Holiday rentals versus hotels: who wins the duel?
Who comes out on top between holiday rentals and hotels?
The holiday booking figures for France are in at last. We now know whether the French favour holiday rentals or hotels. Care to take a guess before you read on?
A preference for holiday rentals
This year again, among the French, it is holiday rentals that come out on top! According to Europ Assistance: "Only 29% of French holidaymakers will sleep in a hotel during their stay this summer, compared with 46% on average for Europeans".
And that is despite the clear rise in rental prices! Up 9.4% for houses in the mountains, up 7.6% in the countryside and up 7.2% for the seaside.
Among the most sought-after regions, we find unsurprisingly: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (excluding the coast), the region growing the fastest at +49%, followed by the Côte d'Azur (+37.5%) and Corsica (+26%) (compared with 2019).
Is this really a falling-out with hotels?
According to the agency, the French are not turning their backs on hotels, but they really are very attached to holiday rentals.
The main explanation is said to lie in the impressive choice of rentals on offer. In France, there are around four million second homes. That adds up to quite a few options!
More and more, we want to feel at home, cocooned with a garden rather than tied to the timetable of a hotel. If you are going to travel in your own country, you may as well do it in a house! And what do you think? When you go on holiday, where do you choose to sleep?
If this topic interests you, we also have an article on the tourist accommodation figures for 2021.
Put side by side, this summer’s figures tell the story better than any commentary.
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| French holidaymakers staying in hotels this summer | 29 % |
| European average staying in hotels | 46 % |
| Price rise, mountain rentals | +9.4 % |
| Price rise, countryside rentals | +7.6 % |
| Price rise, seaside rentals | +7.2 % |
| Growth, PACA excluding coast (vs 2019) | +49 % |
| Growth, French Riviera (vs 2019) | +37.5 % |
| Growth, Corsica (vs 2019) | +26 % |
Frequently asked questions
Do French travellers prefer holiday rentals or hotels? Holiday rentals come out on top again this year. According to Europ Assistance, only 29% of French holidaymakers will sleep in a hotel this summer, against a European average of 46%. This is not a rejection of hotels: the attachment to rentals is simply stronger.
Are the French turning away from hotels? No. The agency is clear on this point: hotels are not being abandoned, holiday rentals simply enjoy a particular attachment. With around four million second homes in France, the sheer size of the offer weighs heavily on the decision.
How much have rental prices gone up? By 9.4% for mountain houses, 7.6% in the countryside and 7.2% by the sea. The increase has not pushed holidaymakers back towards hotels: they book anyway.
Which regions are growing the fastest? Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur away from the coast leads the way with 49% growth, ahead of the Côte d’Azur (37.5%) and Corsica (26%), compared with 2019. Three destinations nobody is discovering this year.
Why choose a rental over a hotel? To feel at home, to have a garden and to avoid depending on an establishment’s timetable. When you travel in your own country, a house often wins over a room.
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