Leading Brands in US Accommodations & Lodging in Q4 2024

As the accommodations and lodging sector continues to evolve, several key players have distinguished themselves with substantial monthly deduplicated audiences across their digital platforms. In this article, we delve into the performance and trends of three leading brands in the US market during Q4 2024: Airbnb, Inc., VRBO, and Hilton Honors.

Airbnb, Inc.

Airbnb is known for revolutionizing the way people book accommodations, offering unique stays and experiences worldwide. Its digital presence is robust, featuring its website, airbnb.com, and the Airbnb app.

• Audience Trends: From Q3 to Q4 2024, airbnb.com saw a decline in unique visits, hitting a low in November before rebounding slightly in December with around 10M unique visitors. The monthly deduplicated audience remained stable above 18M throughout the quarter, with a significant portion accessing through both web and app.

• App Engagement: The Airbnb app maintained a steady monthly active user base above 8M, showing a gradual decline over the months but ending the year with a slight uptick.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Airbnb's monthly advertising efforts varied, with total ad spend peaking in December at over $13M. YouTube and OTT were prominent channels, with OTT impressions exceeding 150M in December.

VRBO

VRBO, a leader in vacation rentals, offers travelers a wide range of properties to choose from. Its digital footprint is represented by its website, vrbo.com, and the Vrbo Vacation Rentals app.

• Audience Trends: Vrbo.com experienced fluctuations, with unique visits holding steady above 11M in December, following a dip in November. The monthly deduplicated audience showcased resilience, remaining over 17M in December.

• App Engagement: The Vrbo app's monthly active user base hovered around 6M, indicating stable user engagement.

• Ad Spend & Channels: VRBO's monthly ad spend peaked in August, surpassing $32M, with YouTube and Facebook being key channels. YouTube impressions alone reached over 1B in August.

Hilton Honors: Book Hotels Mobile App

Hilton is renowned for its global hotel chain, offering luxurious accommodations and a seamless booking experience. Its digital strategy includes its website, hilton.com, and the Hilton Honors: Book Hotels app.

• Audience Trends: Hilton.com maintained a steady unique visitor count, peaking at about 8M in December. The monthly deduplicated audience was consistently above 10M.

• App Engagement: The Hilton app recorded monthly active users slightly declining to just over 1.2M in December, reflecting a stable but slowly decreasing trend.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Hilton's monthly ad spend was modest compared to competitors, focusing primarily on Instagram, with impressions reaching approximately 5M in December.

Conclusion

The data from Sensor Tower provides invaluable insights into the cross-platform behavior of users in the accommodations and lodging sector. Each brand demonstrates unique strengths, whether it's Airbnb's broad reach across platforms, VRBO's significant ad impressions, or Hilton's focused digital strategy. Sensor Tower's comprehensive data offerings, including Web Insights, App Performance Insights, and Pathmatics, deliver unparalleled insights essential for understanding market dynamics and consumer engagement. These insights empower decision-makers to craft informed strategies and drive business growth effectively.