As experts in month-to-month rentals in Barcelona, we know that our sector faces important challenges and many issues revolve around guest behavior. Unfortunately, not all properties dedicated to tourism or short-term rentals keep track of their tenants or have rigorous management that takes neighbors’ welfare into account. They may be indifferent towards the care of the building or the social and environmental responsibility of their business, all of which can lead to poor long-term outcomes.
The good news is that more and more professionals in the sector are realizing success depends on the satisfaction of property owners. This means not only profitability, but also guest quality and the overall experience guests have in the city.
At Lodging, we closely monitor booking statistics on our portals because this information is of crucial value to our owners and our own business. Here’s a taste of some of the information we think is most important:
- More couples than groups: More than half of our bookings, specifically 55.5%, are couples. This fact belies the generalized idea that holiday apartments are preferred by young people in big groups. In fact, groups only represent 12.87% of our bookings.
- Cosmopolitan: Barcelona attracts travelers from all over the world, and this is reflected in our guest profiles. Some 79.6% of our guests come from abroad, and this is corroborated by those of us who work with them on a daily basis. The vast majority are visitors who come to enjoy the culture, gastronomy and history of Barcelona. They prefer personalized experiences and the flexibility we offer them because they won’t find these in hotel accommodations.
- Technology-savvy: 74.6% of bookings are made from mobile devices, which demonstrates the confidence and speed with which our mostly international clients plan their stays in Barcelona.
- Flexible: More than 62% of our clients opt for free cancellation, which shows we know how to adapt to their needs and give them peace of mind in their travel decisions.
These data reflect a reality that is rarely touched upon in the analysis of month-to-month rentals in Barcelona: guests who choose Lodging Apartments value the quality of the apartments, Lodging Management’s experience and the peace of mind that comes with a company that offers personalized care and 24/7 customer service. The majority of our guests are a far cry from the problematic profile highlighted in the media. That’s why we’ll continue to strive to enrich the experiences of owners, guests and neighbors alike.
