Setting sail: How the 36th America’s Cup will affect accommodation in Auckland

Photo taken from Boat International

It’s 2020, and we all know what that means, it’s onlya year until Auckland truly lives up to its name as the city of sails.Emirate’s bright red sails will once again head out on the water to defendtheir world title in the 36th America’s Cup. So the question on every Airbnbproperty manager’s lips (or those who are thinking of becoming a propertymanager) is, how will this massive event affect Auckland’s accommodation?

To begin, we must first explore the supply of roomsavailable in central Auckland compared to the demand that will result fromtourists.

What accommodation is necessary?

So far there are only rough estimates around thenumber of travellers who will need accommodation during this exciting event.But so far, over 130 superyachts are expected to be arriving before the eventcommences. This is an increase on the 100 superyachts that landed in Aucklandharbour for the 2000 America’s Cup. 

However, to manage the influx of overseas visitors, Auckland city has been busy preparing a magnitude of new hotels that are expected to open before the event begins. Some notable mentions include the 300-room Sky City Horizon Hotel and the 195-room waterfront Park Hyatt. Altogether, Auckland city is expected to see an additional 13 hotels opening their doors before the America’s Cup start date, and this would result in 1,522 additional rooms (AKA a 16% increase in room supply.) Half of these new rooms will also be available within 5-star hotels. To learn more about this read here.

Regardless of the assurance there will be enough hotel accomodation to fill demand from the organiser of APEC, demand for rooms will still be high and Airbnbs offer an experience that hotels don’t. So now is the perfect time to prepare your Airbnb for a busy period in 2021. This is especially important for Airbnb property managers that are just starting out because it can take a while to build up a collection of good reviews. To begin with, you will need a great listing to get more bookings, and these bookings will lead to more fantastic reviews, which in turn will bring more bookings during the America’s cup.

So now you know the facts, how can you make yourAirbnb stand out against the swarm of hotels, motels, and other Airbnbcompetition?

Airbnb vs Hotels

This year is theperfect time to get everything ready to attract guests to your unique Airbnbdwelling, as opposed to a large hotel chain. In order to increase your chancesof bookings, we need to first look at the facts.

-Less-frequent travellers are more likely to book a stayin hotels because they perceive it as a luxury travel experience.

-Travellers may choose hotels over Airbnbs forconsistency, reliability, safety, and increased privacy.

-Incentives for people staying in hotels includelocation, discount bookings, room upgrades, free food and drinks, spas/pools,and loyalty points.

-Travellers who want to stay in Airbnbs do so becausethey want to dive into New Zealand culture and have a more personal experience.

-People staying for a long time may prefer Airbnbs due tothe price difference and added amenities/cooking equipment.

How to attract guests

Keeping in mind these facts, things that will attractoverseas guests to your Airbnb, rather than hotels include:

Location

Because the races are held in the viaduct, centralaccommodation would be preferable to overseas guests. If you are not located ina central position, make sure that visitors know about the easy transport toand from the Auckland CBD.

Safety and privacy

Make sure your Airbnb is as safe and private as possible.Also, list these added benefits in your listing.

Price difference

With hotels in the Auckland CBD costingbetween $83-$619 a night (excluding the expensive hotels that are currentlybeing built), and price spikes expected to occur when America Cup’s bookingsbegin, Airbnb is a much more affordable option. Even though Airbnbnightly prices will be 3-4 times higher than normal during this event (leadingto more money for Auckland Airbnb property owners) they will still be cheaperthan hotel rooms, after the price spikes. In order to appeal to a majority of visitors, a good idea is to researchthe hotels/other accommodation in your area around the time of the event andundercut the price they charge for a room.

Unique feel

Something that Airbnb properties boast that hotels don’t have is a more cultural feel and unique character. To show this to potential guests it is important to have around 20 amazing photos on your profile that highlight the location, character, amenities, and charm of your property. As well as these photos, you must also remember to add a great description of your property. Click here for more information about how to take great photos and how to write a great description.

Added amenities

Sure, Auckland has many amazing eateries, but eating outevery day can leave guests feeling horrible. Another benefit of Airbnbs is thatyou can cook your own meals, do your own laundry, and have other amazingbenefits such as access to games, books, and Netflix. Therefore, to make sureyou have the best chance of booking guests, make sure you include all theseamazing benefits on your listing.

Auckland in 2021:the place to watch

The accommodationboom doesn’t just stop when the America’s Cup ends! With many other highprofile events and tourism increasing steadily each year, 2021 is set to be abusy year for Airbnb property owners. So what can you expect?

January 1st- March 20th

America’s Cup

As stated above, theAmerica’s Cup is sure to bring an influx of guests to Auckland City, and theseguests will be looking to book either hotel rooms, private residences, motels,or Airbnbs.

6th February

ICC Women’sCricket World Cup

A collection ofcities are due to host the Women’s Cricket World cup, including Auckland, whois hosting the opening weekend. The first allocated venue is Eden Park, soAirbnb’s that are located in Mount Eden, and central Auckland, will bewell-sought after by overseas visitors.

22February-1st March

The Men’sSoftball World Cup

The world’s numberone softball team (AKA The Black Sox) are defending their world title in 2021,and this should lead to many overseas visitors flocking to see them play.Because the Black Sox are playing in the Rosedale Stadium in Albany, this couldmean more business for people located on the North Shore, and close to thestadium.

23rd-27thFebruary

Te Matatininational kapa-haka festival

Whanau-friendly andculturally significant, the Te Matatini Festival is held every two years anddraws many local and international kapa-haka fans. This event is being held inEden Park, so Airbnb’s located in Mount Eden, and central Auckland, will bevery appealing to these visitors.

28 July – 14August

Rugby WorldCup (women’s)

As well as beingnumber one in the world for softball, New Zealand is also number one in theworld for women's rugby, and this means that we are hosting in 2021. This eventdrew a record 45, 412 spectators in Ireland in 2017, which is easily beatableif Auckland can sell out the final at Eden Park.

18-14thNovember

Asia-PacificEconomic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Week conference

Leaders from 21countries and economies will meet in Auckland for the regional economic forum,designed to optimise the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific. This eventis expected to attract 10, 000 people, including world leaders, trade andforeign ministers, and the media. The venues for this event are yet to beconfirmed, but it would be fair to assume the location will be central.

Conclusion

In conclusion, 2021 is going to be a big year for Airbnb property owners due to an influx of overseas visitors attending the America’s Cup, and a score of other large events. This means that 2020 is the perfect year to get your property and listing in its best shape for the following year. Or, if you are not an Airbnb property owner, consider becoming one. If you are not yet an Airbnb property manager then Zodiak Management Ltd is a service that allows you to rent out your Airbnb easily and professionally to maximise your returns. To hear more about our services and how we can help you build a stress-free income stream, check out our services page.

Also, check out this article for more information on what the America’s Cup means for Auckland Airbnb property managers.

Written by LaurenMiddleton