5 Airbnb Guest Trends to Watch in 2022

Summer is in the air—and with it comes some of the busiest travel days of the year.

Expedia CEO Peter Kern even predicted that summer 2022 will be the?busiest travel season ever. And in our latest Market Review, the AirDNA research team highlighted?continued signs of short-term rental (STR) growth?while also cautioning against the possible influence of inflation and high gas prices.

Regardless, it’d be unwise to lose your competitive edge whether you’re a host, investor, or property manager. In fact, it’s a great time to take stock of your Airbnb property management strategy because new guest trends could make or break your occupancy rates.

Below are five Airbnb trends you need to capitalize on in order to maximize your STR revenue—and your guests’ experiences—during the sunny months ahead.

1. Weekday bookings are more popular than ever.

STR guests aren’t just weekend warriors anymore. Although travelers do still turn up for the weekend, weekday stays are in increasingly high demand. Demand for Tuesday night stays grew 5% from 2019 to 2021; Wednesdays came in a close second, followed by Mondays and Thursdays.

Old STR wisdom may tempt you to drop your rates for mid-week stays—but that could mean leaving money on the table. Now is an ideal time to?optimize your Airbnb pricing strategy?because your guests are likely comfortable with higher rates than you might expect. (MarketMinder’s Smart Rates pricing tool helps you?price with confidence?by shedding light on what your competitors are charging for properties similar to yours.)

2. Guests are interested in large spaces.

In 2022, everything is bigger—and?we’re not just talking about gas prices.

In short, travelers are booking larger properties than they used to. The average STR booking included 2.3 rooms in 2021, compared to 2.1 rooms in 2019. But that’s only part of the story.

Only 27.3% of all rentals booked in 2021 had one room, while 24.4% of bookings were for two-room rentals, and a whopping 38.8% of bookings included three bedrooms or more. Whether guests are traveling in groups or want a dedicated office while on the road, managing an Airbnb in 2022 means maximizing space.

If your rentals have multiple bedrooms, you’re already ahead of your one-bedroom competitors. But if you do manage one-bedroom rentals, there’s still a lot you can do to make a small space live large.?Thoughtful interior design?can increase both occupancy rates and average daily rates (ADRs).

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