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Do Hot Tubs Increase Airbnb Bookings and Nightly Rates? A Rental Owner’s ROI Guide
See what rental market data says about hot tubs, nightly rates, Airbnb bookings and ROI. Compare potential revenue with installation and upkeep costs.
TL;DR: A hot tub can help an Airbnb or Vrbo listing reach guests who filter for that amenity, and AirDNA’s U.S. analysis found a modeled 14.3% higher nightly rate for hot tub listings than for similar listings without one. That does not guarantee extra bookings or a positive return. Compare local demand, full installed cost, upkeep, insurance and warranty terms first, then test your own numbers with the worked example below.
Do hot tubs increase Airbnb bookings? They can help, but the public data does not show a reliable jump in booked nights from a hot tub alone. What the research does support is narrower: guests search for hot tubs, and listings that have one tend to charge more per night.
Owners usually want fewer empty nights, a higher nightly rate, or both. This guide separates those two goals, shows what the research says and does not say, and walks through a worked example so you can test the math on your own listing. It fits Airbnb and Vrbo hosts alike, though the platform data below comes from Airbnb and AirDNA, a short-term rental analytics firm.
Can a Hot Tub Actually Increase Airbnb Bookings?
It can help guests find your listing, which may lead to more bookings, but it does not guarantee them. Airbnb says guests often filter their search results by amenity, and its list of the amenities guests search for most puts a hot tub sixth. That ranking comes from worldwide search data for 2025. It shows interest, not completed bookings, and it is not specific to North Carolina.
Adding an accurate hot tub amenity to your listing lets it appear when a guest turns that filter on. It does not promise a higher spot in the results or a reservation. Vrbo runs its own search, so do not assume Airbnb’s ranking carries over there.
Keep three terms straight when you judge the effect on your own property:
| Term | What it counts | Where it shows up in your math |
|---|---|---|
| Occupancy | Booked nights divided by the nights you actually made available | Booked nights |
| Vacancy | Available nights that stayed empty | Nights a hot tub might fill |
| Average daily rate (ADR) | Lodging revenue per booked night | Nightly rate |
A hot tub can move one of these without moving the others. Sometimes a higher rate even costs you a few nights.
Where might a tub help most? Cool-weather weekend cabins, rural retreats, mountain and lake getaways, and group stays are common fits. Treat those as scenarios to test, not proven gains for any one market. Check shoulder-season demand near you before you assume a tub will fill slow weeks.
How Much More Can You Charge Per Night With a Hot Tub?
AirDNA’s modeling points to a real premium, but it is an average across many properties, not a promise for yours. AirDNA analyzed thousands of active U.S. short-term rental listings and used regression modeling to adjust for bedroom count, property type, location, occupancy and review score. After those adjustments, listings with a hot tub averaged a 14.3% higher nightly rate than similar listings without one. In small-town and rural markets the gap grew to 21.6%, the largest AirDNA reported for hot tubs across its market types.
Read those figures with care:
- They describe an association in observed listings. They do not prove the hot tub caused the higher rate, since a nicer property may offer both.
- They measure nightly rate, not bookings or yearly revenue. A higher rate that loses booked nights can still leave you with less money.
- They are averages. Your own market may land well above or below them.
Supply matters too. AirDNA reports that nearly 40% of Airbnb listings in mountain and lake markets already offer a hot tub, so a tub is less of a standout there than in places where few listings have one.
Epic Hot Tubs Note: Compare like-for-like properties in your exact market before you price a hot tub into next year’s budget. Pick 8 to 15 listings with similar guest capacity, bedrooms, quality and season, then split them into with and without a hot tub. Asking prices are not achieved rates, so use booked-night data if you can get it. A national average cannot replace your local numbers.
How to Estimate the Return on a Rental-Property Hot Tub
Start with what your listing earns today, then test what changes. The core math is booked nights times achieved nightly rate. Use lodging revenue only, leave taxes out, and treat cleaning fees and platform fees the same way before and after. Otherwise the comparison drifts.
The figures below are invented to show the method. They are not Epic prices, AirDNA forecasts or typical North Carolina results. Assume a baseline of 180 booked nights at a $200 nightly rate, which is $36,000 in lodging revenue. Assume the hot tub adds $2,100 a year in cash costs (heating, water, chemicals, service, turnover labor and a repair reserve) and costs $9,000 all-in to buy and install.
| Illustrative case | Booked nights, nightly rate and lodging revenue | Extra revenue and yearly gain after $2,100 in tub costs |
|---|---|---|
| No hot tub baseline | 180 nights at $200 = $36,000 | Not applicable |
| Higher rate only | 180 nights at $225 = $40,500 | +$4,500 extra revenue, +$2,400 a year |
| More nights only | 190 nights at $200 = $38,000 | +$2,000 extra revenue, -$100 a year |
| Both improvements | 190 nights at $225 = $42,750 | +$6,750 extra revenue, +$4,650 a year |
Only the last row earns back the $9,000 installed cost in a reasonable time: $9,000 divided by $4,650 is about 1.9 years. The third row shows the trap. Bookings went up, yet the tub still lost $100 a year after its running costs. The reverse can happen too. If a higher rate costs you booked nights, total revenue can fall.
This is arithmetic, not a forecast. It leaves out taxes, depreciation, big repairs, downtime, changes in platform fees and the time value of money. With different inputs, payback can run much longer or never arrive.
To run your own version, gather these inputs:
- Nights you made available and nights you booked over the past 12 months
- Your achieved nightly rate, with taxes left out and fees treated the same way each time
- The change in booked nights and nightly rate you expect, based on local comparable listings
- The all-in installed cost, including electrical work, a base, access and delivery
- Yearly electricity, water, chemicals, service and turnover labor
- Days the tub might be out of service, a repair reserve and any change in insurance cost
Ask for a complete installed quote instead of comparing sticker prices. Access for delivery, a qualified electrician’s work, a suitable base and drainage can move the total a lot. Epic’s list of questions to ask your electrician before installation helps you compare electrical quotes, and a deck needs a qualified professional to confirm it can support the weight of a hot tub.
What Can Reduce the ROI? Maintenance, Downtime and Liability
Extra revenue only counts if you keep more of it than the tub costs you. Three things cut returns most often: running costs, time out of service, and gaps in safety, warranty or coverage.
Running costs and downtime
Heat, water care and filters keep costing money in weeks with no guests. Epic’s guide to hot tub maintenance costs breaks down monthly and yearly spending, and its electricity guide explains what drives a tub’s energy use. The CDC says rental owners should keep disinfectant and pH within range even when the hot tub is not in use and follow the manufacturer’s directions for cleaning, filters and water changes.
Plan for these costs:
- Electricity and water
- Chemicals and filters
- A water check between guest stays
- Technician visits and repairs
- Cover replacement over time
A cloudy tub, a failed heater or a heavy cover guests cannot lift can lead to poor reviews, and a cover lifter makes the cover easier to handle. If the tub is down on peak weekends, those lost nights come straight out of your return. Line up someone local who can check the water between stays. Epic’s hot tub water care page lists plan options, so confirm whether your property’s area is covered.
Safety, warranty and insurance
Airbnb holds hosts responsible for keeping amenities safe. Its safety requirements for homes say hosts should give instructions for features that can cause injury, hot tubs included, and must address known hazards such as a poorly maintained hot tub or contaminated water. A written water-care plan and a record of each turnover check are easier to stand behind than good intentions.
Warranty terms deserve a close read. A rental earns money, so check your warranty terms for rental use before you buy. Terms vary by brand, model, model year and sale region. Epic’s guide to hot tub warranty service explains what to ask and what to expect when a part fails.
Warranty Tip: Ask for the exact written warranty for your model and say up front that guests will use the spa as part of a paid rental. Warranty treatment can differ from owner-occupied residential use, and you want the answer in writing before you pay.
Two more checks belong on your list. Ask your insurer how a hot tub at a paid rental is treated under your policy, and get the answer in writing. Platform protections have their own terms and limits, so read them instead of assuming. Then check with your county or city offices and your HOA before you order, since requirements can depend on the property and how it is used. A licensed electrician should handle the wiring.
How to Decide if a Hot Tub Makes Sense for Your Rental
Start with your local comparable listings and your slow season. If the numbers only work in the best-case row of your own worksheet, wait or look at a smaller, simpler tub.
Then think about who stays. Couples, families and groups use a tub differently, so match the tub to the guest count your property can realistically and legally host, not to a party crowd.
| Property type | Tub layout that tends to fit | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| Couples’ cabin | A small lounger tub | Placement and privacy |
| Lodge that sleeps a group | A larger seating layout | The guest count the property can realistically and legally host |
| Any rental | A model picked around guests, upkeep and technician access | Outdoor lighting and posted instructions |
For a rental, start model choice with the guests you host, the maintenance plan and how a technician will reach the tub, not just the advertised seating count. When you are ready to shop, you can explore hot tub options or compare hot tubs for rental properties.
Next Steps for Your Rental Hot Tub Plan
A hot tub can make a rental easier to find and may support a higher nightly rate. Whether it fills more nights or pays for itself depends on your market, your all-in cost, your upkeep plan and your warranty and insurance terms. Run your own numbers with local comparable listings before you buy.
Planning to add a hot tub to an Airbnb or Vrbo property? Epic Hot Tubs can help you review model fit, installation considerations and long-term care. Get My Free Estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do hot tubs actually increase Airbnb bookings?
They can help guests who filter for a hot tub find your listing, and Airbnb ranks hot tubs among the amenities guests search for most. No verified nationwide figure shows that a hot tub raises booked nights on its own. Results depend on local demand, price, season and how your listing compares with nearby rentals.
How much more can I charge per night for a vacation rental with a hot tub?
AirDNA’s modeling found a 14.3% higher average nightly rate nationally for hot tub listings versus similar listings without one, and 21.6% in small-town and rural markets. Those are averages from observed listings, not a guaranteed increase for your property. A higher rate does not tell you whether you will keep the same number of booked nights.
Can a hot tub help fill slower-season nights?
It may, depending on your climate, market and guest type. A hot tub can appeal outside warm-weather travel peaks, but no source in this guide proves a specific off-season lift. Test shoulder-season demand by checking what similar listings with and without hot tubs actually book near you.
How do I calculate the ROI of adding a hot tub to my Airbnb?
Multiply booked nights by your achieved nightly rate for the year before and for your expected year with a tub. Subtract the added yearly costs for electricity, water, chemicals, service and repairs from the extra revenue. Then divide the all-in installed cost by that yearly gain. The return is positive only when extra revenue beats ongoing costs and, over time, the original installed cost.
How much maintenance does a vacation rental hot tub need?
There is no one schedule that fits every tub. The CDC advises rental owners to keep disinfectant and pH in range even when the tub is empty of guests and to follow the manufacturer’s maintenance directions. Plan a water check between stays and a local person or service who can step in quickly.
Does a regular hot tub warranty cover Airbnb or Vrbo rentals?
It depends on the warranty, so check your warranty terms for rental use. Ask Epic for the exact written warranty for your model and sale region before you buy, and tell the team the spa will be used for guest stays.
Ready to purchase a hot tub in NC?
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About The Author:
Richard Horvath
Hot Tub & Spa Expert
Richard has been in the hot tub & spa industry for years. As a long hot tub & swim spa owner himself, Richard has a passion for helping homeowners create their dream backyard, helping over one thousand North Carolina homeowners achieve that dream in the process.
