Booking or Airbnb: where should I list my apartment?

Booking and Airbnb are two of the best-known platforms for finding accommodation and, therefore, for letting it. These major players began with very different concepts:

On one side was Booking, which focused primarily on bringing together available hotel accommodation and finding competitive prices for customers.

On the other was Airbnb, a platform based on a sharing-economy model in which hosts used their space to welcome guests into their homes.

Over time, the categories have increasingly overlapped. Booking added holiday apartments to broaden its catalogue and reach more potential customers. Airbnb now covers a wider range of holiday accommodation, from boutique hotels to luxury properties, villas and unique spaces that offer an experience in their own right.

The options and advantages offered by each can make the decision more complex. As well as the type of holiday property and the apparent benefits, there are many practical and technical criteria to consider.

To make the selection process easier, the team at Alehost outlines the advantages we see in each platform:

 

Booking

Starting with the longer-established platform, these are some of Booking’s strengths when compared with Airbnb:

• Commercial reach: Booking brings together different accommodation types. Assess the suitable bookings it could bring to your property rather than relying on old global figures for visits or room nights.
• Control and professional presentation: Booking lets you create a detailed listing that matches the property 100%. This gives guests a clearer idea of what to expect on arrival and helps improve satisfaction by meeting those expectations accurately.
• Special offers: Booking not only permits promotions but encourages owners to use them. It simplifies their creation to support this pricing strategy, attract more customers and increase bookings.
• A hotel-style customer journey: This describes the typical behaviour associated with Booking users: they may book and then leave most arrangements until close to travel. From a management perspective, that can mean less time and effort spent on pre-arrival contact.

• Protection and claims: check the mechanisms of the channel where each booking was made. AirCover belongs to Airbnb, not Booking, and distinguishes damage protection from liability insurance, with different terms. It does not replace every type of property insurance.

 

Airbnb

For Airbnb, the advantages that Alehost considers relevant when comparing it with Booking include:

• Fees: Airbnb uses different structures depending on the account and applicable terms; not every host pays 3%. Compare your account’s total cost with your Booking agreement, including taxes, payment processing and promotions.
• Registration and verification: prepare documents, property details, photographs and terms for either channel. Further checks and requirements may apply before publication or payment.
• Booking settings: choose from the options your account supports and establish clear, justified rules. Selecting and assisting travellers must comply with platform policies and non-discrimination rules.
• Cancellations: these depend on the chosen policy and rate, lead time and type of demand. A booking, a collected payment and an entitlement to a refund are different matters; a lower cancellation rate cannot be attributed to a platform without comparable data.
• Payment management: check collection methods, payout schedules, fees and handling of issues in your account. Do not assume immediate payment on Airbnb or a single monthly payout on Booking.

 

Making a decision

At Alehost, we consider these the main points to assess when comparing the two major accommodation booking platforms. Keep them in mind when deciding where to market your holiday let.

Use this information to choose the option that best suits your needs as a host, supports your objectives and helps you make the most of your holiday apartment.

You can work with both channels if inventory is properly coordinated. Synchronise availability, restrictions and prices; check how changes and cancellations reach you, and have a procedure to prevent double bookings. Greater exposure does not guarantee greater profit.

There are tools that can automate parts of this work, such as channel managers. Another option is to work with a specialist holiday property management company such as Alehost to help you pursue your goals with less day-to-day involvement.

 

Compare the outcome of the same booking

Start with the total price and deduct commission, promotions funded by you, payment costs and operating expenses. Factor in support time and cancellation risk. Compare equivalent stays, not an exceptional booking.

Sources: Airbnb fees and AirCover for Hosts.

Find out how Alehost can coordinate your distribution channels.