Host facial features and Airbnb listing prices: a spatial hedonic pricing approach

ABSTRACT This study aims to examine the relationship between hosts’ facial features and Airbnb listing prices alongside other house attributes. We use a spatial hedonic pricing model to analyze 1,411 Airbnb listings in Shanghai, China. The results show that intrinsic functional attributes of listings are the dominant factors of price, followed by host attributes (especially host facial features such as facial width-to-height ratio). Specifically, the lower a host’s facial width-to-height ratio is, the higher the listing price. In addition, the results from concentric ring areas vary within the same city. This study contributes new insights into pricing in shared accommodations.