6 Reasons why we love Airbnb
Ever since we tried Airbnb in 2016 we have loved it and often it has brought lots of extra value to our trip.
1. Meeting local people
When exploring a country we like to meet local people as we think it’s only like this you really learn how a country is. Over the years we have met some very interesting hosts and had some very entertaining conversations with them. We have learned that people who open up their house to strangers are mostly warm and friendly people. All hosts have their own reasons why they are on Airbnb. Some hosts needed some extra money, had spare rooms after the kids have left or just want to meet people from over the world without travelling themselves. Only their main reason is often a good entry point for a good and interesting conversation.
It is always a surprise with whom you end up. When I was in Los Angeles for work and stayed an extra day to explore the area, I ended up with an actress who rented out a room. She played in some movies a couple of years ago.
You can also meet other fellow travelers during your stay. Sometimes the hosts rent out multiple rooms and like this we have met people from across the globe. It makes it a nice mixed gathering in the evening. Each telling his own adventures, compare how life goes in our own countries. Of course you are free to meet up with them or not.
2. Save money
We have learned that an Airbnb option is systematically cheaper than a hotel. However, we did notice that it became more expensive over time. According to us the service fees have increased. Nevertheless, it is still cheaper. When we wanted a last minute hotel in the city center of Amsterdam we did not find anything (decent) below 180 euro. On Airbnb we found immediate in the center a nice room with private bathroom for about 120 euro. A nice reduction according to me. In many of the Airbnb you have coffee in the morning and most hosts have some small breakfast possibilities. Like you can use their jam or Nutella if you have bought bread. It depends from stay to stay. One time in Canada, the lovely Judy offered freshly baked muffins.
Now there is a trend that more and more hosts are renting rooms and operate it more like a hotel. A pity and like this it looses a bit of its soul according to us. But hey, if we have a great place to stay and safe some money, why not.
Via this link you can safe some money on your first trip.
3. Curiosity
Ever wondered like us when you pass by some houses how their interior would look? How the people would live in their house. With Airbnb you get access to those houses. You can learn and see how local people are living in their houses. We think it’s each time exciting to explore a new house. What is the layout of the house, what furniture and decoration do they have. When you stay quite often abroad like us, for both pleasure and work, the charm of a hotel is a bit lost. Each hotel is more or less the same. You know what to expect, which is the opposite of Airbnb rooms.
4. Unique places
One of the most unique experiences was in Florida. We booked a room above the horse stables in the middle of nowhere. The room had some extra’s like a kitchen and there was a stand alone bath. The peace and nature around was so beautiful and really brought us a lot of joy. The hosts were very friendly and although we were in a hurry to check out to catch our flight, we keep on chatting with these friendly people. We would love to have some more time and explore the area. I took one of my coolest pictures ever with our rental car in front of the building.
5. Privacy or not?
When selecting a place on Airbnb you have different filters to find something that suits your needs and desires. Some have private bathrooms and some have shared ones. You can find rooms in a house, rooms with their own entrance and entire places for yourself. Up to you to pick what you want.
The hosts normally adapt to the guests their desires. If the guests wants interaction and tips about local life, the most are pleased to share their favorite restaurants and bars.
6. Home alone
A few times we had that the host had to leave last minute and that we had to collect the key in a secret location or a lock box. When you have to enter the house by yourself, find your own way, it’s exciting to explore this all. Feels maybe a bit like a burglary, not that we have experience with that. But still, it’s a strange feeling, and after a few times you get more and more used to it.
Conclusion
We really recommend Airbnb and only had positive experiences with the people and the platform. You can choose how adventurous you are. Either you only pick top hosts with hundreds of positive evaluations and can be guaranteed things will be fine. Or you just pick the location that you want with a new host who is still building up some reputation.
That is in fact the good thing on platforms like Airbnb, Uber, … that they are reputation based. Both host and guest are being reviewed and over time you get a good indication of the quality of the place.
Last choice you will have to make is either to make a direct booking or a request for booking. Some hosts don’t use direct booking, so they have the time to check the profile of the guests before inviting them in their house. That is an extra security check for them. Here your quality of the reviews you get are important. Luckily we only received good reviews so far 🙂
So why doubting longer? Give it a try. And if you use the Airbnb promotion code on our discount page, you will get a nice reduction for your first booking.
