In the world of hospitality, two big names that often come up when searching for a comfortable stay are Sykes Holiday Cottages and Airbnb. While both have a good reputation for providing reliable and comfortable stays at competitive pricing, let’s do a deep dive into finding what sets them apart and what pulls them down, for better decision-making.
About Sykes Holiday Cottages
This B Corp Certified cottage rental business has been serving the hospitality industry for over 30 years now. With a database of 22,500 properties, they have succeeded in becoming one of the widely chosen cottage rentals in the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand. The rustic and countryside location of most of their properties is excellent for someone looking for some quiet away from the hustle and bustle of city life. They have several options for properties with cottages supporting from two to over 20 individuals. Furthermore, they are also working with a sustainable goal in mind and have joined hands with several programs to contribute to the betterment of the environment and mankind.
About Airbnb
What started with started with two guys hosting three guests in their San Franciso apartment, transformed into a $96 billion company today. With over 7.7M active listings, they have their services available in over 220 countries and regions in the world, making them one of the most reliable and best-known cottage rental businesses in the hospitality industry.
Property Type
Sykes Holiday Cottages
Sykes Holiday Cottages aims to provide a very charming and cultural experience very similar to living in the English and Irish countryside with their traditional and country homes with warm, rustic interiors, and big indoor and outdoor spaces, located mostly in the coastal and scenic rural areas of the country. The majority of their properties are listed in the English Isles with another percentage located in New Zealand offering a similar aesthetic to their visitors.
Airbnb
Airbnb has a more diverse listing, both in terms of properties and locations. From large aesthetic cottages in rural and offbeat locations to small, humble apartments and homes in the cultural heart of the city. Additionally, they also provide exciting property options like treehouses, beach houses, boats, yachts, urban lofts, and more.
Customer Support
Sykes Holiday Cottages
Sykes Holiday Cottages provides their customers with very active customer support from pre-booking assistance to during-stay assistance. They also have a very active customer support team who are constantly replying to your emails and calls regarding any concerns of yours from adding a pet to your visitors’ list to misplacing an item on the property.
Airbnb
Airbnb provides you with a 24×7 customer service however that varies based on your property and location. They are known to provide more assistance in case of properties located in remote or offbeat areas or in case you are unable to locate the property.
Cancellation Policy
Sykes Holiday Cottages
If you are cancelling your stay more than 6 weeks before its start date then you will get a full balance refund minus your deposit. If you cancel your booking in less than 6 weeks from the day of your booking, you will lose both your deposit and your balance. You will receive your refund in 5 to 10 working days.
Airbnb
Airbnb allows you to cancel your bookings from 24 hours before check-in to up to 60 days before check-in based on the nature of the property.
Service Fee
Sykes Holiday Cottage
For every booking made via the Sykes Holiday Cottage, a service fee of 15% to 25% is deducted from the booking.
Airbnb
They charge a service charge which is generally below 14.2% of the booking subtotal which bumps up to 16.5% in case of cross-currency transactions.
Sykes Holiday Cottages Vs Airbnb
| Parameters | Sykes Holiday Cottages | Airbnb |
| Property Types | Majorly located in the semi-rustic and coastal areas of England and Ireland. | Has a more global presence covering 220+ countries and regions. |
| Booking Process | Directly through Sykes | Requests sometimes need to be approved by the hosts. |
| Length Of Stay | Often geared towards weekends | Caters to one-night as well as weekend stays |
| Reviews | Verified guest reviews | Guests and hosts reviews |
| Service Fee | 15% to 25% | 14.2% to 16.5% |
Who Wins?
If you want to experience an authentic and rustic stay similar to living in the English countryside or the Irish coasts then you must go for the Sykes Holiday Cottages, but for a more diverse catalogue of properties, you can consider Airbnb. Additionally, Airbnb has a far lower service charge than Sykes Holiday Cottages, but they do fall back by a mile when it comes to providing customer assistance.
