You can get big savings on Marriott hotels by booking them through Airbnb. Seriously! I’ve found several Marriott hotels sell their rooms for less on Airbnb than at Marriott.com over the years. Marriott isn’t ok with this and at times cracked down on the specific properties I’ve written about. However the practice continued.
Marriott Denver South offering lower price on air bnb than on app?
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I’ve even documented instances where the difference in room rate was over $450 per night. It’s amazing that even as hotel chains spend a lot marketing that you’ll find the best rates on their rooms through their own websites, hotels are unloading rooms for less through Airbnb. One guest even managed a successful Marriott best rate guarantee against an Airbnb listing.
Hotels sell through Airbnb to:
- reach a different market not searching Marriott.com or Expedia, and
- price discriminate, pick up business that’s more price sensitive while not undercutting the higher rates they’re getting through traditional channels.
Marriott is hurt when it’s possible to book their own rooms cheaper somewhere else, so the practice isn’t actually allowed. Plus they have their own home sharing site so Marriott hotel properties are fueling inventory for the competition – and it’s Airbnb getting a cut of the revenue instead of Marriott.
To be sure when price is the same you’re going to want to book direct, because
- You’ll receive elite benefits (while third party stays aren’t supposed to)
- You’ll earn points, and Airbnb still hasn’t launched a rewards program
- You’ll earn credit towards elite status
- Sometimes third party bookings get worse rooms, though it’s unclear how scofflaw properties posting their inventory to Airbnb treat Airbnb guests
However if a Best Rate Guarantee doesn’t work to match and even lower the Airbnb rate (since Marriott will frustratingly deny even obviously valid claims in my experience), book on Airbnb because the savings can be worth forgoing Bonvoy benefits.
What’s perhaps most striking is that even after I first pointed out to Marriott several of their hotels that were doing this, they didn’t assign someone to continue to Google “airbnb+[Marriott brand]” to suss this stuff out. Though I suppose there’s a certain laziness combined with desire not to anger owners – perhaps they view it as better in the short run to let owners generate incremental income and not give them a reason to reflag with another brand (taking their fees with them).
One of the hotels that stopped selling rooms on Airbnb is back doing it again, despite the admonishment from Marriott. That’s the Moxy Minneapolis.
Credit: Marriott
Fancy a stay at Aloft Savannah or Courtyard Edgewater near New York? Airbnb it is! I’ve been writing about this for over four years and it continues, and it’s not limited to Marriott, I’ve just found the most hotels doing it that are Marriotts over time.
Good for the hotels, I guess. Just frustrating that airbnb doesn’t code as a hotel. Can buy airbnb gift cards, just annoying.
It is not just on AirBNB. Many of these chain hotels (including mid-range brands) are now on Groupon too at steep discount flash sales. You can get Amex or Bilt points by booking hotels on Groupon through Rakuten. Rakuten will periodically offer 17x points for Groupon purchases on select Wednesdays (like happened yesterday). So you can plan an entire domestic trip to a place like LA or San Diego (except for the flights) with discounted Groupon bookings and easily get 20,000-40,000+ Amex or Bilt points.
Nice “near New York” you got there, Gary… Edgewater, New Jersey… reminds me of how United pronounces Newark like “NwYrk”… because… you know…
@L737 — Also, reminds me of Futurama, Season 1, Episode 3, “I, Roommate.” where Fry and Bender are looking for apartments in New New York.
Fry: “Wow! This place is great! It’s huge! It’s clean! It’s… it’s… well, I give up. What’s the catch?”
Realtor: “Oh, no catch. Although… we are technically in New Jersey.”
Fry: “Not one place even remotely livable!”
(Technically, they were in New New Jersey…)
I don;t see why you can’t BRG a room for sale on Airbnb. They may make up some bogus excuse like its not publicly available, but in reality it is.
Two things:
1) By listing suites on Airbnb, the properties avoid “free upgrades” since the suites aren’t in Marriott’s booking channels. Several franchised Marriott properties in the Detroit area used to avoid upgrades by requiring suites to be booked through the property’s sales office.
2) I wonder if properties listing rooms on Airbnb are cheating Marriott of revenue. Depending on the brand’s franchise or licensing agreement, Marriott gets a fixed percentage of revenue from franchisees/licensees. If that franchisee/licensee is selling rooms through Airbnb, does that revenue get factored into what they’re supposed to pay Marriott?
This seems sketchy. I’d probably book direct regardless for the peace of mind.
@1990 — Ha-haa that’s a throwback is there ever was one. ‘Suspiciously Fantastic Apartment’ – turns out it’s a Marriott – doh!
This is not surprising. You also often get better rates on Marriott hotels through third party channels. I saved nearly $300 on a 5 night stay at a Marriott property while booking through Cap 1 travel. I’ve often seen Hilton hotels price better through Expedia. Yes, you don’t get your elite benefits, but 1) everyone complains about lack of elite recognition, and 2) I’d rather have 10x C1 miles than 10x Marriott points anyway. I guess if you are not price sensitive and are worried about getting walked, you can book direct. But in many cases, it makes more sense to save the money and just upgrade yourself into the room you want.
Now, I have seen good prices on Marriott Homes and Villas compared to AirBNB and Vacasa. So, in that case, taking the Marriott points on top of the discount is no problem.