I love Airbnb. I’ve used it all over the world and choose Airbnb over hotels for 99% of the trips we book. It’s significantly cheaper than hotels (most destinations) and I love to be away from the touristy areas and live more like a local. We don’t spend much time in our room since we are usually out exploring so all I ever ask if for a clean bed and a nice shower.

For those of you who may not have heard of Airbnb, you book unique accommodations all around the world. You can choose to book a room in an apartment, an entire home, or they’ve introduced experiences as well.

Airbnb tends to get a bad rep since usually, things aren’t reported on the news unless it’s negative. But I’ve never had any issues. On our most recent trip to Aruba, our Airbnb stay was just a bit over $300. We met others on excursions who were staying at hotels paying upwards of $800 with nothing included. We were only a short drive away from the beaches and restaurants but had our own large room, bathroom, and patio to hang out on when we were there. To read more about Aruba, click here.

Things to consider

When booking an Airbnb, here are some things to pay attention to:

  • Reviews. Before I look at anything else, I read the reviews. Reviews cannot be removed unless it violates the Review Policy. Hosts can post a public review responding to the review, but they are not able to remove bad reviews.
  • Photos. I don’t expect it to look exact to the photos since I understand furniture can be rearranged and wall art can be exchanged, but it should look pretty dang similar.
  • Amenities. Does the Airbnb have wifi? What about beach towels? Beach chairs? A hairdryer? A first aid kit? These are the kinds of amenities I am interested in if I am booking.
  • Proximity. How close am I to restaurants, beaches, etc? These are deciding factors on if we are renting a car, using public transportation, or if we are within walking distance. This is a completely personal preference, of course.

 

To learn more about Airbnb and receive $40 off your first booking, click here: https://www.airbnb.com/c/katien110?currency=USD