Vacation rentals now outperform hotels on guest loyalty, study shows

Key Takeaways

Alchemer’s survey of 1,014 U.S. travelers finds vacation rentals now outperform hotels in guest loyalty
Younger travelers are driving stronger demand for more space, privacy and home-like stays
Cleanliness remains the top priority for nearly two-thirds of travelers, ahead of price and value

Vacation rentals now have more loyal guests than hotels as travel preferences continue to shift across generations.

A new study from Alchemer found vacation rentals earned a Net Promoter Score of 50.9, compared with 41.8 for hotels.

Younger travelers are helping drive the change as they look for more space, privacy and a home-away-from-home experience, the company’s 2026 Hotels vs. Vacation Rentals report — which surveyed 1,014 U.S. travelers, including 540 recent hotel guests and 474 recent vacation rental guests — revealed.

The divide is especially clear across generations.

Nearly 64 percent of travelers aged 61 and older expect to book mostly hotels over the next year, while travelers under 30 are leaning more heavily toward vacation rentals.

But no matter where guests stay, one thing matters more than anything else — cleanliness.

Nearly two-thirds of travelers called it the most important part of their experience, putting it well ahead of price and overall value, the study revealed.

Gen Z is hospitality’s ‘toughest’ guest, the study revealed

“The hospitality industry has never had more access to guest feedback than it does today,” said Bo Bandy, CMO of Alchemer.

“This research makes it clear that if hotels want to win business away from vacation rentals, they need to listen, respond and make visible improvements that align with customer feedback, generational expectations and unique guest experiences for each audience.”

The study also found that Gen Z is hospitality’s “toughest” guest.

“Younger travelers report more problems during their stay, are less likely to return and are quicker to voice dissatisfaction when expectations aren’t met,” the research findings revealed.

Another key finding confirms what most STR hosts already know — guest reviews matter.

Nearly 90 percent of guests ages 30 to 44 read online reviews for booking, proving once again how much an STR’s reputation matters.

Hotels have spent decades and billions building points programs to manufacture loyalty, while vacation rentals appear to be earning it through the guest experience alone.

The Alchemer report suggests that alignment between product, price point, and generational expectation is now the lever that determines whether a guest books again or returns to a branded hotel for the certainty a loyalty card provides.

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