Seattle Airbnbs fully booked for summer as industry experts point to once-in-a-century travel boom

We’re heading for a once-in-a-century travel boom, according to some industry experts.

Locally, Amy Diep said her Airbnb listing in Seattle is almost fully booked for the summer.

It’s a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath that can accommodate up to six guests. 

"It’s definitely been a huge shift from 2020 to 2021," said Diep. "When I started out in December, my rates were extremely low. May, June and July we’re almost completely booked at the highest rates we’ve ever been at since we started the business."

The most common travel booked on Airbnb for summer 2021 is a family leaving a big city for a smaller destination. Recently, the company highlighted Forks, Washington, as one of the top trending rural destinations for this summer.

"They’re able to be a lot more private. You get a lot more space. You get full kitchen, full bathrooms, you get to live in a whole house but then it also comes with the fees of running an Airbnb," said Diep.

Recently Airbnb came under scrutiny from guests for high fees.

"We can control our nightly rate plus the cleaning fee," said Diep, who said it was challenging, but they finally found a quality cleaner. "We really liked her work and she did a great job and we actually pay her more than what we charge as a cleaning fee."

The company itself sets service fees and occupancy taxes, which can be imposed by a city, county, state or country.

Daniel Hall and his family are doing a two-week road trip from Seattle back home to Nashville. His family is doing a mixture of hotels and Airbnbs, and said they’re looking forward to an Airbnb in Montana that gives them access to an entire home with multiple bedrooms, a full kitchen and a washer and dryer.

"Along the way, we did book a couple Airbnbs because of the convenience and the comfort," said Hall. "If you find the right place, it’s more about the experience than the fees. You’re going to book it."

A team at Airbnb is now aiming to have a comprehensive review of fees and recommendations in place by Dec. 15. 

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