Why you Should List your Boutique Hotel on Airbnb

Airbnb has traditionally been seen as an alternative to hotels and a great platform for short-term vacation rentals. However, since last year, Airbnb has encouraged boutique hotels to list their room on the platform and it has been a success. If you have not made the jump yet, here is why you should consider it.  

A bigger exposure to increase your bookings

There are currently over 150 million people using Airbnb and over 3 million listings. There is no other platform with this kind of exposure. Airbnb has been encouraging boutique hotels to list on their platform since November 2016 and now has 15,000 boutique hotels listed. It is easy to see why so many have done it. In addition to its large number of users, Airbnb only takes a 3% commission on bookings which is significantly lower than most booking services in the industry. For any boutique hotel that needs to fill rooms, this is a no-brainer. Airbnb's powerful search engine will put your listing in front of thousands of potential customers for a small cost. Furthermore, the time investment to list the rooms should not be an issue as you will already have the material ready (great pictures, description...). Airbnb in numbers:

• 150,000,000 users
• 3 million listings
• 500,000 stays per night on average
• 640,000 hosts
• 65,000 cities and 191 countries where Airbnb is active
• 15,000 boutique hotels

Source: DMR  

Reach your target market

Airbnb and boutique hotels share the same core value, which is offering an authentic and local experience to the guests. This is a competitive advantage over larger hotel chains and Airbnb represents a great opportunity to reach this market of travelers looking for a different experience. There is also an element of safety with Airbnb, as you have more information about your guests than on other platforms. You can be sure of their identity and see their reviews from previous hosts.

"Boutique hotels found a home on Airbnb in large part because they see what they can offer and deliver being similar to our core value proposition, which is to allow people to experience cities in a much more authentic way," - Christopher Nulty, Head of Public Affairs

Airbnb is another tool to reach your potentials guests and must be used as part of your marketing strategy. It is perhaps the most powerful one and the platform is projected to grow even more in the coming years. Why not take the opportunity today?