Planning to go on a vacation and wondering what form of accommodation would be cheaper for you between an Airbnb and a hotel?
Despite offering more room space, Airbnb is cheaper than lodging in a hotel and might offer a better artificial home experience.
However, the price of an Airbnb being cheaper or more expensive than a hotel depends on certain factors.
This article will enlighten you on the reasons why Airbnb is cheaper than a hotel, the factors affecting their pricing, and their advantages or disadvantages.
What is Airbnb?
Airbnb is an online housing marketplace that was established in 2008 and gives users access to lodging.
Airbnbs are frequently used for short-term lodging, tourist activities, holiday rentals, or homestays.
The abbreviation “AirBnB” stands for “Air Bed and Breakfast.” Also, by using the app or their official website, you can access the platform to book your lodging needs.
In addition, the properties listed on the app or website for lodging purposes do not belong to Airbnb.
The company’s profit comes from receiving commissions gotten for each booking made through its platform.
Why is Airbnb cheaper than hotels?
Airbnb happens to be cheaper than most hotels due to the fact that they do not have additional operating costs.
These costs may include labor costs like room service, cooks, cleaners, etc, and the cost of materials like toiletries, bedsheets, etc.
Unlike hotels, Airbnb does not offer these hospitality services like room services, minibars, and regular cleaning services.
In fact, Airbnb’s cleaning services come before you lodge into the property and after you’ve left the property.
This means you have to take care of most of these issues during your stay.
Is Airbnb better than a hotel?
While they each have advantages that give them an edge over the other, certain services offered by Airbnb make it better than even a starred hotel.
These advantages include a personalized and local experience offered to tourists/travelers.
Unlike a hotel, with Airbnb, you’re typically getting a home away from home experience where you get to interact with the locals more often and enjoy the scenery while having enough living space. However, this depends on the Airbnb you rent.
Most Airbnbs offer you access to more house space and a living area, unlike most hotels than confine you to just a room. This gives you more room to yourself and a more homely travel experience.
Furthermore, because your Airbnb lodging is a private home, you stay closer to the destination of your journey and get to personally experience life within that locality or tourist spot.
What are the advantages of Airbnb over hotels?
Some of the main advantages offered by Airbnb that make them better than hotels include; cheaper accommodation, more space, access to better amenities, and the option to cook your own meals at a much lower cost.
You also have closer access to all sorts of accommodation options that are much closer to your destination.
These accommodation types can range from the usual houses to condos, yachts, boats, shared spaces, apartments, beach houses, or other property types.
Compared to hotels, easy access to these accommodations make your travel experience a much more fun, flexible, and adventurous one.
What are the disadvantages of Airbnb over hotels?
Common disadvantages of Airbnb over hotels would be the lack of skilled labor at your beck and call. There’s nothing like room service, dry cleaning, or room cleaning offered to you.
You’ll have to do tasks like keeping the accommodation clean, laundry, and cooking all by yourself pending the duration of your stay. You can however outsource these services if you’re feeling lazy to do them yourself.
Another disadvantage of Airbnbs over hotels would be the lack of security personnel at the lodging for protection.
You’re typically paying for the average house or apartment and as such will get the same level of security the average homeowner enjoys.
So while it remains very safe to some extent, there are rare occurrences of robberies.
Why are hotels more expensive than Airbnb?
Hotels cost more than Airbnbs due to management costs associated with running such a large business. These costs are almost non-existent in Airbnbs.
Some of these costs associated with hotel operations that make it more expensive than Airbnbs include the hiring, training, and payment of staff.
Hotels also have to spend on security and supplies that keep the hotel operational.
Hotels in addition to insurance, property taxes, income taxes, and rent, also have to pay for utilities. They also have to keep running and paying their staff irrespective of how many customers they get.
Airbnbs on the other hand run on a marginal cost that is very little thereby allowing guests to benefit from these savings.
Does Airbnb allow parties?
No. Airbnb no longer allows the hosting of parties in their lodgings.
This permanent ban announcement was made in June 2022, informing listers that hosting parties or events on the property associated with the platform was no longer acceptable.
Airbnb also announced in August 2022, that it was rolling out technology to monitor its anti-party decision.
This technology has since been operational in the United States as well as Canada.
FAQs
Is Airbnb safer than a hotel?
No. Hotels are perceived to be much safer than Airbnbs in terms of security amenities provided.
These amenities include surveillance equipment, fire alarms, availability of security personnel, property design and layout, and security measures put in place.
Who pays for the cleaning at Airbnb?
The renter of the property pays for the cleaning services at Airbnb.
This cleaning fee is a one-off extra fee added to your booking fee in the listing and will cover the additional expenses the host will incur when fixing their place up for your arrival and after you have left.
Which is cheaper between Airbnbs and motels?
Motels are much cheaper than Airbnbs or have competitive prices depending on certain factors like the location, or amenities provided.
While Airbnb spaces are much cheaper than starred hotels, their prices are usually within the same range as your average motel if not higher.
Conclusion
Airbnbs are much cheaper than hotels making them major rivals to hoteliers.
Not only do they help you save, but they also provide you with that authentic home away from home experience.
In addition, they offer more options that meet your budget than hotels. These options can include renting small homes, and apartments or even opting for a shared space to save the extra cost. You also won’t need to spend so much on room service or expensive meals.
This and many other reasons make Airbnb a much cheaper and more suitable option compared to a starred hotel.
I hope you found this article helpful.
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