Last Updated on November 10, 2021
If thinking about traveling makes you think about hotels immediately, it’s worth having a little look at Airbnb. This post is here to demystify the Airbnb experience for those who are unfamiliar and tell you why it’s an excellent option for any traveler.
There are many aspects to traveling, including meeting new people, seeing new places, and experiencing things you couldn’t at home. Where you stay each night plays a big part in the overall experience. Whether you are on holiday, working, or exploring, Airbnb offers some advantages over hotels that are well worth your attention.
First of all, let’s look at what Airbnb really is and how it works. Then we’ll get into why it might be better for travelers than the standard hotel option.
About Airbnb
Airbnb describes itself as a “community built on sharing.” The Airbnb mission immediately differentiates it from the usual hotel experience.
When the founders of Airbnb – Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky – shared their space with travelers in 2008, the light bulb went on over their heads. Not long later, Airbnb was born to help people all over the world share their spaces, passions, and interests. Gebbia’s San Francisco apartment was the first listing to appear on Airbnb. Today, Airbnb lists around 3 million hosts worldwide.
Is Airbnb safe?
As part of Airbnb’s safety and security policy, it vets its community’s profiles and listings. It also incorporates a secure messaging system so that hosts and guests can communicate in confidence. When transferring money, Airbnb has security technology in place to protect each party.
As with other communities where people meet in person after meeting online, it’s wise to use best practices to stay safe.
- Before communicating with potential hosts online, it’s wise to use Nuwber to check their identity. An Airbnb user must list his or her full name, date of birth, and accurate contact information. Nuwber will help you get a little information about Airbnb users and help put your mind at ease.
- Check out a potential host’s reviews from other users. Look for any subtle clues that a host might be problematic. People might not want to say outright that someone was rude. Note how experienced they are in the Airbnb community.
- Before meeting anyone from an Airbnb, make sure you let friends and family know where you are going, and then check in with them regularly. This is good advice for any traveler.
Benefits of Airbnb over Hotels
1 It’s Cheaper
Staying with an Airbnb host tends to be cheaper than staying at a hotel. One big reason for this is because Airbnb owners don’t have the same overhead costs as hotels. Their typically lower price makes them very attractive to travelers, but it’s not the only thing that separates them from hotels.
2 Better Value
You can often get more for your money by staying at an Airbnb. For the same price as a comfortable room in a hotel, it’s possible to get an entire self-catering apartment that happily meets the needs of several people. You might find that parking is included, which is also particularly valuable in a city.
3 More self-service options
Eating at hotels can be mouth-watering, but the bill can be eye-watering. One way to save a lot of money by traveling is by preparing your own food, which is often easier and cheaper with an Airbnb setup.
4 Meet locals
Airbnb focuses on community and sharing, so if you like to meet people and learn from them, Airbnb is the way forward. Whether you want insight into the area or a pleasurable stay with new people, Airbnb is likely to be more useful than most hotels.
If hanging out with hosts is not at all your thing, that’s okay, too, of course. There are no rules that say you must be best buddies with your host.
5 More accommodation choices
Airbnb has around 3 million hosts, across 100,000 cities. You can expect a wide variety of spaces. Sometimes a single room will be on offer. Other times, you could have an entire building and its grounds to enjoy. You are also likely to find places that have different functions at different times of the year, so expect some unusual accommodation choices that might surprise and please you.
People often also find that staying at an Airbnb helps them get off the beaten track. This enables them to see and experience places in a way that they wouldn’t if they had stayed in a hotel in the tourist center of a city.
6 Helps prevent hotels from taking advantage of travelers
Traditionally, when demand for places to stay is high, such as New Year’s Eve, hotels fill up fast. They can then charge massively inflated prices for remaining rooms. With a captive audience, people had few options but to pay surplus costs for somewhere to stay. This is no longer so evident.
The Airbnb model changed hotels’ domination during peak demand by offering travelers more places to stay and more reasonable prices. This encourages hotels to keep their prices fair to compete. While this might not be so good for those at the top of the hotel industry food chain, it’s good news for travelers.
Airbnb offers the potential for a more profound traveling experience than staying in a hotel. It can have some jaw-dropping accommodation with self-contained and self-catering spaces and parking. Meeting people and staying in unusual locations are entirely possible. And it tends to be cheaper or better value than staying at a hotel. Whether you’re loading up the car for a family holiday or setting off on foot with a backpack and a compass, it’s worth thinking of Airbnb.
