August 20, 2017 (a.k.a Total Solar Eclipse Eve) is anticipated to be Airbnb’s biggest night in S.C. ever – 7,000 rooms (and counting) have been booked across the state. This is 5x higher than S.C. Airbnb bookings on an average night.
Airbnb is using the surge in eclipse-eve bookings (seen across the country in towns along the path of totality) to demonstrate that Airbnb’s home rental platform gives the cities the flexibility to accommodate an influx of visitors, beyond hotel capacity.
The City of Charleston, which has 2,500 houses + rooms booked over eclipse weekend, is debating whether to allow temporary home rental platforms like Airbnb + HomeAway in the long run. Some citizens have complained that they cause higher rent + a shift in character of many Charleston neighborhoods.
The biggest night in S.C. Airbnb history is not taking the thunder away from hotels across the state. Hotels in Cola + surrounding ‘burbs are at 100% capacity for the weekend.
