The interior of a Getaway cabin in Celina , Tenn ., around two hours northeast of Nashville . Cabins are typically around 140 to 200 square feet .
“ The alternative-stay market is quickly maturing , and travelers are avoiding the ‘ hotel-ization ’ of alternative stays ,” said Jon Cole , CEO of Onera Escapes . “ Cookiecutter product without experience , design and quality is getting passed over as travelers are seeking what initially drew them to alternative stays . As more entrants come to market , this trend will increase .”
Based in Austin , Texas , Onera is a developer , owner and operator of more than 300 glamping , alternative-stay properties and hotels in 29 markets in the U . S . and Mexico that range from core urban to leisure destination accommodations .
“ The players that will emerge victorious will be smaller operators and corporate operators that can scale experiential stays while controlling cost ,” said Cole . “ Corporate operators in major markets that lean heavily on brand will face difficulty as travelers become more cost conscious .”
The leisure traveler is more cost conscious and today has more choices to choose from with alternative lodging . The alternative
lodging trend has seen the rise of more alternative accommodation platforms worldwide , such as Sonder , Casai and Getaway .
Sonder , unlike Airbnb , which allows individuals to renting out their homes or spaces to individuals or groups , leases and manages its own rentals , which are licensed as hotels . The accommodations also often provide access to the building ’ s amenities . Meanwhile , Casai doesn ’ t own units , but makes arrangements with landlords so that the units are exclusive to Casai . Getaway , which currently has 30 locations , provides cozy and fully stocked cabins , often in remote areas , but close to nearby cities , that offer a bond to the outdoors , complete with fire pits .
WHAT THE DATA SAY Makis said demand for alternative accommodations continues to accelerate . According to JLL , U . S . alternative accommodation demand year-to-date September 2022 reached 99 million room nights , an increase of 13 million room nights relative to the same period in 2019 . “ While still 90 % less than demand for traditional hotels , the sector is growing rapidly and institutional investors as well as brands are taking notice ,” Makis said .
She said on a global scale there are 44.8 million alternative accommodation units of available supply , 2.3 times more than traditional hotels .
“ We are seeing RevPARs and ADRs increasing year over year for unique , high design , high experience stays , even in markets where the data runs counter ,” said Onera ’ s Cole . “ Nature-based travel , if done right , is still on the uptick .”
What began as a casual marketplace for individuals to rent out their spaces has morphed into the fast-growing alternative lodging sector — and it is reaching more customers looking for memorable experiences .
“ As traveler preferences continue to evolve , look for alternative accommodations to become more mainstream ,” said Makis . “ The segment already represents a notable 20 % of total global lodging industry revenue and , with its high investment yields , is ripe for the injection of institutional capital .”
32 hotelsmag . com Mar / Apr 2023