5 Vacation Spots Where Hotels Are Cheaper Than Airbnbs
Written by
Cara Danielle Brown
Edited by
Amber Barkley
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When visiting new cities, tourists look forward to sightseeing, enjoying local eateries and exploring vibrant night life. What most don’t look forward to? The price of lodging. Because, let’s face it, this necessary evil can really eat away at one’s budget.
This is why many travelers turn to Airbnb over hotels when looking to save a buck. But, while Airbnb’s can be cheaper in many locations, they aren’t cheaper everywhere. Read on to discover five vacation hot spots where choosing tried and true hotels may actually save you money.
Las Vegas
Hotels in Las Vegas can often be cheaper than Airbnbs because hotel casinos are where resorts make the bulk of their money — cheap rooms merely serve as incentives to get tourists exactly where the hotel wants them: gambling.
According to the most recently available data from AirDNA, the average daily rate for an Airbnb in Las Vegas as of 2023 was roughly $289. By contrast, the average daily rate for a hotel was roughly $191, per Statista, with some hotel listings even going as low as $96 per night.
Staying in a hotel on the iconic Las Vegas strip also puts you much closer the action, meaning you’re saving money on Uber rides and rental cars.
Warsaw, Poland
A notoriously affordable city with free museum days, cheap public transportation and hearty bargain meals at adorable milk bars, Warsaw is one of the cities that tops the list of cheapest hotels when compared to short-term Airbnbs.
Deluxe Holiday Homes recently compared the price of European hotels to short-term, European Airbnbs and found that an Airbnb in Warsaw is 65% more expensive than a hotel that also has breakfast included.
This is where it pays to do your research ahead of time. Certain cities place more restrictions on Airbnb rentals, incentivizing hosts to charge a higher price in order to turn a profit. Case in point: A hotel in Warsaw with breakfast included averaged $46 per night, while a short-term Airbnb clocked in at an average of $76 per night.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
“I’ve noticed an interesting trend when booking my ultra-luxury clients lately — in certain destinations, even the most exclusive hotels can actually undercut high-end Airbnbs on price,” said travel advisor Coco Tran. In Dubai, for instance, “the sheer concentration of five-star properties creates fierce competition at the top end.”
Tran booked a client into the Address Downtown for $350 a night with butler service, stunning views and access to the infinity pool; by contrast, a short-term, luxury Airbnb without any of the amenities was asking $500 per night. And this trend seems to hold amongst the city’s more modest accommodations, too. U.K.-based consumer research group Which? found that an Airbnb in Dubai is, on average, $70 more per night than a hotel.
Sydney
Captivating domestic and international tourists alike, Sydney is known for its iconic attractions such as the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge and the infamous Bondi Beach. It’s also a very expensive city, making more affordable accommodations an appealing option.
CEO and money-saving expert Nick Drewe leads a team at Wethrift, which analyzed global prices of hotels and Airbnb accommodations using available data from Inside Airbnb and Expedia, and found that Sydney is a great destination where travelers can save money booking hotels as opposed to Airbnb’s.
“In Sydney, the average price of an Airbnb stay per night is $203.06 while a hotel stay only costs $125.50, giving travelers around $77.56 savings,” Drewe said. Sounds like a bargain!
Florence, Italy
A post card destination and another generally expensive city, Florence is chalk full of history, delicious pasta and iconic attractions like Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo and Via Tornabuoni.
While hotel prices can fluctuate significantly depending on the time of year, Drewe’s research indicated that, overall, a hotel room in Florence is $43.79 cheaper than an Airbnb on average — with the average nightly price of an Airbnb costing $228.54, while a hotel room goes for $184.75.
So spring for that Aperol Spritz in the hotel bar while the maid turns down your bed.
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