Homes listed on the Airbnb site are to be bookable via STA Travel both online and through an in-store referral scheme.
STA Travel is the first high street travel agent to partner with Airbnb.
The UK is the first of STA Travel’s divisions to make properties listed on Airbnb available to its customers, which is hoped will lead the way for customers in the US, Asia and Australasia.
STA Travel stores cannot sell Airbnb properties directly as the booking agreement has to be directly between the host and the passenger.
However, first time users can visit STA Travel branches to get a £20 voucher code to use on Airbnb’s site or app.
Online bookings for Airbnb can be made via the STA Travel site via a dedicated landing page or by selecting Airbnb ‘unique places to stay’ from the site’s booking tool.
STA Travel chief executive, John Constable, said: “We’re very proud to partner with Airbnb, the most recognised name in this rapidly growing sector of the accommodation market, as it complements and completes our already extensive range of accommodation options around the globe.
“Initial results are incredibly encouraging, showing strong demand for Airbnb properties in Europe and North America, but also for more exotic, long-haul destinations that traditionally appeal to STA Travel’s customers – from Hong Kong to Singapore, and from Brazil to French Polynesia.
“Airbnb has a great range of properties listed on its site. From city apartments, beach villas and unique properties, it offers access to places that our traditional accommodation suppliers cannot supply, or have limited options for.
“Travel experts in our stores have told us that they had had numerous requests for Airbnb, so this is a new product line that perfectly suits our adventurous and independent customer base and complements our existing product range.”
Airbnb UK and Ireland country manager, James McClure, said: “We now have over 1.5 million properties listed on our site, located across 190 countries and 34,000 cities around the world.
“We know that STA Travel customers are intrepid explorers who are keen to enjoy destinations like a local, and this is exactly the kind of experience that our hosts can deliver.”