Which amenities actually increase Airbnb bookings?
HostBoost Updated 6 min read
On this page
- Which amenities did guests search for most in 2025?
- Does Airbnb publish how much each amenity lifts bookings?
- How do amenity filters affect where I appear in search?
- Where do I add amenities on Airbnb?
- Why does the structured list matter more in 2026?
- Which amenities should I add first?
- How do you decide whether a new amenity is worth buying?
- Questions hosts ask
- Sources
The amenities that increase bookings are the ones guests filter for. In 2025 the most-searched Airbnb amenities were pool, free parking, wifi, air conditioning or heating, and kitchen (The amenities guests want, Airbnb Resource Center). Four out of five searches use at least one filter (Airbnb Newsroom, 2024). An amenity you own but did not tick does not exist for those searches.
Which amenities did guests search for most in 2025?
Airbnb published the ranking for 1 January to 31 December 2025. It publishes no search counts and no percentage per amenity.
| Rank | Amenity | Costs money to add? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pool | Yes, usually not an option |
| 2 | Free parking | Depends on the property |
| 3 | Wifi | Low |
| 4 | Air conditioning or heating | Medium |
| 5 | Kitchen | Depends on the property |
| 6 | Hot tub | High |
| 7 | Washer or dryer | Medium |
| 8 | Self check-in | Low |
| 9 | TV or cable | Low |
| 10 | BBQ grill | Low |
The cost column is our estimate, not Airbnb data.
Half of that list costs little. Wifi, self check-in, a TV, and a grill are the cheapest ways to appear in more filtered searches. For a separate holiday weekend, Airbnb reported that pool made up 23% of amenity searches and pet-friendly 22%. That figure covers one weekend, not the year.
Does Airbnb publish how much each amenity lifts bookings?
Airbnb published lift figures once, in 2021, and has not updated them (What makes a top listing, Airbnb Newsroom, 2021). Treat the numbers as dated.
- Dedicated workspace: 14% more earnings.
- Cooking basics: 17% more earnings.
- Self check-in: 13% more earnings.
- Pet-friendly: 6% more bookings.
The 2021 study ran during remote-work travel. Workspace demand looked different then.
Use older amenity studies as background. Base a purchase on the guests you want, comparable properties and the full cost of providing it.
Estimate the extra bookings needed to recover the purchase and running costs before adding a new amenity.
The 2021 data and the 2025 search ranking agree on one item. Self check-in appears in both. It costs a lockbox or a smart lock and no ongoing effort.
How do amenity filters affect where I appear in search?
Filters do not rank you. Filters decide whether you are in the result set at all. Airbnb offers more than 80 filters, and 4 of 5 searches use at least one. When a guest filters for "Washer" and you never ticked it, your listing leaves the results before ranking starts.
Airbnb lists close to 150 amenity options. Completing the list, it says, makes your listing show up in more filtered searches. Airbnb also names amenities as one of the "similar characteristics" it uses to pick your price comparison set. A listing with an untagged pool is compared against listings without pools.
Where do I add amenities on Airbnb?
- Open the listing editor and select Your space.
- Select Amenities, then the plus sign.
- Select Add next to every feature the home has.
- Open each sub-list. Kitchen, bathroom, entertainment, and outdoor each hide a dozen items.
- Remove anything you no longer provide.
Step 5 matters as much as step 3. Accuracy feeds your review scores, and Guest Favorite status needs high accuracy subscores.
Why does the structured list matter more in 2026?
Airbnb's 2026 features read the structured amenity fields, not your description text. Personalized highlights and the "Ask about this home" answer are generated from tagged amenities and photos. That description comes from industry coverage of the 2026 Summer Release. Airbnb publishes no technical note on what those features read.
The practical rule is the same either way. An amenity written only in the description is invisible to filters and, by these reports, to the AI answers too.
Smart Setup can also add amenities for you from the address and photos. Check the generated list before you publish. An amenity added in error becomes an accuracy complaint.
Which amenities should I add first?
Work through this order. It follows the 2025 search ranking and the cost to add.
- Tick everything you already own. This costs nothing.
- Self check-in. It ranks eighth in searches and had a 13% earnings lift in 2021.
- Wifi and a TV, if either is missing. Both rank in the top ten.
- A BBQ grill, if you have outdoor space. Rank ten, low cost.
- A dedicated workspace. Not in the 2025 top ten, but the 2021 lift was 14%.
- Air conditioning or heating, if your climate demands it. Rank four.
- A washer or dryer. Rank seven, and a filter long-stay guests use.
Tick what you already own before you buy anything. In the listings we score, the most common gap is not a missing hot tub. The gap is an owned amenity left unticked. Kitchen items, a hair dryer, a dedicated workspace, and outdoor furniture are the usual misses. Open every sub-list once and add each item that exists.
Pool and hot tub lead the search ranking. Neither is a listing decision for most hosts. A pool you cannot build is not a strategy.
How do you decide whether a new amenity is worth buying?
Start with features you already have but have not selected in the amenities list. Then compare the amenities offered by properties competing for the same guests. A work desk can matter more to business travelers than another decorative feature.
For a new purchase, estimate the installation cost, ongoing maintenance and extra revenue needed to pay it back. Do not buy a hot tub or pool equipment on the assumption that every property gets the same booking increase. The feature has to fit your guests and your margin.
Questions hosts ask
Do amenities affect Airbnb search ranking?
Yes. Airbnb includes amenities in its quality assessment and uses them to identify comparable listings for price. Amenity filters also affect which searches you appear in. Airbnb publishes no weight or guaranteed lift for an individual amenity.
What is the most searched amenity on Airbnb?
Pool, for 1 January to 31 December 2025, followed by free parking and wifi.
Is the 2021 lift data still valid?
Airbnb has not repeated the study. Use the 2021 percentages as direction, not as a forecast for your listing.
Should I list an amenity that is shared or limited?
List it and state the limit in the amenity note or the description. A shared pool ticked as a pool without a note draws accuracy complaints.
Can Airbnb add amenities without my input?
Smart Setup suggests amenities from your address and photos, according to 2026 release coverage. Review the list before publishing.
Sources
- How search results work, Airbnb Help Center article 39, Airbnb, undated.
- The amenities guests want, Airbnb Resource Center, 2025 data.
- Help your listing stand out, Airbnb Resource Center, undated.
- Airbnb 2024 Winter Release highlights, Airbnb Newsroom, 2024.
- What makes a top listing, Airbnb Newsroom, 2021.
- Pools and pet-friendly homes top Airbnb's most searched amenities, Airbnb Newsroom.
- Airbnb introduces Guest Favorites, Airbnb Newsroom, 2023.
- Airbnb 2026 Summer Release, Hostaway, 2026.
- Airbnb's 2026 Summer Release, The Host Report, 2026.