Revealed: 74% of solo travellers opt for Airbnbs to avoid extra charges

Hotels endure distress as sharing economy develops and singles decide to use Airbnb to maintain a distance from additional charges.

Solo travel is noticeably becoming popular as time goes on. An overview by a holiday home insurance company has demonstrated from a survey; that 74% of individuals, have utilized Airbnb when making a trip alone to keep away from additional charges.

They have approached a guide to avoid paying over the amount for a trip in case you’re a single travelling explorer by booking independent accommodation and being insightful with transactions.

As the sharing economy develops sites such as Airbnb; who characterizes itself as “a social site that helps connect individuals who have space to impart to those who are searching for a place to stay”, turn into a harbour for solo travellers.

• 44% have stayed in an Airbnb property

 

• 18% have stayed in hostels

 

• 65% have stayed in hotels

Furthermore:

• Out of those who stayed alone in a hotel, 78% had been quoted an extra single person addition.
• 74% of those staying in an Airbnb property did so to avoid extra charges imposed by hotels.
• Hostels appealed to 35% solo travellers because they liked the communal aspect, whereas 29% chose them solely because they were cheaper than other options.

The numbers have increased on Airbnb in the past couple years. Despite the fact that urban legends and horror stories often evolve around renting out, it seems that the number of people choosing accommodation that is managed independently through a site like Airbnb has increased. This is a result of the increase in solo travellers and the facts many are being charged a single supplement to book a room alone in hotels, on cruises, or in larger scale holiday resorts.

A single supplement is a charge that can range from 10 to 100 percent of the standard rate for a person travelling and staying alone. The additional rate is justified by companies as most accommodations in larger scale developments are priced for double occupancy, meaning that they will lose out by charging the same amount per person if only one person takes the room.

Schofields Insurance have given advice for single travellers to help them to avoid paying additional charges for accommodation when exploring:

Finding a roommate

There are a number of services that can match you up with a potential roommate or travel companion. You might also consider making it more of an adventure and staying in hostels or dormitories which have multiple beds per room so you don’t need to find your own roommate.

There are also operators who specialise in singles holidays too. Some of these will match you up with a partner of the same sex, others have arranged deals with certain accommodations to allow single occupancy of single or double rooms at a cheaper rate.

Last minute booking

If you’re prepared to leave your booking until last minute, there will be rooms that are left unfilled so tour operators and accommodation providers will be more willing to waive the fee to sell a room or trip that otherwise may not be sold.

Independent holiday provider

There’s a reason why Airbnb and similar services are becoming more popular. Either contact the hotel directly or get in touch with the host via a service like Airbnb to explain your situation and negotiate. Airbnb’s will not usually have a single supplement as they’re not priced on a double occupancy rate, and contacting an independently provider directly will mean you’re likely to get better service.

Travel off season

Don’t pick popular bank holidays or school holidays to travel as it’ll be overwhelming and crowded. Choose dates appropriately when people are less likely to be booking rooms. When hotels are quieter, they’ll be much more willing to offer a room at a better rate. Early May and June, late September and early October are good times to consider.