Bangkok ranks as Asia's second most popular destination among travellers booking an online rental home, behind only Tokyo, according to Roomorama.com, the US-based short-term home rental website.
Jia En Teo, the website's co-founder, said Bangkok is the top destination in Thailand largely because it was the first destination in the country to be featured on the website.
The Bangkok focus is due to the many guests travelling for business or leisure and looking for alternatives to hotels, especially when they are staying for more than three nights and want all the comforts and amenities of a home.
The company plans to add properties in popular destinations such as Koh Samui, Phuket and Chiang Mai, as these are typically must-visit places for travellers to Thailand.
"Koh Samui and Phuket will certainly gain in popularity as we get more villa options for travellers who are tired of the large resorts," said Ms Jia.
Bangkok has been one of the top three Asian destinations since last year, and this year it is followed by Beijing.
"Top five destinations worldwide this year are New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and Sydney, while those in 2011 were New York, London, Paris, Barcelona and Rome. Tokyo and Sydney came into the top five in 2012 because we have a higher number of options in these two cities. Hotel prices in Tokyo and Sydney are also fairly high."
Meanwhile, the top five nationalities booking via Roomorama in 2012 were American, Italian, British, Australian and Singaporean.
The concept of staying in a home or apartment instead of a hotel is more popular in Europe and the US, said Ms Jia. However, this practice is spreading to Asia-Pacific, with Australians leading the pack, followed by Singaporeans.
With Asian cities starting to become more alluring but more expensive to travellers, both homeowners (hosts) and travellers (guests) will see greater value in offering a space for rent or renting a space while travelling.
According to PhoCusWright Inc, the US-based travel market research company, the global vacation rental market was worth US$105 billion this year, up from $85 billion last year.
Ms Jia said Asia, accounting for less than 20% of the total, is not yet well penetrated, but low penetration is an opportunity for Roomorama to expand this industry in Asia.
"Asia is becoming more affluent and savvy. Travellers are looking for ways to have a unique yet affordable travel experience. Asian travellers also seek comfort and reliability," she said.
To meet this need, the company focuses on professionally managed properties in the mid-market and high-end ranges or savvy and smart travellers who are looking for value yet want a unique and comfortable experience.
However, the low-end backpacker market is not a target.
"We have small, local property management companies that manage anywhere from 50-500 properties. By partnering with them, we're able to grow our listings quite quickly while ensuring high standards of quality and reliability," said Ms Jia.
Currently, Roomorama has more than 250,000 registered users using the website to book their stays and expects to more than double that number in 2013.
It has 70,000 properties in 2012, up from 30,000 last year.
By the third quarter of 2013, the number is expected to rise to 100,000 in more than 5,000 destinations worldwide.
The largest number of properties is in New York, London and Paris, although Asian cities are starting to grow in popularity as well.
Its Asian properties account for 28.5% of the total, making it a leading website for travellers looking for short-term accommodations on this continent.
In Southeast Asia, where it has 7,000 properties, Thailand has the most by far, followed by Indonesia and Malaysia. Thai properties number about 2,500, with the number expected to double by mid-2013.
Bookings total 600-700 room nights per day, which will more than double in 2013 as more properties are added worldwide. The company also offers options for instant bookings of a large number of properties.
The average number of nights per booking is 10, while the average room rate per night is US$110-120.
Ms Jia said the short-term rental market is still in its infancy but will continue to grow and strongly rival the hotel industry for those looking for alternatives to hotels.