Hotels vs. Airbnbs: Which Cities are the Best for Both?

With the rise in alternative types of accommodation, there's bound to be a debate on whether or not hotels are actually more expensive than Airbnbs and vice versa.

But what's the truth of the matter?

A new analysis found that some destinations just offer cheaper hotels than Airbnbs, while travelers to other destinations can enjoy a little extra change in their wallets by choosing an Airbnb.

The ten U.S. destinations that offer cheaper hotel rates than Airbnb rates are as follows:

- Waikiki Beach, Hawaii: The average nightly rate for an Airbnb in Waikiki is $271. Compare that with the average nightly hotel rate of $74 and you have a 73 percent price difference.
- Grand Teton National Park: The average nightly rate for an Airbnb in or near Grand Teton National Park is $847. Compare that with the average nightly hotel rate of $231 and you have another 73 percent price difference.
- Yosemite, California: The average nightly rate for an Airbnb in Yosemite is $646. Compare that with the average nightly hotel rate of $206 and you have a 68 percent price difference.
- Nashville, Tennessee: The average nightly rate for an Airbnb in Nashville is $612. Compare that with the average nightly hotel rate of $202 and you have a 67 percent price difference.
- Savannah, Georgia: The average nightly rate for an Airbnb in Savannah is $435. Compare that with the average nightly hotel rate of $199 and you have a 54 percent price difference.
- Las Vegas, Nevada: The average nightly rate for an Airbnb in Las Vegas is $567. Compare that with the average nightly hotel rate of $281 and you have a 50 percent price difference.
- Yellowstone, Montana: The average nightly rate for an Airbnb in Yellowstone is $456. Compare that with the average nightly hotel rate of $229 and you have a 50 percent price difference.
- Houston, Texas: The average nightly rate for an Airbnb in Houston is $277. Compare that with the average nightly hotel rate of $143 and you have a 48 percent price difference.
- Asheville, North Carolina: The average nightly rate for an Airbnb Asheville is $346. Compare that with the average nightly hotel rate of $205 and you have a 41 percent price difference.
- Jackson Hole, Wyoming: The average nightly rate for an Airbnb in Jackson Hole is $513. Compare that with the average nightly hotel rate of $336 and you have a 35 percent price difference.

Meanwhile, some destinations through the U.S. offer cheaper average nightly Airbnb rates over hotel rates, though the differences are often more marginal than they are in the cities where hotels are cheaper than Airbnb stays.

- Boston, Massachusetts: The average nightly rate for a hotel in Boston is $397. Compare that with the average nightly Airbnb rate of $172 and you have a 131 percent price difference.
- Zion National Park, Utah: The average nightly rate for a hotel in Zion National Park is $456. Compare that with the average nightly Airbnb rate of $284 and you have a 61 percent price difference.
- Maui, Hawaii: The average nightly rate for a hotel in Maui is $625. Compare that with the average nightly Airbnb rate of $426 and you have a 47 percent price difference.
- Seattle, Washington: The average nightly rate for a hotel in Seattle is $263. Compare that with the average nightly Airbnb rate of $229 and you have a 15 percent price difference.
- Kauai, Hawaii: The average nightly rate for a hotel in Kauai is $561. Compare that with the average nightly Airbnb rate of $488 and you have a 15 percent price difference.
- Washington, D.C: The average nightly rate for a hotel in Washington, D.C. is $277. Compare that with the average nightly Airbnb rate of $250 and you have an 11 percent price difference.
- Miami, Florida: The average nightly rate for a hotel in Miami is $322. Compare that with the average nightly Airbnb rate of $291 and you have an 11 percent price difference.
- New York City: The average nightly rate for a hotel in New York City is $325. Compare that with the average nightly Airbnb rate of $300 and you have an 8 percent price difference.
- Grand Canyon, Arizona: The average nightly rate for a hotel near the Grand Canyon is $185. Compare that with the average nightly Airbnb rate of $173 and you have a 7 percent price difference.
- Honolulu, Hawaii: The average nightly rate for a hotel in Honolulu is $292. Compare that with the average nightly Airbnb rate of $274 and you have a 6 percent price difference.

The takeaway? Do your research for your destination. It's never a given that Airbnbs are going to be less expensive than a hotel stay, just as it's not always likely that a hotel stay is going to be more expensive than an Airbnb stay.

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