The first time I saw a boutique hotel listed on Airbnb, I was baffled.
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Booking a hotel room on Airbnb defeats the purpose of the platform, which was (originally) designed to pair travelers with local hosts who had an extra room. That being said, it does follow Airbnb’s current trajectory.
Following a proliferation of full-unit Airbnb rentals and a subsequent housing crisis in places like Barcelona, Amsterdam, and New York City, Airbnb has been expanding its business model. (To clarify, Airbnb, VRBO, and other private rental platforms aren’t solely responsible for housing crises—but they haven’t helped in more congested city centers.)
In addition to offering hotels on Airbnb, the platform also offers experiences and services. The former looks a lot like a tour operator, with locals and companies alike putting together workshops, classes, and more. The latter covers things like makeup, spa services, private chefs, and more.
In other words, hotels on Airbnb and VRBO are part of a pivot away from solely focusing on rentals. The big question is—should you be booking hotels on Airbnb and VRBO? Is there a benefit that you don’t get when booking direct or via another platform? Let’s dig in.
Booking hotels on Airbnb & VRBO: what to know
Hotels, from micro-hotels to historic boutique hotels, have taken to listing rooms on rental platforms like Airbnb and VRBO. Their goal is—you guessed it—to fill rooms. It’s that simple.
It’s also been going on for a while. Airbnb opened the platform to hotel listings as early as 2018. VRBO, on the other hand, joined forces with Expedia and Hotels.com back in 2023. Though the platform offers hotel bookings, it’s overwhelmingly designed for private rentals. VRBO, if you didn’t know, stands for Vacation Rental by Owner.
By allowing hotels to list rooms on Airbnb and VRBO, the companies are able to claim more bookings from users. From the travel perspective, booking a hotel room on either rental platform is the same as booking via an OTA like Expedia, Booking.com, and so on.
That being said, you’ll notice that the range of hotels is different. Airbnb, for example, only allows hotels to list rooms in select cities, such as Madrid, Los Angeles, and Singapore. Additionally, they curate the hotels based on amenities like free cancellation and easy check-ins. I’ve noticed most hotels available are chic, high-design boutiques.
Now, let’s dig into why you might consider booking a hotel on Airbnb or VRBO, along with why you might want to avoid it.
Should you book hotels on Airbnb or VRBO? The pros
Why book a hotel room on Airbnb or VRBO? You can earn cashback and other perks. While I advocate for booking flights and lodging directly because prices are (almost always) lower, they don’t always help you earn cashback or points.
In the case of Airbnb, you can earn up to 10% in Airbnb credits when you book a hotel stay. You can also use a filter in select cities to shop directly for hotel rooms instead of private rentals. So far, I’ve used the tool a few times to get an overview of some lesser-known, high-quality boutique hotels.
VRBO, on the other hand, has a partnership with Expedia and Hotels.com as part of the One Key rewards program. You can earn up to 10% off hotel bookings as a One Key Member and earn OneKeyCash rewards for select stays. For VRBO, specifically, you can earn up to 2% in OneKeyCash for every $1 spent on VRBO, including hotels.
If you’re big on accumulating Airbnb credits or OneKeyCash via VRBO, then booking hotels on either platform can help you earn more. In some cases, you might also find cheaper rates compared to booking directly on a hotel’s website.
Now, onto the cons.
Should you book hotels on Airbnb or VRBO? The cons
There are a few reasons that booking a hotel room on Airbnb or VRBO might not pan out. First and foremost, rental platforms aren’t nearly as standardized or rigid as you might think. What I mean is that hosts or, in this case, hotel intermediaries can set up accounts and start listing rooms. Just like a host can list misleading information, so can hotel intermediaries.
This defeats the purpose of booking with a hotel, in some cases. When a traveler books a hotel over an Airbnb, the expectation is that there are higher standards of service, cleanliness, and accountability, should things go wrong. Brands want to protect their reputations, and managers want to make sure their properties look as professional as possible. When you book a hotel on Airbnb or VRBO, that might not be the case.
Hotel listings on Airbnb and VRBO are also subject to hidden fees. Airbnb recently updated its listing operations so that they include all fees, meaning you shouldn’t run into any excessive fees when booking a hotel room. That isn’t the case on VRBO, meaning you might end up paying more than you would had you booked directly on the hotel site.
