren’t just any service providers – we’re talking Michelin-starred chefs, renowned wellness practitioners with serious credibility and more.
Experiences that go way beyond the standard city tour
Travellers can book a honey experience in Bowral. (Image: Airbnb)
Also making a big comeback: Airbnb Experiences, now completely reimagined and relaunched with a sharper focus on expertise, authenticity and local flavour.
Airbnb Experiences can be booked in your own city. (Artwork: Middle: Steen Jones/Right: Lukas Kaspar)
It’s not just for travellers, either. Airbnb reports that over 40 per cent of Australians say they’re keen to use Experiences to explore their own backyard.
The categories span everything from history and culture to food and drink, art and design, entertainment, fitness, wellness and nature, with new options rolling out globally and across Sydney and Melbourne this season.
Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.
AI Prompt
Next-level exclusives hosted by global icons
Airbnb Originals are one-of-a-kind experiences hosted by world-renowned figures. (Image: Adrienne Raquel)
And for those seeking something truly out of the ordinary, Airbnb has introduced Airbnb Originals: one-of-a-kind experiences hosted by world-renowned figures, exclusively for the platform.
Tick the box next to "Australian Traveller". That's it.
Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her 4+ years at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? South Australia and The Kimberley.
Here’s how to turn your next work trip into a Melbourne city break, with market lunches, rooftop bars and gallery visits fitting neatly around the odd meeting or two.
A long weekend in Melbourne is an easy sell. Begin with a coffee prepared with the precision of a laboratory experiment, before disappearing down the rabbit warren of graffiti-covered laneways. Explore the cutting edge of Australian art and culture in museums, and spend sunsets with a rooftop cocktail in hand.
Make the short stroll from Melbourne Central Station towards Queen Victoria Market to arrive at lyf on Elizabeth Melbourne, a 90-room hotel whose communal spaces are a siren call for remote workers and travellers alike. Parked in the free tram zone and right beside Queen Victoria Market, it’s as central as it gets.
Designed by DKO Architects inside a heritage 1975 building, lyf’s interiors lean into warm Japandi-like styling, colourful art and flexible shared spaces. Whether you’re settling into the Collab workspaces, cooking in the Bond communal kitchen, squeezing in a workout at Burn gym or catching up on laundry at Wash & Hang, the hotel is built around sharing and spontaneous connections.
Where to eat
Bonnibel
Power your day with Melbourne’s best flavours.
First stop is lyf on Elizabeth Melbourne’s neighbourhood kitchen and bar, Bonnibel. Like any Melbourne spot worth its truffle salt, Bonnibel serves a cracking coffee alongside an all-day menu that runs the gamut from barbecue beef brisket benedict with jalapeño salsa and gochujang hollandaise to coconut chia nourish bowls.
Bond
Take your Queen Vic finds from market to plate.
If the freshly baked sourdough, local produce and fresh fruit on offer at Queen Victoria Market have your fingers twitching towards your wallet, no need to hold back. Pick up, then head back to lyf’s Bond communal kitchen to cook it yourself. Fully equipped, it’s designed for guests to prepare meals together – and if you forget that dukkah for your avo and eggs, Queen Vic is only next door.
Soi38
Stretch your legs and make your way to Soi 38, one of Melbourne’s favourite Thai lunch spots. Specialising in street food-style dishes, the sprawling menu can feel as busy as a Bangkok market. Just know that the boat noodles are a must, alongside the Crying Tiger with marinated Black Angus brisket, crispy pork belly with house dipping sauce and a glass of sweet pink nom yen.
Shanghai Street
Stop by for Melbourne’s famous dumplings. (Credit: Alpha)
At Shanghai Street, order the xiao long bao as soon as you sit down at this cult restaurant; the delicate-skinned soup dumplings remain its signature. Don’t overlook the crispy-bottomed pan-fried pork buns or the homemade dumplings, served boiled, pan-fried or coated in chilli oil.
Where to drink
Fleet Rooftop Bar
Sitting 22 floors above Flinders Street, Fleet Rooftop Bar pairs Southbank views with one of the city’s best rum selections. Thanks to its retractable roof and glass panelling, the terrace works in Melbourne’s famously unpredictable weather. If rum isn’t your thing, flag down the martini trolley for a classic, oyster shell or olive leaf martini, then settle in with snacks like torched salmon caviar.
Goldilocks Rooftop Bar
Raise a glass above the city.
Hidden above the Denyers Building, Goldilocks Rooftop Bar is one of the CBD’s favourite spots for bottomless brunch. Expect shared plates of spinach and mushroom bao, fried chicken ribs and xiao long bao alongside free-flowing mimosas, peach and yuzu spritzes, Aperol spritzes and Bloody Shiraz jugs. It’s just right for a long afternoon in the city.
Fifty-five Bar
Swap rooftop views for basement vibes at Fifty-five Bar, where dim lighting, rotating craft beers and DJs create one of the CBD’s cosiest late-night hangouts. The cocktail list is just as fun, with drinks like the Silk Road Sour, made with pomegranate molasses and sumac, and frozen white peach cosmos.
Things to do
Free City Circle Tram
Travel between landmarks for free. (Credit: Visit Vic)
Say hello to every Melbourne traveller’s new best friend, the free City Circle Tram. This magic carpet of Melbourne transport loops around the CBD and Docklands, getting you from landmark to landmark without dropping a cent.
Melbourne Central
Shop until your drop. (Credit: Visit Vic)
Carve a chunk of time out of your schedule because all work and no play makes anyone a dull Melburnian. Instead, visit Melbourne Central to crack on with vintage shopping, duck into colourful laneways, wander through the grand 19th-century arcades and get to know its many museums. The architecture and people-watching aren’t too shabby either, whether you’re watching the crowds spill out of Flinders Street Station or gathering in Federation Square.
National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) – new Cartier exhibition
Explore one of Melbourne’s must-see exhibitions. (Credit: Visit Victoria)
The jewel in Melbourne’s art scene, the NGV has welcomed one of its most glittering exhibitions yet: Cartier. Created by London’s V&A, it showcases jewels worn by some of history’s greatest divas, from Elizabeth Taylor and Rihanna to Princess Margaret and the Duchess of Windsor. Sketchbooks, photographs and original designs from the Cartier archives reveal the skill behind the sparkle.
Explore Melbourne’s arty laneways
Follow the city’s vibrant street art trail. (Credit: Visit Victoria)
Start at Hosier Lane, the undisputed heart of Melbourne’s laneway art scene, where fresh murals appear thick and fast. From there, wander over to the music-themed AC/DC Lane, then duck into Union Lane, where independent artists constantly layer new works over old.
