Beachfront vacations? Beachfront vacations come at a cost. And certain questions matter: Is the beachfront vacation in a hotel or resort? In a vacation home? A timeshare? Is it in an in-demand location? A precious hideaway or in a funky boardwalk city full of honkytonk attractions?
Upgraded Points, a provider of travel insights and research, has released a comprehensive study revealing the true cost of U.S. ocean-view vacations. The study analyzed data from various popular coastal destinations across the country to find the most and least expensive destinations for beachfront rentals.
The research shows that the cost of a beachfront vacation can vary significantly depending on the destination, as well as the choice between a hotel or Airbnb or other lodging option. Beachfront hotels, for example, are $120 cheaper a night, on average than a vacation rental.
However, savings increase even more with a non-beachfront accommodation. Rentals in the coastal cities analyzed without an ocean view are $130 cheaper, on average, than ocean view accommodations. Across all 75 destinations in the study, an ocean view rental costs, on average, $3,353.28 per week.
The researchers compiled a list of 75 of the most popular beach towns in the U.S., then turned to Airbnb listings to gather information on the average nightly prices for both entire houses and hotels in each town. To ensure the analysis focused on accommodations with an ocean view, they applied the “beachfront” filter on Airbnb.
By averaging the nightly prices of houses and hotels in each town, the researchers determined the average cost of beachfront accommodations per night. To estimate the average cost of a one-week stay in beachfront accommodations, the team multiplied this price by 7.
Key Insights
On average, you’ll pay about 27% more for a beachfront vacation home with an ocean view than a non-beachfront vacation home.
The average weekly cost savings of renting a non-beachfront accommodation is $909, but there are interesting outliers. In Malibu, there’s a whopping $5,383weekly price difference between beachfront and non-beachfront stays. In Myrtle Beach, that margin drops to just $35.
Booking an ocean-view Airbnb is 25% more expensive than renting an ocean-view hotel room, on average.
The typical nightly price to stay at a beachfront home (entire house) on Airbnb is $538.69 (and $3,771 for a week). The typical nightly price to stay at a beachfront hotel on Airbnb is $419.39 (and $2,936 for a week).
In some destinations, staying in an ocean-view hotel over a beachfront home can save you considerably more.
North Carolina’s outer banks are a clear example. In Corolla, NC, the average price to stay at a beachfront home is $668 a night, but the average price to stay at a beachfront hotel is only $255 a night –– a $413 nightly price difference. Cape Cod and the Islands also experienced the phenomenon, as well as the Hamptons and Southern California.
A non-beachfront rental can save you thousands per week in some destinations, but not all:
In Malibu, there’s a whopping $769 average price difference per night between beachfront and non-beachfront stays—That equals an over $5,300 weekly price differential. But in places like Cedar Key, FL, and Rehoboth Beach, DE, savings amount to less than $50 weekly.
Most and Least Expensive Destinations for Beachfront Vacations
The most expensive beach towns for a 1-week beachfront stay are (#1) Montauk, NY, (#2) Southampton, NY, (#3) East Hampton, NY, (#4) Malibu, CA, and (#5) Folly Beach, SC.
The least expensive beach towns for a 1-week beachfront stay are (#1) Cedar Key, FL, (#2) Ocean Springs, MS, (#3) Ocean Shores, WA, (#4) Port Aransas, TX, and (#5), Galveston, TX.
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