I'm not sure I should be so bold as to presume I come to you with mounds of wisdom on a regular basis, although I do hope I get to share a bit of that with you now and then. But it does seem I'm always telling you things, and now I'm ready to learn from you!
Because no one likes dramatic buildup, I'll tell you from the beginning that this is leading to questions about your experiences with Airbnb.
Now the dramatic buildup. :)
Ryan and I like to travel when we can, but of course we are pretty much a one-income household (since my income isn't consistent) and we dearly love to be frugal. (Alternative way of saying we're cheap.)
Ryan is fantastic at sniffing out a deal on pretty much anything in life, so I usually leave the lodging hunting to him when we're planning a vacation. Usually I come up with the itinerary and entertainment, and he finds our rooms. He does a great, great job at finding bargains that allow us to travel comfortably without spending a fortune.
But never have we ever stayed in an Airbnb. I have just enough Facebook friends who use nothing but Airbnb to become fascinated by the topic, and I've been researching the idea for our next vacation. (I'm always planning the next vacation.)
I have done some heavy searching on Pinterest to learn as much as I can about what the process is like, red flags to watch for, tips and tricks, etc. But I wanted to post about it today because I figure a few of you out there in our blog-friend-land have surely used it before and can perhaps enlighten me!
Here are some basic questions I'd love to know your experience with - and if you have any other thoughts along the way, please do throw them in!
1. The private entrance conundrum. In my initial searches, I refused to consider anything that was not a whole-house scenario or at the very least, didn't have its own private entrance. All my hours of watching Dateline are haunting me. I don't want to be on the show as the victim. (Or at all, really.) In many of the places I'm hunting, I find a decent amount of whole-house options, but I also know some are less expensive if you're open to just considering a room within a house.
It feels very weird to me to consider staying IN THE HOME of a complete stranger. I may never be able to get over that, but have any of you rented just a room, rather than a house? Thoughts?
2. Neighborhood safety. In some cases, the places we're looking are smaller towns, but in some cases, I'm considering larger cities, and I don't know them at all. If I can't tell from context clues of the pictures (are there bars on the windows?) or reviews others have left about the neighborhood atmosphere, are there good ways to find out about the safety of the area? It's not just my own noggin I'm worried about, but things like the safety of our car while parked outside.
3. Guest reviews. I noticed in some of the articles I read through Pinterest that hosts can review guests? I wasn't able to see that part easily as I hunted for homes, so how does that work? I like to think we're clean and easy guests (Ryan actually makes hotel beds and has been known to take out our trash before we leave ANY hotel) but I just want to know how that part works!
4. Secret tips. Are you supposed to take a hostess gift? Are you supposed to tip? Are there little things like that I wouldn't know about that would lead me to getting a bad review?
5. Do you like them at all? That's the bottom line. If you've stayed in them before, would you do it again?
So tell me! What do I need to know about Airbnb?
1 hour ago
8 comments:
I've never done it, but know people who adore it and have had nothing but perfect experiences!
We have done it and live in a vacation town in Florida, where almost everyone rents out their home with it. If you're nervous then start with homeaway.com. It is the same concept but they only allow completely private units. When you search on Airbnb it pulls up a detailed map locating your property. Just use the coordinates to research that neighborhood. You can get crime statistics and the like. The guest review is more of a cursory nod, it gives the host power if you smoke, drink, or destroy their property
, so you will be fine. No need to tip or bring anything. Think of it as a bed and breakfast without all the perks �� We enjoy using it because it allows more vacations at a cheaper price.
VRBO is vacation rental by owner on homeaway.com it is great to stay in a house and not a hotel with hundreds of people with noise and smoke and kids. The only way to travel
Mayday
I've never used Airbnb so I've no thoughts on it. I have used VRBO and I highly recommend it.
We use air BnB regularly. We have used it for whole house rentals as well as just a room. And we have done it in small towns and large cities. In the city, your host will have parking instructions so you can be sure to put the car in a safe place. You can interact with the host and ask as many questions as you need to. The good hosts are quick to respond. When we have rented just a room, usually you get a door code to gain access to the home so you can come and go as needed. Do not tip or bring a hostess gift. Many times the host isn't actually there and just uses a cleaning service for the cleaning. You can't think of it as a bed and breakfast. It is more like a hotel stay in someone's home. We have rarely interacted with the hosts in person. Do not plan on actually getting breakfast. Some will have light snacks and coffee available but there is no actual breakfast. I have always been pleased with the cleanliness and quality of the places we have stayed. I doubt you will really have any issues with the neighborhood. The type of people who host on Air BnB are doing it as a business and are in good areas so they can get people to stay with them. Read the reviews of previous guests. That's always helpful. I say go for it when you can. We have enjoyed using the service.
We also have used VRBO.com many times in different parts of the U.S. & have had nothing but positive experiences. If we've had issues come up during our stay the owners have quickly resolved them.
We just used it for the first time on our trip a week ago. One place was a room in someone's small house and one place was more like a real BnB with about five rooms rented out in a huge house. At first we felt a little weird letting ourselves into someone else's house but they're so used to it so it's really not a big deal. We would definitely do it again just because of the price! One thing- both places were a shared bathroom which for us was not a big deal but if that is something you wouldn't like then make sure to take note of that!
Thank you all SO MUCH! I hadn't considered sites like home away and VRBO because in most cases we're staying just one night, and I had it in my head that with those, you had to stay a minimum of two or more. But I'll check just to see! Thank you SO SO MUCH!!! So helpful!
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