ALOHA!
Maybe you’ve heard of airbnb because you know someone who has become an airbnb host to make side income.
Or maybe you’ve heard of airbnb because you know someone who has stayed in an airbnb home during their vacation to save a bunch of money or to stay in fun and unique accommodation.
So, why use airbnb as a guest?
Now, an airbnb may not be for everyone. But it can be for a lot of people! Much of it will also depend on what you’re looking for in a trip.
Now here are two quick reasons that you may want to use airbnb for your next trip or vacation, whether abroad or in your home country. (You can find airbnb homes and vacation rentals all over the world!)
Side note!
See about the best shoes for hiking in Hawaii and what to wear snorkeling in Hawaii! And for Hawaii vacation ideas, see the best things to do in Waikiki that will give you Hawaii vibes!
1. You can live local when you use airbnb
Many airbnb listings are those put up by people sharing space in their own homes. This means that you have the chance to stay in a local neighborhood in a good location and experience the local vibe, compared to staying in a hotel in a resort zone or a budget hotel in a shady or far away area. You may also be able to stay in a tourist hotspot for cheaper too.
You also have someone that you can ask questions (your airbnb host!) about the area you’re visiting to get the local perspective!
2. You can save money when you use airbnb
This is probably the biggest reason that people are introduced to airbnb. Compared to staying at hotels, an airbnb can give you considerable cost savings!
And not only can you save money on accommodation, you can save money on food too. Because many airbnb homes offer use of their kitchen as well, it means that you can save some money by buying groceries and cooking instead of eating out all the time.
That said, if you are looking for luxury accommodations on airbnb, or just a unique experience that isn’t necessarily the cheaper option, you can find that too.
Benefits of using airbnb in a foreign country
Using airbnb when you travel abroad can also be great for many reasons.
Here are some quick reasons to use airbnb during your international travels:
- It can give you a greater sense of security in knowing someone that can guide you with local advice if you run into trouble or illness
- It can help to ease culture shock or difference in culture
- You can get a home-stay like experience with cultural experience
- You can get home-cooked meals of a foreign cuisine
Read more about why to use airbnb in India or another country, especially when traveling solo.
Airbnb discount for first-time booking
If you haven’t signed up for airbnb yet, you can do so here. By going through that referral link, you will also get up to $40 off your first booking! (I get airbnb credit too — THANKS!)
And see here for a sampling of the variety of airbnbs that are available! They can range from someone’s home to bamboo huts to rooms with views you dream of to fairytale-like accommodation!
Scenic views from the balcony of your airbnb at a top travel destination? Yes please! 😉
Airbnb vs Hotels: Pricing and saving money on accommodation
Now let’s do a little cost comparison of airbnb vs traditional hotels:
- Think about a destination you have in mind for your next vacation. (If you are drawing a blank, just make it Honolulu, Hawaii.)
- First go here to a hotel booking site, select the hotels option, and enter your destination. SEARCH! Note how much the cheapest accommodation costs.
- Now go here to airbnb, and enter your destination. SEARCH! Not only will you likely find cheaper options, you will probably find options that might look more appealing too! And then you will get lost in all the different options you have! 😉
You can continue to read through the different airbnb listings to start to get an idea of the different options that are available. This can help you decide what features will be important to you when you are traveling.
How to search for your perfect airbnb home
- Search the listings in grid form
- Search the listing on the map
- Search by price
The search process can be pretty straight forward, and you can use the different ways to explore listings.
If you already know a specific area that you want to stay at your destination, using the map to search can also be helpful. Because the pricing shows up on the map, it can also give you an idea of what the going rate is to stay in any given neighborhood.
If you already know you that don’t want to pay $200 a night on accommodation, you probably don’t want to sift through all those search results. In this case, use the price filter at the top to eliminate the higher cost accommodation.
How does airbnb work with the booking process?
Once you have found an airbnb you like, you can check the calendar to see if they have your potential dates available.
Or, if you already have specific dates that aren’t flexible, you can conduct your airbnb search by inputting your dates from the beginning of your search. This will make it so that only homes with availability for your dates will show up.
Now that you have an airbnb that shows availability for your dates, you will have two options, based on the host’s preference and how they have their listing set up:
- Instant booking
- Request to book
Instant booking is just as it sounds. You can book an airbnb without waiting for the host’s approval. This is the way that you are used to when you book a hotel.
Not all hosts have their listings set up for instant booking.
If the instant booking feature isn’t listed, instead, you send your potential airbnb host a message through the “request to book” option. The host will then look at your message and profile to decide whether or not to accept you.
Most likely, unless you give them a reason not to book you (like you look like you’re going to tear apart their home, or you seem like a high maintenance person that will leave them a negative review… seriously!), they will accept your request. This is basically a way for hosts to be more guarded in who comes into their private home (and sacred space!).
Another reason that you may be denied is if their calendar isn’t up-to-date on airbnb because they have alternative ways to make bookings other than airbnb. For frequent airbnb hosts, this is probably on the rare side.
They have 24 hours to accept you, or the booking will be canceled. But if you look like a decent person, you will likely have no issues!
Note that even for instant bookings, a host can deny you, but they need to have a good reason for it.
Sometimes this instant booking filter will automatically be applied when you’re doing a search. This can limit your results. So make sure that you have it turned off to get more options. There really isn’t too big of a difference from the guest’s side of booking a place with instant booking vs request to book.
Fill out your profile
On the note of getting accepted by your potential host:
Before you send your potential airbnb host a message or request for booking, it can be a very good idea to have your profile filled out.
This basically means:
- Add a profile picture
- Add a brief bio
Now, you don’t have to go all out and write your life story in your profile. But maybe a few sentences or a paragraph explaining a little bit about yourself. Ideally, you will want to sound friendly. Consider adding a profile picture that also makes you seem friendly.
Remember, just as you are judging your airbnb host in deciding whether or not to stay there, they are judging you too! They are inviting you into their home!
What’s the biggest risk in using an airbnb instead of a hotel?
Is airbnb safe?
Of course, nothing is 100% fool-proof, but generally speaking, airbnb can be considered to be safe.
Doing your research and using common sense (and your intuition!) can go a long way.
This can include:
- Reading through the complete airbnb listing
- Reading through the reviews
- Looking at the pictures of the listing
By fully reading through the airbnb listing and reviews, you can get a little bit of a feel for the place (and the host!) in whether or not it’s a place worth staying at, as well as if it’s a right fit for you.
So, safety might not be the biggest risk in using airbnb.
Instead, one of the biggest risks may be…
What happens when your airbnb host cancels on you?
As you are doing your search for airbnb homes, you may sooner or later come across something like this in the review section…
“The host canceled this reservation 2 days before arrival. This is an automated posting.”
Let’s be honest… THAT SUCKS!
Can you imagine, you are doing your final preparation for the vacation that you’ve long been planning, and then you get an e-mail that says you no longer have a place to stay?!
Talk about stress!
That may be the worst part and biggest risk in using airbnb.
Airbnb hosts = real people with real lives
These hosts are real people and many people on airbnb are sharing a part of their home. And there is a chance that some real-life event occurs (like an elder parent falls ill), and they no longer are able to host you.
This is probably mostly if you book a space with a live-in host. Some hosts manage multiple properties making it more like traditional vacation rentals where the host lives off-site.
If you book a traditional hotel or resort, you could think of that added cost that you’re paying being the guarantee of an available room!
All that said, the chance of your host canceling on you is probably slim. But still, if you are the type to worry over the little things that you shouldn’t really worry about… it could add a little bit of stress to your vacation!
And hosts don’t want to cancel either, because they’ll get hit with penalties, which can include fees on the host’s side of up to $100.
So what do you do when your airbnb host cancels on you?!
Sigh, accept that it’s a fact of life, and get to searching for a new airbnb! 😉
What else to do? There’s not much you can do about the cancellation, so you might as well get to planning! And don’t let it ruin your vacation!
What happens to your payment when your airbnb host cancels your booking?
On the airbnb side, what actually happens is that they will notify you of the cancellation and suggest that you find a new airbnb.
They won’t immediately refund your money, unless you request it.
Instead, if you decide to book another airbnb, your previous payment will be applied to the new booking. If the new airbnb turns out to cost less than your canceled reservation, then you’ll get a refund of the price difference. If it costs more, you will pay the additional cost.
But again, this is likely a relatively small risk for the money you’ll save and experience you’ll have staying at an airbnb!
Ready to start searching for your next vacation home?!
Sign up here! Using that referral link, you can get a discount on your first airbnb booking!
Scenic views from the living room of your airbnb at a top travel destination? Yes please! 😉
HAPPY AIRBNB VACATION!
There are affiliate links on this page. Among other partners, as an Amazon Associate, I may receive a commission.
🐠 Here are things you must consider packing!
- Swimsuit or swimming shirt aka rash guard
- rash guard: swim set for women and swim shirt for men
- Water shoes
- Waterproof phone case (so you can capture pictures of fishies underwater!)
- cheapo phone case OR waterproof camera
- I also have this "camera" wrist float to attach to my cheapo waterproof phone case so my phone won't sink to the bottom of the ocean in case I somehow let go of it. (Mine does stay afloat - test this for yourself before completely trusting it!)
- Swimming goggles or snorkeling mask set
- Reef-safe(r) sunscreen
- lightweight travel towel:
- walking sandals:
I also don't go snorkeling without a personal swim float buoy. Not only does it help to keep me visible, but it makes for a perfect way to rest out in deeper water! Oh, and it also serves as a dry bag so I can take stuff into the water with me.
Another way I have taken valuables into the water with me is to wear a travel money belt that I don't mind getting wet with salt water (it's not waterproof but I have several so I just use one of them) and then I put things in a ziplock freezer bag, and put that freezer bag in the money belt.
There are also designated waterproof waist pouches that you can store your valuables and take into the water with you.
see more:
- What to wear hiking
- What to wear snorkeling