Blog

Short blog posts, journal entries, and random thoughts. Topics include a mix of personal and the world at large. 

AirBnb is Great, but...

AirBnb is doing wonders for traveling groups larger than three people. Hotels generally cater to groups of two or singles unless you pay through the nose for suites at higher floors. For those of us who aren't willing to share a double bed, AirBnb is simply awesome. I select entire houses, pick the appropriate number of beds, mark the self check-in option, and off I go. 

And in my experiences AirBnb places have ended up cheaper than a hotel for two. Brilliant. 

What isn't so great about AirBnb though is the sheer amount of time I need to invest to find a good spot. Unlike hotels where the star rating can at least guarantee a certain level of decency, when you are staying in a stranger's private home, due diligence is a must. First I look at location - is it close to public transport, then the facilities - if photos show a place more run down than the typical hotel I skip it. After that I look at almost all the reviews: does the place match the description, and is the "landlord" trustworthy. 

All that can easily take many hours just to select one spot. I admit that this may be a situation unique to me seeing as one could easily pick the first spot that looks decent and then put faith in the goodness of the landlord that everything will work out as written. I am not that person. I must look at all the variables and weight all the options. Tedious it may be, I've yet to have a bad AirBnb lodging experience. Knock on wood.