The effect of color in Airbnb listings on guest ratings

Abstract

The present research analyzes the color scheme of more than 30,000 photos in Airbnb listings in New York City to examine the relationship between the color schemes of Airbnb properties and guest ratings. The research finds that Airbnb listings with black as the dominant background or foreground color and those with magenta as the accent color received lower guest ratings than listings with other colors. This research also finds significant interaction effects of color, saturation, and value (brightness) of accent colors, indicating that it is important to select an optional saturation and value for each color.