Most downloaded travel app in US, Hopper now offers home rentals
If your travel style favors short-term home rentals like Airbnb over hotels (or you plan to go that way once you get back on the road) you now have more options.
About 2 million of them.
They are all now bookable on the Hopper travel app, which you may already be using to book flights, hotels, and rental cars.
Launched this week, Hopper Homes has about 2 million global properties listing available, all managed by professional property suppliers, with more being added daily, says Hopper.
“Since our goal is to be the go-to place to book travel, it naturally made sense to expand to Homes given our customer base and their travel preferences,” Susan Ho, Head of Hopper Homes told TPG.
Hopper says its users are primarily Gen Z and Millennial travelers who match the general profile of short-term home renters, who skew younger than the U.S. traveler population overall.
In surveys, Hopper found that 40% of its customers prefer homes over hotels and 24% have no preference between the two. Hopper also notes that 44% of its customers book for more than two people, which makes the short-term home rental market an appealing option.
If you are on iOS, Hopper Homes is now live. To access it, just update to the latest version of the app and you'll see a Hopper Homes tile on the home screen. Basic search and booking are live, and the Android version of Hopper Homes should roll out in the next couple of weeks.
Hopper home-rental shoppers can now use the app to filter their search by location, the number of beds and bedrooms (an important search term), bathrooms, pet friendliness, and other amenities such as laundry and outdoor space, but not yet by price. Hopper says in the next few months it plans to add its popular Price Prediction feature, the “Carrot Cash” cash back loyalty bonuses, and a cancellation policy feature.
“At this point, we don't know the exact cancellation window, but we will aim to be as flexible as possible,” says Ho. “We'll be testing to see what level of flexibility customers are looking for and adjust our offerings accordingly.”
On Friday afternoon, TPG took a quick look at Hopper Homes offerings for Seattle and a “few miles away” and searched for a pet-friendly home for 2 guests for mid-February. The app said 245 homes were available but gave us just 3 properties to search. One was in Kirkland (11 miles from Seattle), one was in Covington (25 miles from Seattle), and one was in Monroe (32 miles from Seattle).
The total price with fees and taxes for each option was easy to spot. The Kirkland apartment rental, for example, started at $91 a night but would come to a total of $211 a night (with a possible pet fee) once the property fee and taxes were added.
Related: Hopper jumps into the travel experiences game with PlacePass acquisition
So, will Hopper Homes be giving services such as Airbnb, Vrbo and others a real run for their money?
Because people searching for lodging frequently compare hotel and short-term rental options for their trips, adding home-rentals to the Hopper platform is a smart move, says Madeline List, Senior Research Analyst at travel industry research company, Phocuswright. “This can keep shoppers on the Hopper platform if they do prefer a home or apartment rental and help maintain some of the business that may otherwise have been lost to platforms like Airbnb or Vrbo.”
But, she adds, don’t expect Hopper to unseat the major short-term home rental companies just yet.
“With 2 million rental properties on the platform they don’t offer nearly as many rental options as platforms like Airbnb or Booking.com,” says List. “Hopper has its work cut out for it when it comes to becoming a go-to option for rentals in the eyes of the consumer.”
List adds that while Airbnb has standing advantages when it comes to consumer perception, “It will be interesting to see if Hopper continues to expand the number of rental properties over time, and whether they market to push their rental options as a strong component of their overall offerings.”
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.