7 Reasons to try AirBnB

How you can fall in love with travel again

By Brittney M. Walker

If you haven’t already, get yourself an AirBnB account and get to traveling the world. The community lodging site allows both private home owners and boutique hotels to list their spots to rent for travelers. With a community grading system, both renters and travelers can rate and review each other, check out others’ critiques and check out photos of properties. Travelers can choose spaces from single beds and bedrooms to complete homes and even houseboats locally and all over the world.

I’ve stayed at several Airbnb establishments now, including an Airstream and guest homes internationally. So far, my experiences have been pleasant and most always interesting. I’d recommend booking an Airbnb spot over any hotel or resort.

1. Affordable with quality control – Travelers can choose all types of prices and fit any budget and still get great quality lodging at almost any price. Because Airbnb is community driven and only those who’ve stayed at the spaces can leave reviews, share tips and basically hold a renter accountable for good quality. In the meantime, there are a variety of places to choose from all within your price range. Travelers can hostel it or rent a mansion from $11 to $1000. Airbnb has made travel accessible and diverse for everyday folks. In Thailand I stayed in a beautiful condo with an amazing view for under $30 a night. It was steps away from the beach, the local market and great food.

2. Creative spaces – Have you ever wanted to stay on a houseboat but haven’t got a clue where to find one? Airbnb has it. What about a tree house? Got that too. Maybe you want to rent a 6-bedroom house for your girlfriends getaway. Airbnb’s got your back. There are so many different ways to spend your vacation and where you lay your head can be a part of that experience. Once, my boo and I stayed in an Airstream in L.A. Although it’s my hometown, we wanted to try something new. The camper was situated in someone’s backyard. And the place was done up with a “deck” and an outdoor shower. The space was private and we only interacted with the host when we arrived.

3. Local tips – If you decide to book at someone’s private home, you’ll likely end up with a pocket full of local tips and maybe even a personal tour guide throughout your stay. While spending time in Cambodia, my host was on stand-by for advice about the local culture, food, sites and foreigner-free zones. He even took me out to a ‘secret’ locals’ market where there was zero harassment from vendors.

4. International – I’ve stopped searching for hotel deals by now, even when traveling internationally simply because I get all my lodging check boxes filled on Airbnb. Hotel prices don’t come close, especially for international tourists. I’ve found that I score comfy accommodations sometimes for a quarter of the cost my fellow tourists get their hotels. Plus, with the added benefit of staying with a local and away from the tourist trap, I have an intimate experience with the destination. Also, don’t you worry your pretty little head about language barriers because Airbnb translates for you. Yay!

5. Accessible hosts – If you have questions about the property or need some assurances about the neighborhood before booking, chat with the host. Ask her questions, tell her what you need or if you even want to negotiate the price (I’ve done it). Airbnb gives travelers and renters the private space to communicate before and after booking. There have been times I’ve almost booked properties on looks alone. But with further discussion with the owners, I learned that it wasn’t the right place for my needs.

6. Safe to use – Worried about your credit card info being abused? Money and credit card info is never changed between travelers and hosts. Airbnb does all the money handling. And if you have a problem, just know Airbnb is good about refunds and mediating the financial part of your experience. Once I booked a spot in another country and my travel plans changed. So I needed to cancel. I let my host and Airbnb know via their cancel button and everything was squared away. I got a full refund. Every experience isn’t the same. It all depends on the host’s cancellation policy and your timing. Just be sure to look at all of that before booking.

7. Easy to use – Available on a mobile app and on your desktop, you can set the destination of your dreams, a date and swipe through hundreds of listings. You can even search by neighborhood or needs by choosing your preferences like, “close to public transportation,” or “quiet and friendly.” While planning a trip to Istanbul, Turkey, I swiped and swiped on my mobile device until I got a good photo, great location and a price I liked. I did everything easily from my phone. The spot was trendy, in a less traveled neighborhood and close to public transportation.

So give Airbnb a try. It’ll change the way you travel.