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."
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.