Hotels are ‘surprisingly’ cheaper than Airbnb in holiday hotspots from France to Italy

Airbns and other private holiday rentals are almost a fifth more expensive on average than hotels, a new study has found.

For many years, renting a small apartment in a vacation destination has been the most budget-conscious way to see a new place, especially when planning a city break.

It seems that this reputation is no longer completely guaranteed, at least if it is modern? The study is correct. The consumer magazine found that the price of single-bed listings on Airbnb and rival booking site Vrbo exceeds the average cost of a hotel room – excluding five-star hotels – in 38 of 50 destinations in the UK and globally.

The average price of a one-bedroom Airbnb or Vrbo listing was £120, almost a fifth (19%) more than a hotel room, which costs £101 on average. In some locations, price differences were particularly stark, resulting in travelers paying hundreds of pounds extra for a week’s rental accommodation, even before service charges, which were not included in Which?’s price analysis.

Airbnb refuted the study, arguing that the stolen data is not an accurate reflection of activity on the rental platform and that comparing hotel rooms and vacation apartments that often include a kitchen and living room is unfair.

An Airbnb spokesperson drew attention to the growing popularity of single room rentals, with nights spent on private room listings in the UK increasing by almost 70% in 2022. The average price for these types of stays is likely to be lower than renting an entire apartment, Maybe more like a hotel room.

They said: “This data is false and based on flawed methodology. It overstates prices on Airbnb, comparing standard hotel rooms to entire properties listed on Airbnb, which typically include kitchens and living spaces. There’s something for every budget on Airbnb and almost half of guests say they booked through Airbnb Save them money, and a quarter say they specifically choose Airbnb over other types of accommodation to save money.

According to what? So far, in Santorini, a one-bedroom rental on Airbnb and Vrbo has averaged £203 per night, 71% more than staying in a hotel (£119). Over the course of a week, the savings for hotel guests can be significant, with holidaymakers cutting their costs by up to £588 on average.

In Amsterdam, one-bed Airbnb and Vrbo listings were 58% more expensive per night at an average of £183, compared to £116 per night for a hotel. This means travelers could pay up to £496 on average over a seven-night stay.

Hotel prices in many Asian cities were also relatively cheap compared to Airbnb and Vrbo listings. In Hong Kong for example, single-bed room listings were 85% more expensive on average, costing travelers £98 per night, compared to just £53 for a hotel room, with similar results in Singapore and Dubai.

The pattern was the same in the UK as well.

In Suffolk’s picturesque Southwold district – widely considered one of the country’s most pleasant seaside towns – a hotel room costs on average £155 a night, among the most expensive averages in the UK. However, this was still significantly cheaper than the average cost of a listing on Vrbo or Airbnb in the city, which was up to £223 per night, 44% more.

Over the course of a week’s stay, holidaymakers can save up to £476 by choosing to stay in a hotel. Hotels were also cheaper on average in all four UK capitals.

The rise in popularity of vacation rentals during the coronavirus lockdowns, when vacationers had to social distance from each other, may be to blame for some of the price increases. One Airbnb owner recently told The Mirror how he could afford to travel the world by renting out his home.

Although staying in a hotel may be more cost-effective than renting a room in many destinations, hotels have also seen their prices rise rapidly, with UK room prices rising by 11% on average last year compared to 2019. Room rates in the United States rose by 14%. According to hospitality analyst CoStar.

If you’re traveling with a larger group, private rentals will likely be a better deal. In France, which has one of the largest supplies of private rentals in the world — the number of listings in France is second only to the USA — Airbnb and Vrbo listings were cheaper or the same price as hotels in five of the seven destinations the researchers looked at.

The cost of renting a one-bedroom is usually less than a hotel room in Antibes, Biarritz, La Rochelle and Avignon, while the price was the same in Nice. However, rental listings in Bordeaux and Paris were more expensive on average.