Airbnb could soon start renting mansions and penthouses

Airbnb is reportedly planning to launch ultra-premium tier codenamed 'Airbnb Lux' meant to attract higher-paying travelers. According to a Bloomberg report, Lux will be offering mansions, penthouses, and mega-homes that will of course be inspected to make sure they meet certain criteria. Supposedly, the housing stock comes from Airbnb's purchase of Luxury Retreats earlier this year.

Until recently, there were reports that Airbnb is launching a new tier called Select which will set standards for listings for houses and apartments with hotel-like amenities. But now with Lux too on the anvil, Select looks to be just one of the many classifications Airbnb could soon be rolling out.

Airbnb has been targeting celebrities to spread the word about their affluent options, and it appears it is gifting the stays without paying the celebrities to post photos.

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Feb 8, 2016 at 12:05pm PST

Selena Gomez also stayed in a $3750-a night oceanfront Airbnb while in Malibu last year.

But the question is, even with all these celebrity endorsements, how successful will these services be if only rich people can use them? Bloomberg says Airbnb Lux' test run in select markets should start before year's end.