The concept of “overtourism” continues to make its way around the world with some cruise lines being pushed out of cities like Venice and locals voicing their displeasure at crowds filling their home turf. Spain has set its sights on Airbnb with a move this week to pull down 66,000 thousand residential listings in the country due to “breaching regulations for tourist accommodations,” reports BBC. This comes at a time when Spanish citizens see rising rental costs in many cities.
The home sharing brand received notice that they must remove nearly 5,000 properties from their Spanish listings following a Madrid court ruling. They are primarily located in “Madrid, Andalusia, Catalonia, Valencia, the Basque Country and the Balearic Islands.” More than 60,000 other properties in Spain are under investigation for possible removal from the platform ahead of the busy summer travel season.
While Airbnb is still legal in Spain (for the time being), properties must file license numbers with the government and prove legal status of the owner to prove if they are renting for professional or personal use.
12 Great Airbnb Alternatives For Spain Travel
In Barcelona, plans are in place to remove 10,000 short-term tourist apartments by 2028. With more than 100 million visitors to all parts of Spain, locals are protesting this type of residential listing for commercial gain. Many cities, like Alicante, simply ban this type of listing altogether. But, what are travelers to do if they want a more substantial accommodation than a typical hotel room? These are some of the alternative options that continue to operate in Spain.
This platform allows people to rent rooms in their homes to students and travelers that want to live like a local. Unlike most Airbnbs, the guest and the owner stay together under the same roof. Homestay.com features numerous listings across Spain from large cities like Madrid and Barcelona to waterfront locations in Alicante and Malaga. Rooms can be rented for long stays or as little as just one night.
Mostly in rural destinations, these rentals are the ideal option for eco-conscious travelers. Renters must meet a variety of sustainability criteria including solar panels, water flow reduction, renewable energy and recycling programs. Many of these are cabins, cottages and farm houses. You can find them in the countryside, but also in resort destinations like the Canary and Balearic Islands.
This is a home-grown Spanish booking portal that allows rural and city homes, similar to those in Ecobnb (but without the intense ecological requirements). They are everywhere in the country from sunny vacation destinations to historic tourist spots like Cordoba, Cuenca and Toledo.
Instead of a traditional home, the properties within the Coolstays portfolio include treehouses, barns and historic structures. For example, you can stay in a restore 15th century chapel in Andalusia, a glamping tent in Lleida, or a circular, glass house two hours outside of Barcelona.
These upscale properties that are part of Plum Guide are heavily vetted before being added to the list. Some of the properties on the list include a ten-bedroom palace, mountain homes and a modern Girona vacation home.
With every home, apartment or guest room rental, the brand donates 50% of the commission to a local community project. While it is similar to Airbnb, it also helps to support the neighborhoods where its properties are located. You will find Fairbnb properties in big cities and small villages.
Similar to Airbnb, these vacation homes on the Vrbo platform are located in large and small cities as well as leisure-focused areas like beaches and mountains. They come with self-service amenities that can appeal to travelers like kitchens, garages, Wi-Fi and air conditioning.
This site is one of the largest online travel agencies in the world. Many people may not realize that you can book more than just hotels, flights and rental cars via the website. When you search for lodging in Spain on Booking.com, the website allows you to filter results to find places like villas, cottages, chalets, luxury tents, house boats and even farm stays. The site has a significant presence across Spain.
With the backing of hospitality giant Accor, Onefinestay includes a wide variety of villas in breathtaking destinations like Ibiza and Malaga. Most of the properties are in holiday locations rather than cities. This is one of the few platforms where you can redeem or earn points for a private residence through Accor’s loyalty program.
These vacation homes, rural residences and urban apartments are all over the country. Rentalia categorizes the properties in various groups like pet-friendly, along the wine route and island homes.
This is part of Hilton’s timeshare portfolio that includes properties around the world, mostly in vacation destinations, that are open for rental. Members decide how many points they want for their annual allotment, based on their membership level. They can then redeem these points at any property in the group of destinations. Studios, multi-bedroom hotel suites and apartments are all on the Hilton Grand Vacations roster. Many of these properties are part of a larger resort and come with amenities like restaurants, pools and spas. Among them are the Royal Tenerife Country Club and the White Sands Beach Club.
Another timeshare ownership portfolio, The Marriott Vacation Clubs has three properties in Spain for owners. They include Marriott’s Playa Andaluza in Estepona; Marriott’s Club Son Antem on Mallorca; and Marriott’s Marbella Beach Resort in Marbella. It also works in a similar fashion where owners by an allotment of points that they can redeem around the world. These resorts include multi-bedroom apartments that have kitchen facilities making them a great alternative to Airbnb for owners.