Airbnb launches slick Android app, mobile site

Airbnb has just released an Android app and a mobile website in order to help you find places other than a hotel to crash. I’ve been digging through the Android app for a while now and I have to say that I’m pretty darn impressed with the look and feel – this is a gorgeous app.

If you’re not familiar with Airbnb, it allows you to rent or rent out your home online. The goal is to help you make a few bucks with an extra room, as well as providing the renter with a unique travel experience that is miles different from a hotel. Airbnb has been growing like crazy over the last few years and it has helped to spawn a host of other companies which let you rent out your stuff, like the peer-to-peer car rental service Relayrides.

The Airbnb Android app lets you browse, discover, book and rent out places but it does it in a gorgeous way. This is one of the very few Android apps where I’m actually taken aback by how beautiful it is. It’s not just visual pleasure though, as the design makes the app easier and better to use.

The Airbnb iOS app has been out for more than a year but the company wanted to take its time with the Android app to deliver the best experience it could. On its blog, Airbnb said:

We realized that this was an opportunity to rethink how the app could work – from an Android point of view. We tailored the design, user experience, and underlying code from the ground up. We wanted using the app to be as seamless and joyful as using our website.

It really shows, too. If you’re uncomfortable with the ideas behind Airbnb, I don’t expect an amazing app to change your opinions but I recommend downloading it just to see how good-looking Android apps can be.

Download the Airbnb Android here from the Android Market here.

[Via Airbnb]