How Airbnb Hosts Can Capitalise on Aintree Grand National Demand
The Randox Grand National at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, creates an opportunity for local short-let owners and Airbnb hosts, with a concentrated three-day demand spike and Grand National Day carrying the strongest premium.
Overview
- 140,000+ racegoers attended the 3-day Randox Grand National Festival in 2026, including a sold-out Ladies Day crowd of 53,012 (biggest attendance since 2012).
- The 2027 Festival runs from 8–10 April, giving hosts plenty of time to price ahead.
- Grand National Day commands higher nightly premiums than Opening Day or an ordinary April weekend.
- Any short-lets near Aintree Racecourse or Liverpool City Centre can compete for demand.
- Two-night minimum stays work well Friday-Saturday but only if the booking pace supports it.
For Airbnb owners in Aintree, Liverpool and surrounding areas, the Aintree Grand National offers a predictable period where thousands of visitors need accommodation.
As professional Merseyside Airbnb managers, here’s how we’d price around it.
Image:John Bradley via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
How much should you increase Airbnb prices for the Grand National?
Top tip: Don’t apply one pricing premium across the whole Festival.
Demand on Grand National Saturday is considerably stronger than an ordinary Thursday or Opening Day.
To price yourself perfectly in the market, we’d recommend testing:
| Festival period | Suggested pricing approach |
|---|---|
| Opening Day | 20-30% above normal April pricing |
| Ladies Day | 30-40% premium |
| Grand National Day | Test 40-60% where demand supports it |
| Strong booking pace 45-60 days out | Add another 5-10% |
| Still vacant 10-14 days before arrival | Reduce the premium by 10-15% |
Bear in mind that pricing depends on your property type and size. Four-bedroom houses sleeping eight guests in a street like Aintree Lane, close to the racecourse, can support a very different nightly rate from a one-bed flat further away.
The key to maximising your income during this period of high demand is to open higher, then let the booking pace show whether the market can support further increases.
Most importantly, don’t wait until race week
The Grand National Dates for 2027 are already confirmed, which gives Aintree hosts plenty of time to increase rates before accommodation starts disappearing.
We recommend reviewing pricing 60-90 days before the Festival, then checking local availability regularly as April approaches. If comparable properties to yours are booking quickly, increase by another 5-10%.
If your calendar is not filling while plenty of alternatives are still available, don’t hold on to your premiums simply because it’s Grand National weekend, as you might be pricing yourself out of bookings completely.
How close do you need to be to Aintree?
Owning a property beside the racecourse can mean higher premiums, but it’s not necessary. Aintree has its own railway station, and direct trains connect it to Liverpool city centre in about 18 minutes.
For short-term rental owners, this means your Airbnb in Liverpool can still compete for racegoer bookings, particularly if you have good access to Liverpool Central and the Merseyrail network. Make this obvious within your listing.
Instead of:
“Great Liverpool location.”
Use:
“Direct train access to Aintree Racecourse.”
or:
“Approximately 20 minutes by train to Aintree.”
Racegoers care about how easily they can reach the course, especially when tens of thousands of people are also making the same journey at the same time.
The two-night minimum debate
Group demand is huge and important during the Grand National. Four, six or eight people travel together and might otherwise need several hotel rooms.
Larger Airbnb homes let groups stay together and split the total cost, and a two-night minimum on the Grand National weekend is one occasion when this can make sense.
On Friday and Saturday nights, HelloGuest recommends opening with a two-night minimum, especially if your short-let is larger. This can:
- Increase total booking value.
- Capture guests attending both Ladies Day and Grand National Day.
- Reduce the operational cost of a one-night turnaround.
But monitor booking pace. If you’re still vacant 10-14 days before arrival, relax the restriction to one night instead of losing the booking entirely.
Tips for Airbnb hosts during the Grand National
Our Liverpool short-let managers recommend:
- Open Grand National Saturday around 40-60% above normal April rates where local demand supports it.
- Price Ladies Day slightly lower, around 30-40% above baseline.
- Start monitoring local availability 60-90 days out.
- Add another 5-10% if nearby accommodation is selling faster than expected.
- Reduce an unsold premium by 10-15% around two weeks before arrival.
- Test two-night minimum stays on Fridays and Saturdays.
- Relax minimum stays closer to arrival if booking pace is weak.
- Highlight direct transport to Aintree in your listing.
- Price larger properties against multiple hotel rooms.
- Keep normal April dates competitively priced rather than extending Grand National premiums across the month.
- Check your property’s planning and short-let compliance position before operating regularly.
The Grand National gives Merseyside short-let owners a big opportunity: three high-demand dates you can identify long before guests arrive. But maximising your revenue during this period means more than just raising your prices.
Hosts need to price each Festival day differently, monitor how quickly local accommodation sells and know when to increase or reduce their nightly rate.
At HelloGuest, our Merseyside property managers handle dynamic pricing, listing optimisation, guest communication and day-to-day management across Liverpool and Aintree.
Explore our Airbnb management services, pricing strategies, or Liverpool compliance guidance.
