NEW YORK - More and more business travelers are choosing to stay in hosted accommodation, attracted by its affordability, home comforts and the experience of having a host or family on hand to give advice and local knowledge.
Booking statistics from hosted accommodation provider Homestay.com reveal a growing demand from business travelers booking homestays for work-related trips, including a 102% increase from 2014 to 2015 for female business travelers.
The average length of stay for Homestay.com business travelers is 10.5 days, considerably more than 6.8 days for Airbnb business travelers, according to Airbnb's website; Homestay.com business travelers are clearly prepared to spend more time in their business destination. In the U.S., shared accommodations are rapidly gaining traction, with the sector tripling in just two years, from 3% in 2012 to 9% in 2014. In 2014, nearly one in 10 online travelers in the U.S. rented a shared space in a private room in an apartment or home.
London, New York, Dublin and Auckland are some of the most popular business destinations in the world for Homestay.com. For US business travelers, top international destinations are London, Paris, Hanoi and Cape Town.
The key factor for business travelers is the location of the accommodation followed by friendly communication with the homestay hosts, then value for money.
To promote transparency and familiarity between hosts and guests, Homestay.com encourages use of the video chat facility. Guests can tailor search results with a wide range of filters including distance from city center, local neighborhoods, catered meals, amenities including wireless internet, plus the hosts' hobbies and interests. Host profiles also feature reviews from previous travelers, neighborhood guides and photos of the accommodation.
