Airbnb guides you through the check-in process

If you've ever stayed at an Airbnb home, you know that your initial visit can be a challenge: how do you get in? Hosts can send you instructions, but a message might not tell you everything you need to know. Airbnb just offered a more elegant solution, however. It's launching a tool that lets hosts give you a step-by-step photographic guide to checking in. If you need to use a specific entrance or remember a passcode, you'll know just what to do. The guides are available offline, too, so you're not stuck if you're in a foreign country without internet access.

The guides are rolling out throughout June.

It's a simple addition, but it could be vital in the long run to both hosts and guests. You might be more likely to stay at Airbnb homes in the future if you have a seamless check-in -- good first impressions matter. And for hosts, a ready-made guide could save a lot time repeating and clarifying instructions. It might even encourage more hosts to sign up, as they won't have to fret so much about guests using the wrong door or asking for help at odd hours. Ultimately, Airbnb could feel more like a hotel and less like an informal agreement to crash at someone else's place.