Airbnb Over St. Lucia Resorts - Best Areas To Stay For First Timers!

​St. Lucia is becoming a popular destination for travelers these days.  Where’s St. Lucia?  It’s a tiny gem of an island in the eastern Caribbean. And while the island is home to many popular St. Lucia resorts such as Sandals (the island has 3 Sandals St. Lucia resorts), research shows that more and more travelers are starting to skip the all-inclusive resort life for a quieter, more affordable option- Airbnb.  If this is your first time in St. Lucia, learn why an Airbnb

Saba Villa Airbnb in St. Lucia Overlooking Soufriere Pitons

​What brings travelers to Airbnb over resorts in St. Lucia and elsewhere?  Easy.  When you rent an Airbnb, you often get an entire house or villa to yourself.  Taking a look at some of St. Lucia’s top-rated Airbnb properties, such as Saba Villa and Sargas Villa, you get not only a large luxury property that is fully equipped with internet, flat screens, and every kitchen appliance under the sun, but you get laundry facilities, a guest computer, and- oh yeah- a private pool that isn’t full of families splashing around when you just want to float around with a tropical drink in your hand.

​Here are some surprising statistics and facts from a study on why travelers choose Airbnb over resorts:

• While Airbnb largely markets based on the fact that staying in one of their properties is more of an experience than staying in a hotel or resort, most travelers find themselves choosing the service for convenience of the location as well as lower costs and more household amenities.
• A surprising 26% of travelers say that they were able to increase the length of their trips due to choosing Airbnb over resorts.
• 91% of Airbnb guests say that they are “very likely” to recommend the service to others.
• While only 26% of Airbnb users say they are likely to book a hotel in the year to come, a whopping 63% planned to use Airbnb again in that same time frame.
• 61% of Airbnb users opted for the service as a substitute for a budget accommodation.

Airbnbs Over St. Lucia Resorts- Who's Booking?

​The study went on to examine the types of people who opt for Airbnbs over hotels and resorts.  While the study mostly focused on US and Canadian travelers, the results are fairly steady abroad as well, with many travelers gravitating away from resorts in St. Lucia and booking villas like Serrana Villa or St. Lucia apartments such as Sapphire Apartments.  In looking at the types of people choosing Airbnbs over traditional accommodations, five main groups were categorized.

The Practical Novelty Seeker

​The practical novelty seeker is not a regular user of Airbnb, but chooses it because it offers all of the benefits of being at home while on vacation.  These users virtually always choose to rent entire homes or apartments.

The Interactive Novelty Seeker

​This type of guest is fascinated by the premise of Airbnb and usually wants the chance to interact with the host as well as locals in the area of the property.  Shared accommodations are not a turn-off for these guests, as they genuinely want an interactive experience while on vacation.

The Collaborator

​Like the interactive novelty seekers, collaborators want to interact with locals.  These guests prefer shared accommodations and want to be immersed in the area and culture of their destination.  They are looking for an authentic travel experience- something that Soufriere, St. Lucia Airbnbs offer- the chance to live like a local.

The Home Seeker

​These guests almost always choose to rent entire homes.  They tend to take longer trips and to be older than those who opt for shared accommodations.  These vacationers seek out large spaces with a full array of household amenities.

​The Money Saver

Last is the money saver.  While money savers come in all demographics, the childless and under 30 crowd holds the majority.  For these travelers, it is the affordability of Airbnb accommodations that makes them so desirable.

​St. Lucia Airbnbs Offer Something for Everyone

​Simply put, travelers visiting St. Lucia would be hard pressed to find many reasons to choose a hotel or all-inclusive St. Lucia resort over Airbnb.  Villas like Enclaves, Saba Villa, and other Soufriere Airbnb rentals, as well as apartments like Soufriere’s Sapphire Apartments rival the big resorts in cleanliness, amenities, and features, while also going above and beyond. 

​Resorts don’t offer computers in their guestrooms or have private pools for single guests or families, and they certainly don’t have quiet offices for business travelers.  They also don’t have private, fully equipped kitchens with on-call chef services and rarely have discounts on top-rated tours and transportation services. 

Whether you are in St. Lucia to see the Pitons, to take a dip in Sulphur Springs, to lounge on Sugar or Hummingbird Beach, or to attend a work conference, Airbnb is simply the best way to suit your needs while having an authentic and enjoyable travel experience.