If you don’t know about Airbnb already, you are truly missing out! Airbnb is a website where you can book accommodations for ANYWHERE in the world. Not only can you find places to stay for whatever your destination may be, but you can find all different types of accommodations; from castles and villas, to just a normal private room, or even a couch to sleep on. Airbnb has it all!

The Pricing

Prices ranges vary as greatly as the different types of accommodations too!  Not only does it have any type of accommodation, but you can find an accommodation for any price range. When looking for myself, I have seen prices as low as $10/night, and all the way up to $1500/night, and I am sure there are higher priced accommodations out there as well!

My Experience

My history with Airbnb is pretty short at this point in time, I have only stayed with them on 3 different occasions, but I do have 2 more reservations already set up for an upcoming trip to Europe. I first heard about Airbnb through my roommate Sarah when she came back from studying abroad in Tasmania. We were having one of our taco nights to welcome her back home, and she was telling us about all of her adventures from down under. When I asked her if she stayed in hotels, or with friends, she told me about some hostels she had stayed in, and then told me about Airbnb.

We were also planning a road trip to Seattle, Portland, and Seaside at the time, so she mentioned we might want to look into that for our trip to save money. I was definitely skeptical about it at first. I mean you stay with a complete stranger, and who knows what they will be like or what the home will look like, but now that I have given Airbnb a chance, I have never looked back.

We stayed in an Airbnb while in Seattle and in a town a couple of hours outside of Seattle. Both of them were wonderful, and were exactly as pictured. The hosts were helpful as well; they gave great recommendations on what we should do and where we should go to eat, and the best part of all is the hosts were welcoming and friendly. Sarah and I also felt safe with them, which is probably the most important thing of all.

Now that you have read my experience with Airbnb thus far, let me name 7 reasons why you should give Airbnb a chance for your next adventure!

 

 

1. Your Money Will Go Further!

When looking on Airbnb for accommodations, you can find some amazing deals. When we stayed in Seattle, our room was $25/night, and it was roomy, clean, and safe. The host was welcoming and offered toast, bagels, and fruit for breakfast. He also had bathroom essentials for us to use at no extra cost. In Seattle we didn’t get a chance to talk to the host too much, but when we did, he was very helpful with any questions we had. Personally I have never been to a hotel that was $25/night with all of those “extras”. You’re money truly does go a lot further with Airbnb.

2. You Get to Live Like A Local… and Meet Locals!

When you book Airbnb, you are literally booking a home away from home, usually where a local actually lives. This means you get to live like the locals do. This is the best way to be introduced to a new place, and you can normally find hidden gems of your destination by getting off the path of a normal tourist staying in a hotel. Take advantage of staying with people who know where you are; pick their brains about things to do and not do, places to eat, and any other questions you may have.

3. Trustworthy Booking Site

I have a lot of friends who have booked with Airbnb, and not one of them has ever had a complaint about the security of booking with Airbnb. They keep your card information safe, and never give it to the person who is hosting you. I have never had a host cancel on me, but if they do Airbnb will give you a refund right away, and will automatically post to the account of the host who cancelled so that other people looking to book with them will know that may happen to them as well. This shows that Airbnb truly does care about you, and it is a very trustworthy site.

4. User Friendly

Communication is key when you are traveling in a new place, and Airbnb makes it very easy to communicate with your host before booking your accommodations. You can send a message to the person who has the listing and the response time is usually within 24 hours. The layout of the site is also very easy to understand when it comes to figuring out what type of accommodation you are looking at.

They list out the house rules, check in/check out times, and what exactly the room or house looks like so you know everything before booking. They also show all of the reviews from previous travelers, whether good or bad. All of this information is really easy to access, and the layout is very user friendly.

5. Accommodations are Unique

The accommodations available on Airbnb are very unique. Like I said earlier, you can find anything on Airbnb. I have personally only stayed and booked locations for private rooms, and houses, but I have seen so many other listing available. There are castles, treehouses, bungalows, and literally anything else you would be looking for in a room. Airbnb is pretty unique in this way because you can stay at these amazingly unique accommodations for the same price or even less than a normal hotel room. I mean, who doesn’t want to stay in a castle?!

6. You Can Cook!

This might seem silly, but when you are on a long trip, sometimes a home cooked meal is just what you need. Traveling is exciting, and trying the food in a foreign place is something you need to do to experience it completely, but every now and then you will want to just make something that is comfortable to you. Also, if you are ever finding that you are low on cash, cooking at home is a fantastic way to save some money! Go to a local grocery store or better yet a farmers market, get some ingredients and make yourself and maybe your host, a nice meal.

7. You Can Pay Before You Go On Your Trip

Traveling does add up financially, and the more you can have paid for upfront, the better. When you book an accommodation with Airbnb, you put in your payment information and the money comes out of your account right away. When booking with a regular hotel, you normally don’t pay before checking in, and most hotels will keep a hold on your credit card of at least $200.00.

While you will get that money back, I prefer to have as much in my account as possible just in case anything comes up, and sometimes holds can take 2 weeks to go back. The other nice thing with paying up front is the money you take with you is the money that you will have to pay for souvenirs, sightseeing, or food. You don’t have to budget for hotels, and make sure that you have enough money in that regard, and it’s always nice to have one less thing to worry about while on a trip.

 

Now I have listed 7 of the reasons I love Airbnb, and I hope it will inspire you to book your next adventure with them! Take my word for it, they are safe, reliable, and offer unique accommodations for any price range. Give them a chance, and I guarantee you will be hooked!