Our family has spent over 30 nights in over 20 different AirBNBs.
It’s been a godsend.
We love AirBNB. We prefer it to any other type of lodging, and we’ve used plenty of other types.
If you haven’t tried it yet, I’m about to tell you why you should. And best of all, if you use this link, you can get up to $50 in travel credit… just for trying it out!
Here’s why AirBNB is superior to traditional lodging…
1. AirBNB is More Accommodating
We have five kids, so it’s not easy to find a hotel room. And when we do, we usually can’t stay in one (silly fire codes).
Suites are highly overpriced and never impressive… and they don’t always hold seven people.
AirBNBs have as much space as you need, and we know the exact sleeping arrangements before we get there, thanks to the bed layout on the profile.
It breaks it down to the exact beds available:
2. AirBNB is Cheaper
I used to say AirBNB is cheaper for us since we are a family of seven, but I’ve come to realize that it’s just cheaper in general.
When my wife and I have traveled without the kids to expensive places like Rome and Venice, we’ve been able to find AirBNBs for around $30/night. And they were nice.
I’ve come to the conclusion that, if you look around at several, AirBNB is much cheaper than hotels, and can often rival hostel prices.
For example, this 4-bed home, nested in the Dolomite mountains of Italy, is currently $103/night:
We once stayed in a completely remodeled Belgium farm house (originally built in the 1700s) for $28/night, and we’ve stayed in a small German village for $25/night. And they were both entire houses.
3. The Locations Are Better
A city may have 20 hotels, but it has thousands of apartments and houses. And many of them are turned into AirBNBs.
Since they are scattered throughout cities, you can choose to be exactly where you want to be.
4. You Get Local Culture
We’ve stayed all over Europe, and this is the best part!
Why stay in a commercialized hotel when you can immerse yourself in the culture?
You get a feel for what it’s like to actually live in that city. Even in the States, you can feel what it’s like to live in a different area than you’re used to. Yes, we do have culture in the States.
We’ve had so many awesome experiences seeing how the locals do things — using the local appliances, and even seeing what they keep in the cupboards.
Here’s the view from an AirBNB unit in downtown Munich, Germany:
You can even meet your neighbors if you’re the social type.
5. You Can Take Pets
We don’t have pets at the moment, but when we do, AirBNB is always the best choice.
Simply filter by only pet-friendly places:
You’ll find that you have more options than you would with alternative lodging.
6. You Have a Kitchen
Not only is it cheaper to stay in an AirBNB, but they come with a fully stocked kitchen if you choose, so you can save money on food while you’re saving money on lodging.
And the best part is, this doesn’t cost extra, it’s actually the standard.
All units don’t come with a kitchen, of course, but it’s easy to find one that does.
This is a pretty standard kitchen for Europe:
6. Flexible Check-In/Out Times
Want to arrive at midnight or check out at 2pm? Most AirBNBs will allow that if you let them know ahead of time.
Hotels often give your room away or charge for these services. With AirBNB, you’re just communicating with a regular person.
This actually goes for cancelling too, not that you would typically want to cancel. But if plans change, there are various cancellation policies, from super flexible (lets you cancel all the way up to 24 hrs out for a full refund) to super strict (can only cancel within 48 hours of booking for a refund). You can see the different types here.
And on top of that, check-in/out is usually easier!
This isn’t always the case, but with most of the AirBNBs we’ve stayed in, we literally booked it online, and checked in via a lockbox.
You get your keys out of a box, and the house is yours. You don’t have to talk to anyone if you don’t want to.
7. You Get Local Tips
Hosts are not hired guides, but I’ve never met a host who wasn’t willing [and usually passionate] to give us all the best tips about the area. Many even comes complete with self-made city guide books.
From the restaurants where the locals go to the hidden history throughout the town, you’ll get a more personalized experience.
8. You Get to See New Places
We love seeing different AirBNBs. We’ve even got some ideas for what we want to add when we build a house.
Ever seen or used a bidet? What about a fold-down ironing board or a washer/dryer behind a cabinet in the kitchen? We’ve seen all kinds of unique things like this, and it’s fun for us and the kids.
Here are a couple extreme examples of what you can get with AirBNB:
Each time we go into a new AirBNB, the kids scatter and start checking out all of the unique features. Though we haven’t stayed in a castle or an igloo yet, our time is coming!
9. You Get More Privacy
Hotels are great, until your neighbor snores at 2am, or until the room across the hall is full of a fraternity throwing a party.
In AirBNBs, you get to pick whether you want an apartment (still more private than a hotel) or a separated home.
We’ve had all kinds of amazing private balconies or courtyards in the AirBNBs we’ve used. The privacy is real. If you want to get away from the crowd, AirBNBs work wonders.
10. You Get More Room
On top of having more places to sleep, you have more space in general.
You’ll often get a full living room, kitchen, and dining room.
If you’re looking for space, you’ve found it.
At Least Try it Out
If you haven’t tried AirBNB yet, give it a shot.
We’re going to Croatia this weekend, and we already found a prime, downtown spot for around $25/night. It’s a 2-bedroom home, with a stocked kitchen, and fast WiFi!
Seven people for $25/night? Pretty impressive if you ask me.
Use this link to get up to $50 in travel credit. You have nothing to lose. It’s cheaper and better than most hotels. You won’t be disappointed.
One Last Thing: Consider Hosting
If you have a rental property, or even a spare bedroom, consider earning some extra money as an AirBNB host.
You can learn more here.
Anyone can become a host. I’ve seen listings where people rent out their backyard, and don’t even provide the tent.
You may be in a prime location to earn some money as a host.