Hotels on Airbnb Plus 31 Days of Giveaways – Day 16
Just about all travelers have heard of Airbnb by now, the go-to site for finding alternative accommodations other than hotels worldwide.
Things change though, and Fast Company reports that some hoteliers are now advertising on Airbnb.
According to the article, third-party booking sites like Expedia and Hotels.com charge hotels a percentage per reservation that ranges between 10 and 25 percent. That’s pretty high.
In contrast, Airbnb charges a paltry 3% commission. The math makes the decision an easy one for some smaller boutique hotels with smaller margins to begin with, and Airbnb is more than happy to have the listings.
Examples of hotels on Airbnb include The Guesthouse Hotel in Chicago, The budget-conscious Sea Rock Inn hotel in Los Angeles, mystery dinner venue The Lumber Baron Inn in Colorado, Brooklyn’s trendy The Box House Hotel, and The Riff in Manhattan.
Competition is good for consumers, and Priceline even listed Airbnb as a competitor in their SEC filings.
Boutique hotel owners are undoubtedly pleased to be able to advertise their properties on a big enough site like Airbnb without having to pay such hefty fees, and they get the added benefit of filling unsold hotel rooms.
It’ll be interesting to see how many more hotels jump over to Airbnb, and how long it’ll be before Expedia will try to buy Airbnb.
To win Magic of Miles swag bag today, leave a comment on this post about Airbnb. Have you heard of it? Used it? If so, would you use it again?
The contest ends at 9pm PST, full contest details are here, and good luck to all!
I’ve used it and prefer it for rural/vacation houses to city places.
i will certainly consider it for my next trip
Met up for a reunion of friends at an AirBnB and it worked out well. Will have to try it for myself on a trip.
I love to use
Haven’t uses AirBnB yet, but will be looking at them when I start planning my next trip.
Heard of them, unlikely to use them as I’m points addicted and also not sure how presenting those expenses for work would pan out….
Heard of it
Have not used it
I find them very good to deal with esp when it counts – in event of a complaint – much better than Expedia ever are.
We’ve used it twice before and had good experiences.
I haven’t used Airbnb, but with smaller hotels listing now, I’m more likely to give it a try.
I will try airbnb for my next vacation.
Used airbnb in Barcelona Spain this summer. Wonderful host wonderful experience. Looking forward to using it in Puerto Rico next month!!
never used it
I have not used AirBnB yet but have been interested in trying them for some of the unique properties I have read about.
Yes we are fans of airbnb, especially for larger groups.
Yes we use airbnb often and like it.
used airbnb on our last trip to London, worked great and was cheaper than a hotel.
I have not used Airbnb, but I might try it in the future. I like the low booking fee.
Heard of it and have not used it.
Never heard of it but looks interesting!
I’ve stayed with Airbnb before. My husband and I were able to stay in a cute little bungalow in the Hollywood Hills for a great price! Will definitely use their services again!
Haven’t used it but would like to!
Might use it.
Used AirbnB in Edinburgh, Scotland, for two nights during Ryder Cup 2014. Great experience for me as a solo traveler; I’m less likely to use when traveling with family.
paypay’s coupon for airbnb right now is pretty sweet!
Used them a few times. Getting ready for 2 more condo stays in Philippines next month
Used airbnb.com many times with great success. Love staying in nice condos for less than hotels
We used airbnb for a family reunion and it was great!
Airbnb likely only a good idea uf you otherwise would need multiple rooms….
Have used it once and liked it!
I would like to try airbnb but I’m nervous about It. Seen horror stories on news.
Sometimes it’s difficult to tell which properties are hotels.
We used Airbnb in Hawaii, and we would use it again!
I have stayed in many B&Bs but never through Airbnb.
I have used Airbnb, and I had a good experience. I would use it again!
Have never used Airbnb but may try it in the future.
Used it once. I missed the daily housekeeping but loved the extra space.
Airbnb is great, especially if several people go in on a place together. It’s easy to use, the reviews seem to be more accurate than those of hotels, and I have yet to be disappointed in any of the places I’ve stayed at so far.
Airbnb saved me when visiting Boston for a conference – compared to the extortionate convention center rates, an Airbnb was incredibly affordable. Would definitely use again!
Use Airbnb often. Just used it in conjunction with AMEX offer on our last trip.
Debating trying Airbnb for the first time in March.
Never used it, doesn’t take points!
I hope they’ll let us filter out hotels in the results. If I wanted to stay in a hotel, I’d look elsewhere.
I’ve heard of Airbnb, but never used it.
I’m looking forward to making my first booking with Airbnb
Never tried Airbnb before but might do it on my next trip
Trying out Airbnb for the first time in 3 weeks!
I have not used Airbnb but with the Amex promotion, I will be soon. Very soon
I’ll be using it in April!
I used Airbnb to stay in a retro-airstream in Austin. It was wonderful.
I have used it once and I was pleasantly surprised how well it worked.