This has not been a good decade for the hotel cot.
You know, that bed they wheel out with the bar that juts through the bedding and into your spine. People have had enough of the damned cot, realizing — as Airbnb and its acolytes continue to grow — that they can pay less for a better room elsewhere. A place where everyone gets a real bed, even.
And that realization has led people all the way to … castles. Seriously. According to booking site HomeAway’s 2019 Trend Report, demand for castles is up 55%, while interest in estates is up 25%. Where is all this intrigue (and money) coming from?
Well, the fact that rallying a big group — the in-laws, your college buddies, your racquet ball league — for a vacation dramatically democratizes the price of properties that historically might as well have been Versailles for middle-class America.
Try the Spanish colonial in Temecula, CA above on for size. Four nights for ten people comes out to $256 each. Anomalous? Not really. HomeAway is chok-full of listings that encourage heavy-guest-bookings, as is Airbnb.
Other interesting trends the report shared: Gen Z (defined here age 24 and below) prefers to travel with friends to cities. Surprisingly, Hocking Hills, OH was the fastest growing destination (holy state park), along with Newton County, AR and Loudon County, VA (offering The Ozarks and wineries, respectively).
Oh and the most desirable vacation amenity? Swimming pools. Obviously.
Now go book your own castle or estate here.
Image from Wikimedia Commons
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