This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
A lot of people here have commented that typically Airbnb listings are cheaper than hotels, especially if you offer the kinds of space or amenities that only higher level hotels provide.
Just for grins (or maybe important market research) I looked on Google maps to see where the hotels are located near me and how they are priced. My location is in outer suburbia in between two major freeways but not really close to either. There are clusters of hotels near some large business areas, but all of them are on the freeways. All are 1-2 star hotels, mostly budget chains, and priced between $79-120 a night (current pricing, this might change with the seasons).
I did a search for 3-, 4-, and 5-star hotels in Houston and they are grouped in the downtown and Galleria areas mostly, with just a few on the west side near a business area. Those prices quickly jump to the $100 - $350 / night range.
My price is $46/weekdays and $51/weekends. There are extra costs like the $10/second person and the $15 cleaning fee, but still the total bill will be much less. I have kept a close eye on the other Airbnb properties in my area and the serious long-term people are charging about the same, or even less.
So I would definitely say that Airbnb listings here are a good deal, using single room in a house as a comparison (rather than whole house, which offers kitchens and living rooms which hotels do not).
Do other posters charge less than local hotels or is it about the same?
I charge less than my local hostel (eeek!!) To be fair though, the hostel is well placed right downtown. I offer more amenities, a great neighbourhood and a private room with a shared bathroom that I clean everyday. Our economy is going down the toilet though so many people have jumped on the AirBNB bandwagon I think just to be able to keep their houses in my city. I’m lucky enough, I don’t rely on this for much other than extra not so passive income.
We are comparable with a local cheap hotel (around $50 to $80 per person), but offer far more space; and obviously a kitchen, washer/dryer and private garden.
My 2 bedrooms apartment is priced about 20% higher than suites/aparthotels that sleeps 4 in 4-star hotels/residences within a 3km/2 miles radius. My apartment has a 3-star rating with the amenities I provide but my apartment offers more space.
I am 50% cheaper than the Marriott Vacation Club across the street, but well, I don’t offer several swimming pools, nor a fitness center and my apartment is half the size of a Marriott “townhouse”. Oh and I don’t have a world-famous name
I’m 12miles from an old fashioned motel that charges $50 with shared bath, up to $89 with private. Next to that is the Pineapple Park hostel with beds or rooms ranging from $79 and up. Other than that, the only other real hotels are 50 miles away along the Gold Coast and have names like Prince, Marriott, Four Seasons, Orchid and Mauna Lani. Rates start at $250 and go up from there.
This question should only be related to private rooms, not separate appartments. Separate listing are a completely different story. Of course it should cost more or minimum the same as a simple budget hotel room. You cant even compare the two.Its a completely different accomodation where guests require MUCH MORE amenities than hotel offers and is because of that is willing to pay more:kitchen, laundry, private pool, more people staying together and so on.
I can also say i charge much more than hotel with my separate house but its a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house with a pool.
Lets stick to private rooms and compare those to hotel rooms. ALso, what exactly are you renting out? A private room or a whole appartment. Judging by your price it is just a room, correct?
The whole idea of AIrbnb when it comes to private rooms is cheaper price.Unless someone desperately needs a kitchen during their travels. I also think that comparing to budget hotel prices is a good idea. Unless all you have is 3,4, stars hotels in the area. I price mine around 30% cheaper. Otherwise i cant rent it.
The trend i saw this season which for me is winter is that prices dropped, because the amount of new rooms multiplied significantly.
I actually disagree. I offer a 500 sq ft, 1bed 1bath full apartment, and if I charge more than $55/night I’m above most of my true AirBnB competition and yet the local Motel6 charges $89/night for a double double room.
My amenities and comfort level are probably comparable to a 3star hotel suite and I even offer a pool, at probably 40% of the price. Granted we’re coming into slow season, but I’m just now out of the red due to when I opened and what I had to buy (cheaply) to get set up.
I just don’t get what people are basing their ratings and reviews on if they just did a simple google search of what’s available in the area at twice the price…
How would one go about figuring out what kind of property one offers in terms of stars? Is there some sort of list somewhere that says you have to have this, that and the other to be a 3 star property? Is it amenities or quality or both?
Hi Yana,
Yes, I have a room rather than a whole house. But in addition to the room I offer a kitchenette with stocked food items and a large living room with 2 couches, so really it’s more like a suite at a hotel. Even just the room Airbnb listings can sometimes offer more amenities than a standard hotel so it’s not going to be a direct comparison.
Certainly there are many people who use Airbnb because they perceive that the price is lower, I was just wondering if that was always really the case.
Thats sounds very low though. I dont know where you are located.Here separate appartment does not matter how small it is unless its a tiny studio like in-laws in the hosts house will be much more.
I meant that when people say “I rent my appartment for much more than hotels” have appartments that cant even come close in comparison to a hotel room. Some have luxury appartments water front with all the appliances and amenities . ANd to compare an appartment like this to a motel6 room makes no sense. I compare my room to motel 6 prices, because its just a room, and my guests are not usually looking for amenities but just a cheaper stay than hotels
I base my price on my Airbnb competition. Just now looking at booking.com there are several hotels (Super 8, Extended Stay America, Quality Inn level) under 60 + tax. and including breakfast. My rate for the rest of the month is $46 for one person. My room is ensuite bathroom but smaller than most hotel rooms. I allow dogs for just $10 more. I have large, well lighted off street parking just steps from the private entrance to the room. Right now there is an SUV towing a small U-haul in it. At a hotel that rig would have to park at the far end of the lot and be susceptible to break in. I’m less than 1/2 mile off the interstate with lots of stores and restaurants nearby. I feel like I should be booked every night with what I offer for the money compared to hotels. Why am I not? I only have room for 1 bed, 2 people. I board dogs here and that probably scares away more than it attracts. Half the population hasn’t even heard of Airbnb.
Hi Chloe,
I am a mix of everything from 1 star to 5 star, probably because this house and location were not actually built to be a hotel LOL. I don’t have a pool which is available at almost every hotel built ever, so immediately that knocks me out of the running. But bell hop services? My husband carries luggage up the stairs. I have 1200 threadcount sheets (I didn’t even know they went so high!) and I bet even the best 5-star hotels don’t go higher. And even though there is no restaurant in this house, I have been known to cook for guests which is more like a personal chef thing.
It’s all apples to oranges. But fun to see the differences, because Airbnb offers something so completely different than the hotel experience, and it’s often so much cheaper at the same time.
At this level of private rooms, in my opinion most people do look for cheaper prices. But some need kitchen, and laundry, so some might will pay same as hotel just to be able to cook.Many hosts though dont include kitchen as amenity. Some guests try to pay less and still have kitchen access and like to do their laundry every day, but thats a different story:)
I travel with Air for many years, and for me the reason why i stayed at Air rooms is only was cost. I dont cook when i am on a road, amenities mean nothing to me, i dont really watch TV, and i dont care about breakfast and others extra. For me if its clean, and has a bed, thats all that maters if i save quite a bit of money.
I prefer to stay in hotels. I always first look at hotels prices and then go for Airbnb. I know my budget, and if i travel for a long time in expensive country like Switzerland and stays in hotels there will make me broke then i stay with Air hosts.
But for example in Latin countries where hotels are cheap for us with US$ i stay in 5* hotels.
Yes, there is a certain irony that many Airbnb hosts might prefer a hotel when they travel.
My experience is as a professional orchestral musician who used to travel about 100 nights a year. The symphony is always on a tight budget so first they try to get the board members and other involved community people to put up musicians in their homes, kind of like an Airbnb situation. Often those types of people have very large, fancy homes and they might even cook meals for you and do other nice favors. Sometimes you might stay with the same family many times and get to know them. It can be very pleasant but I found that I felt responsible and had to be in at night, be respectful of their space / feelings, and that I couldn’t just do all the things I wanted while I was there. Even though the house was lovely, I had to have my own car (couldn’t carpool to save money) and I felt isolated from my fellow musicians.
Sometimes the symphony would put us in the local flea motel. It was very down market, but I actually preferred this because then I could socialize with my fellow musicians much better and could come and go at any time of the night without bothering someone. The socializing is half the experience of an orchestra weekend so without it I felt like I was missing out.
Then one of the orchestras struck a deal with the Omni… wow, what a total difference in quality. Nice rooms, safe area, great restaurants. But, unlike the flea motel where 65 people from the orchestra filled the place and it felt like a big family reunion, the Omni was much larger and had less easy socialization. I feel awkward practicing my violin in the room because someone who is not a musician might be next to me and not want to hear that same passage played 30 times. But at least I can stock my Airbnb room with Omni toiletries!
I have not used Airbnb for personal vacation travel. Depending on the type of vacation, it might be the best thing to do. I’m thinking about a fall foliage trip and there are lots of hosts on this board who have great locations for that.
I agree it’s low. It’s what my competition is charging and I try to stay in the lower 25% as that’s the level of accommodation I offer until I can do some upgrades. Thankfully I have all 5 start reviews so far, but it seems that some guests seem to expect the world of a full apartment when I charge much less than the Red Roof Inn 2 miles away.
