Airbnb Will Take Over Kenyan Hospitality Industry

by Enock Bett · October 21, 2019

Airbnb, a business that is enormously growing to provide accommodation solutions to clients will soon take over the Kenyan hospitality industry.

The hospitality industry in Kenya is one of the fastest-growing businesses generating billions and billions of revenue to the government and entrepreneurs. The rates traditional hotels charge for accommodation full board say per night is triple the amount one pays as rent for a one-bedroom house in a Nairobi’s middle-class estate. Why are these hotels so expensive? I have been going through various websites, checking their accommodation rates. I must admit I might not be able to afford any for more than three days. I don’t expect anyone to rubbish my claims by using the popular ‘Watu wako na pesa’ phrase because sincerely, these hotels are getting expensive day by day. Even the foreigners who have been receiving better treatment from these hotels are also beginning to abandon them.

I understand hotels are expensive to run, workers need to be paid, amenities have to be taken care of as well, but I don’t think their rates are genuine. Someone posted on Facebook complaining of very little food she was served at one of the hotels she’d booked for a night in Nairobi and charged more than what she expected. But that’s not the issue. Business people and employees are traveling day and night, meeting up stakeholders, having boardroom meetings with clients, looking for new opportunities or surveying new markets in various parts of the country. These travelers need cheap accommodation in the places they visit.

Foreign and local tourism is the main source of income for hoteliers. But in the near future, that might not be the case as most of them now prefer booking an Airbnb complete with all the amenities they need for the period of time they will be staying at the place. Hoteliers will have to change their business tactics by reviewing their rates and services or risk losing customers to this fast-rising business which seems to be making a major move into Kenya’s hospitality industry with its tremendous growth.

A Twitter user tweeted:

Hoteliers in Malindi have decried the loss of business as more and more people prefer using Airbnb which has proven to be more cheaper and convenient than normal hotel rooms-BD

— Kuira Brian (@kuirab) October 17, 2019

Homeowners in most destinations are finding some ways to make money out of their properties, as a result, they have turned some of the rooms in their houses into lodges to accommodate guests who may be in need of accommodation services. Families and people traveling in big groups are becoming budget conscious and are beginning to embrace Airbnb, short term rentals and vacation rooms.

Airbnb is no longer bed and breakfast as it used to be. They now offer full board amenities to their clients, from spacious rooms to furnished kitchens and a variety of luxury options to choose from depending on your budget. With Airbnb, people are now able to find accommodation at a much-reduced cost, in fact, owners have placed their rentals contacts on their web for online booking. What is even exciting is how they manage to keep fixed rates when the hotels are skyrocketing their charges during holidays.

So should hotels be worried or is this a minor threat? If you were a homeowner, would you monetize extra space of your home by creating a short-term rental? If I have to travel, I would choose to rent Airbnb anytime. As Airbnb continues to grow, there is a likelihood that more business will be taken away from the traditional hotels, what I’m yet to find out however is how these businesses pay the taxman.