How do Roomorama and Airbnb Compare?
Update: As of July, 2017, Roomorama is no longer in business. Looking for a vacation rental? Using Tripping.com to find the perfect vacation rental. Tripping.com is the world's #1 vacation rental search engine.
Roomorama and Airbnb are both vacation rental websites that use online booking platforms to connect travelers with accommodations. Most Roomorama listings are of the typical sort: bedrooms, apartments, houses, hostels, etc., while Airbnb offers unconventional accommodations such as tree houses, yachts, and castles.
What are their individual missions and history?
About Roomorama
Jia En Teo and Frederico Folcia launched Roomorama in 2009, after a few hit and misses renting out their own apartment through classified ads. Their mission is to build a community of happy travelers and hosts by helping locals share their space and by giving travelers the opportunity to experience life like the locals.
About Airbnb
The concept of Airbnb was born when founders Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia decided to rent out three airbeds in their loft to make some extra cash. After Nathan Blecharczyk joined the team, the trio launched Airbed & Breakfast in 2008 (which became Airbnb in 2009).
The mission of Airbnb is to instill a sense of belonging among all people, whether they are hosts or guests. By making it possible for property owners to rent out their homes and guests to find interesting places to stay, the founders believe that new technologies can be used to bring people together.
What is the size and scale of each company?
Roomorama is based in Singapore and has over 300,000 short-term rentals in over 5,000 locations. They reported that their average user booked a stay for 9 nights or longer and spent more than $1,000 per booking as of 2015.
Airbnb is based in San Francisco and has 1,000,000 properties in over 190 countries. According to a Barclay’s research report, Airbnb’s bookings are about 37 million room-nights per year, a number that could easily triple within the next year.
How do I make a booking on each site?
To make a booking on Roomorama, users enter their destination, travel dates, and number of guests in the search engine for a list of available accommodations. They can submit a booking request by selecting the housing option of their choice and clicking the “book it” button.
Airbnb recommends that guests create a profile before requesting reservations because some hosts require guests to have a verified ID or a profile photo. However, travelers can browse accommodations simply by entering their destination and travel dates (profiles are not mandatory). After finding the perfect place, guests can submit a booking request based on the host’s preferred method of contact.
What are the costs? Is there a membership fee?
Property owners can list their homes for free on both Roomorama and Airbnb. However, Airbnb charges an extra 3% processing fee on the total price to the host for handling payment transactions on their secure platform.
For guests, a “Roomorama fee” covers all taxes, processing fees, and surcharges. This additional charge is 12% of the total cost for stays of 1-30 nights and 8% for stays of more than 30 nights. Guest fees for Airbnb are usually between 6-12% of the total booking price.
What are the differences in privacy/type of accommodation?
Accommodations on Roomorama range from single bedrooms to entire homes, while Airbnb offers both traditional and nontraditional housing options such as castles, tree houses, and lofts.
How do I become a host on each site?
Signing up is easy and free with Roomorama. After creating an account, members can create a profile and start listing properties.
For first time hosts using Airbnb, there’s a “become a host” button at the top of the webpage that helps users get started. It allows potential hosts to see how much money they could earn by leasing out their space. Once users have created an account, they can post listings by filling in property details.
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Does each site have ratings/reviews? What else should I know about the process?
Yes—Roomorama users can rate their experience based on a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” scale. Both guests and hosts are reminded via email to leave feedback regarding their experience. Guests can also post publicly visible comments on the listing’s homepage.
Yes—Airbnb also has a review system where both hosts and guests can share their experiences. Guests can also submit an overall rating (out of 5 stars) as well as categorical ratings on accuracy, cleanliness, location, communication, check in, and value. Overall ratings are averaged and publically displayed on each listing’s homepage, while categorical ratings remain private.
How do I get into contact with Roomorama/Airbnb?
Roomorama customer service
Email: [email protected]
US: +1 (877) 265-4273
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