Report Finds Americans Prefer Hotels, Resorts Over Vacation Rentals

A new study found that more than 70 percent of Americans prefer to stay in hotels and resorts over vacation rentals like Airbnb.

According to a ValuePenguin survey, respondents overwhelmingly prefer hotels and resorts to vacation rentals or timeshares (72 percent), with the top reasons including better amenities (37 percent), ease of booking (33 percent) and on-site dining and bars (31 percent).

Americans also prefer hotels and resorts as they have more faith in staying safe and sanitary versus vacation rental companies (74 percent versus 26 percent). Another nearly 60 percent of respondents said they prefer working remotely at a hotel or resort.

“Marriott, Hilton and the other big hotel chains have all been very public about their cleaning and safety procedures, policies and protocols, and that helps people feel more secure,” LendingTree chief credit analyst Matt Schulz said. “You don’t get that sort of consistency across Airbnb properties, and that might make people a bit nervous.”

Despite more popularity among hotels and resorts, more guests have had a negative experience at a hotel. While 44 percent of respondents said they’ve had a negative experience at a hotel, only 29 percent of previous vacation rental guests said the same.

The study also found that travelers are willing to spend more for their preferred lodging type, with 60 percent willing to pay more for their desired stay and 54 percent admitting they don’t even bother comparing shopping between the two lodging categories.